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The differences between reimbursement specialists and billers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a reimbursement specialist, becoming a biller takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a biller has an average salary of $38,333, which is higher than the $38,273 average annual salary of a reimbursement specialist.
The top three skills for a reimbursement specialist include patients, customer service and appeals. The most important skills for a biller are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Reimbursement Specialist | Biller | |
| Yearly salary | $38,273 | $38,333 |
| Hourly rate | $18.40 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | 11% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 32,292 | 35,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A reimbursement specialist is responsible for analyzing insurance documents, processing reimbursement claims, and releasing accurate billing statements for insurance claims. Reimbursement specialists must have excellent analytical skills, especially on performing clerical tasks to evaluate insurance cases, investigate cases, and update the account information of the clients on the database. They should also have impeccable communication skills and understanding of the insurance processes to be able to coordinate with the clients, explaining the procedures of their claims accurately, and coordinate with the insurance management to improve the claims processes.
Billers are medical professionals who are responsible for translating health care services into medical claims to be submitted to insurance companies. These billers are required to obtain patient medical records and interpret them to determine the billable units and services. They must manage all aspects of the medical billing process and make necessary contacts with insurance payers or patients to ensure maximum reimbursements. Billers must also provide services that are associated with internal and external customer billing and payment processing operations.
Reimbursement specialists and billers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reimbursement Specialist | Biller | |
| Average salary | $38,273 | $38,333 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lynchburg, VA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Novartis | UC Merced |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a reimbursement specialist and a biller in terms of educational background:
| Reimbursement Specialist | Biller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between reimbursement specialists' and billers' demographics:
| Reimbursement Specialist | Biller | |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% | Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 6.8% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |