Volunteer patient representative vs prior authorization specialist

The differences between volunteer patient representatives and prior authorization specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a volunteer patient representative and a prior authorization specialist. Additionally, a volunteer patient representative has an average salary of $42,036, which is higher than the $36,120 average annual salary of a prior authorization specialist.

The top three skills for a volunteer patient representative include patients, training sessions and emotional support. The most important skills for a prior authorization specialist are patients, customer service, and medical necessity.

Volunteer patient representative vs prior authorization specialist overview

	Volunteer Patient Representative	Prior Authorization Specialist
Yearly salary	$42,036	$36,120
Hourly rate	$20.21	$17.37
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	64,027	69,667
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Volunteer patient representative vs prior authorization specialist salary

Volunteer patient representatives and prior authorization specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Volunteer Patient Representative	Prior Authorization Specialist
Average salary	$42,036	$36,120
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $51,000	Between $27,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Framingham, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Washington State University
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between volunteer patient representative and prior authorization specialist education

There are a few differences between a volunteer patient representative and a prior authorization specialist in terms of educational background:

	Volunteer Patient Representative	Prior Authorization Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Volunteer patient representative vs prior authorization specialist demographics

Here are the differences between volunteer patient representatives' and prior authorization specialists' demographics:

	Volunteer Patient Representative	Prior Authorization Specialist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7%	Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.8% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 23.0% Asian, 6.9% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between volunteer patient representative and prior authorization specialist duties and responsibilities

Volunteer patient representative example responsibilities.

Select by leading service coordinator to manage leadership training, and performance evaluations.
Create PowerPoint presentations and forms to support the committee s goals.
Present excellent music ministry and assist with setting up sound equipment.
Provide an effective urban ministry experience that transforms lives, influences churches and communities.
Preach the good word of god through tough climate, conditions and tough enviroment.
Collaborate with other missionaries and church leaders to establish goals and objectives for gospel education and church attendance.

Prior authorization specialist example responsibilities.

Utilize CMS and InterQual criteria to establish authorizations for members requiring medical services for a Medicare advantage insurance company.
Manage quality communication, patient support and service representation with patients and providers to establish equipment/procedures statuses and expedite orders.
Work with staff to ensure proper CPT codes are submit on authorization request.
Demonstrate compassion while obtaining patient demographics and personal health information.
Register patients into the emergency department or outpatients for surgery or procedures.
Register patients' demographics and insurance information; execute daily outpatient and surgery reports.

Volunteer patient representative vs prior authorization specialist skills

Common volunteer patient representative skills

Patients, 49%
Training Sessions, 15%
Emotional Support, 14%
Spanish Language, 5%
Presentation, 3%
Patient Care, 3%

Common prior authorization specialist skills

Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 8%
Medical Necessity, 8%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Clinical Resource, 6%
Authorization Process, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Volunteer Patient Representative
Volunteer Patient Representative vs Prior Authorization Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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