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The differences between reimbursement specialists and medical record assistants 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 specialist and a medical record assistant. Additionally, a reimbursement specialist has an average salary of $38,273, which is higher than the $34,870 average annual salary of a medical record assistant.
The top three skills for a reimbursement specialist include patients, customer service and appeals. The most important skills for a medical record assistant are patients, data entry, and HIPAA.
| Reimbursement Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,273 | $34,870 |
| Hourly rate | $18.40 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 32,292 | 91,238 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A medical record assistant is responsible for the proper documentation of the patients' information and medical records for reference to the attending physician or other medical professionals. Medical record assistants also track the patient's medical treatments and progress, as well as their health insurance details and coverage. They also respond to the patient's inquiries and concerns, including scheduling physician's appointments and updating the patients for any released medical results. A medical record assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, categorizing documents, and retrieving files for medical needs.
Reimbursement specialists and medical record assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reimbursement Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,273 | $34,870 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lynchburg, VA | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Novartis | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Government |
There are a few differences between a reimbursement specialist and a medical record assistant in terms of educational background:
| Reimbursement Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between reimbursement specialists' and medical record assistants' demographics:
| Reimbursement Specialist | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |