Registration clerk vs patient access representative

The differences between registration clerks and patient access representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a registration clerk, becoming a patient access representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a patient access representative has an average salary of $33,603, which is higher than the $30,061 average annual salary of a registration clerk.

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

Registration clerk vs patient access representative overview

	Registration Clerk	Patient Access Representative
Yearly salary	$30,061	$33,603
Hourly rate	$14.45	$16.16
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	123,390	151,077
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a registration clerk do?

A registration clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical tasks for patients' admission in a health care setting. Registration clerks assist patients with filling out hospital forms, verifying their medical histories, and confirming their insurance details. They also respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns, as well as directing them to the appropriate facility for their medical needs. A registration clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on managing appointments and ensuring that the patients receive the highest quality of health care.

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.

Registration clerk vs patient access representative salary

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

	Registration Clerk	Patient Access Representative
Average salary	$30,061	$33,603
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Hancock Wellness	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between registration clerk and patient access representative education

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

	Registration Clerk	Patient Access Representative
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Registration clerk vs patient access representative demographics

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

	Registration Clerk	Patient Access Representative
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 11.8% Female, 88.2%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 4.4% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	9%	7%

Differences between registration clerk and patient access representative duties and responsibilities

Registration clerk example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files, reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Perform EKG for cardiac patients.
Verify eligibility for Medicaid patients register through insurance websites.
Conduct initial intake interview and register patients for hospital procedures and day surgery.
Register patients, including radiology inpatient and outpatient for medical services accordance of insurance guidelines.
Procure past EKG and additional information as per physicians request from ALTHA.

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.

Registration clerk vs patient access representative skills

Common registration clerk skills

Patients, 40%
Medical Terminology, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Patient Registration, 3%
Computer System, 3%
Insurance Verification, 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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Office and Administrative Industry
Registration Clerk
Registration Clerk vs Patient Access Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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