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The differences between reimbursement analysts and records specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a reimbursement analyst and a records specialist. Additionally, a reimbursement analyst has an average salary of $65,489, which is higher than the $33,273 average annual salary of a records specialist.
The top three skills for a reimbursement analyst include patients, medicare and medicaid. The most important skills for a records specialist are customer service, data entry, and office equipment.
| Reimbursement Analyst | Records Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,489 | $33,273 |
| Hourly rate | $31.49 | $16.00 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 10,216 | 28,647 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A reimbursement analyst is responsible for determining patients' billing statements and approving reimbursement claims. Reimbursement analysts review reimbursement requests, respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, and resolve billing discrepancies. They also validate patients' information and medical documents to support claims and process reimbursement efficiently. A reimbursement analyst must have excellent analytical and communication skills, as well as have extensive knowledge of the reimbursement policies and procedures to release payments and manage the patients' eligibility for reimbursement.
Records Specialists are administrative professionals who help manage the records of the company. These records may be physical documents or digital copies that are stored in a database. Records Specialists may assist in creating filing systems and knowledge management systems to ensure that the records they keep are easily accessible. They also keep an organized list or database of all the documents that are with them. Records Specialists are in charge of pulling up records upon the request of different departments or individuals. If they are working with physical copies, they ensure that these documents are returned to them. If they are working with digital copies, they ensure that the files they share are kept confidential. Records Specialists may also be in charge of analyzing trends and creating records-related reports.
Reimbursement analysts and records specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reimbursement Analyst | Records Specialist | |
| Average salary | $65,489 | $33,273 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $87,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Quincy, MA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Tufts Health Plan | Mt. San Antonio College |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Government |
There are a few differences between a reimbursement analyst and a records specialist in terms of educational background:
| Reimbursement Analyst | Records Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between reimbursement analysts' and records specialists' demographics:
| Reimbursement Analyst | Records Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.4% Female, 72.6% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 8.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |