Registrar vs patient access representative

The differences between registrars and patient access representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a registrar, becoming a patient access representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a registrar has an average salary of $40,632, which is higher than the $33,603 average annual salary of a patient access representative.

The top three skills for a registrar include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a patient access representative are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Registrar vs patient access representative overview

	Registrar	Patient Access Representative
Yearly salary	$40,632	$33,603
Hourly rate	$19.53	$16.16
Growth rate	7%	-4%
Number of jobs	12,723	151,077
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	40
Years of experience	6	4

What does a registrar do?

A registrar's role is to process and maintain accurate records within an institution or establishment. They are the main point of communication to obtain various kinds of information. In schools, a registrar is in charge of keeping a student or educator's academic, personal, and financial records. They also have the task of arranging a student's course and class schedules. Furthermore, a registrar may also have other administrative tasks such as responding to calls and other forms of correspondence, producing reports, and process requirements.

What does a patient access representative do?

A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.

Registrar vs patient access representative salary

Registrars and patient access representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Registrar	Patient Access Representative
Average salary	$40,632	$33,603
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between registrar and patient access representative education

There are a few differences between a registrar and a patient access representative in terms of educational background:

	Registrar	Patient Access Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Registrar vs patient access representative demographics

Here are the differences between registrars' and patient access representatives' demographics:

	Registrar	Patient Access Representative
Average age	47	40
Gender ratio	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	7%

Differences between registrar and patient access representative duties and responsibilities

Registrar example responsibilities.

Manage and prioritize a high volume of traumas and ambulances entering the ER.
Provide superior customer-orient support and manage non-cooperative patients such as those with addictions problems with tact and ease.
Code all inpatient, outpatient, emergency room, laboratory and radiology visits with appropriate ICD-9 and CPT codes.
Transport patients to and from rehabilitation unit.
Coordinate all radiology authorizations from physicians and insurance companies, adhering to appropriate CPT codes.
Admit patients to various outpatient departments of the hospital; including emergency, laboratory and radiology.

Patient access representative example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPPA and clinic.
Conduct intensive screening of all Medicare, Medicaid and manage care patients for provider service eligibility.
Educate eligible applicants about Medicaid manage care and how to access benefits in a manage care environment.
Run internal reports to ensure ICD 9 and CPT procedure codes are accurate for billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Deliver quality customer service and compassion while obtaining demographic and financial data from patients seeking emergency medical services.
Operate front desk check-in, preparation of charts, receive payments and balance books at the end of the day.

Registrar vs patient access representative skills

Common registrar skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 16%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Patient Registration, 4%
Data Entry, 3%
Patient Care, 3%

Common patient access representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 13%
Medical Terminology, 9%
Patient Care, 5%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%

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Registrar vs Patient Access Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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