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The differences between utilization coordinators and medical support assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a utilization coordinator, becoming a medical support assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a utilization coordinator has an average salary of $47,791, which is higher than the $35,390 average annual salary of a medical support assistant.
The top three skills for a utilization coordinator include patients, utilization management and patient care. The most important skills for a medical support assistant are patients, patient care, and advanced life support.
| Utilization Coordinator | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $47,791 | $35,390 |
| Hourly rate | $22.98 | $17.01 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,605 | 190,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 47 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Utilization coordinators are healthcare professionals who coordinate the effective use of health care services as well as review the medical care of inpatient hospitalizations. These coordinators are required to provide scheduling conflict information to their supervisors to alleviate any potential issues with the schedules of physicians that would interrupt patient care. They must provide information education to nursing and medical staff about the issues of utilization. Utilization coordinators must also perform clerical duties and utilize customized data entry programs to assist the claims department with data entry of claims.
A medical support assistant job is mainly in health care services, such as hospitals, medical clinics, and private doctors who perform administrative duties and organizing schedules and records. They work together with patients' physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel. Assistants can directly work with patients and call insurance firms on their behalf to inquire about insurance coverage. Medical support assistants encode data on a computer regarding patients' medications, treatment, and lab test results.
Utilization coordinators and medical support assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Utilization Coordinator | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Average salary | $47,791 | $35,390 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $63,000 | Between $28,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Loudoun Water | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Government |
There are a few differences between a utilization coordinator and a medical support assistant in terms of educational background:
| Utilization Coordinator | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between utilization coordinators' and medical support assistants' demographics:
| Utilization Coordinator | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Average age | 47 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |