Medical receptionists are professionals responsible for clerical tasks such as handling medical bills, scheduling appointments, answering patient inquiries and organizing physical and digital medical records at a hospital or other health care setting. If you are interested in a career in this profession, follow this guide to learn more about the job and how to craft a resume to land a position.
To start out, let’s learn about the three resume types you can create when searching for a job:
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Job duties of a medical receptionist
A medical receptionist fulfills clerical and administrative tasks while also acting as a liaison between health care insurance workers, patients, doctors and other medical staff. Here are some of the duties of medical receptionists throughout the field:
Answering patients’ calls in a professional manner and scheduling appointments.
Checking in arriving patients at a hospital, clinic, or private medical office.
Filing medical records accurately.
Communicating test results to patients with utmost care and privacy.
Checking insurance information during patient visit.
Ensuring HIPAA compliance by keeping patient information confidential at all times.
Solving health insurance claims situations.
Monitoring inventory levels to reorder supplies.
Maintaining cleanliness of the reception area at all times.
Medical receptionist median salary
As per PayScale, medical receptionists can earn an annual median salary of $32,391. At entry-level, a medical receptionist’s average wage is $13.02 per hour, while employees with more than 20 years of experience, rise to $16 per hour.
Top skills for medical receptionists
Even though they do not practice medicine, medical receptionists still need to have a working knowledge of medical terminology along with a combination of soft and technical skills.
Here are some essential skills you need to be a successful medical receptionist:
- Proficient in EHR: As the health care industry becomes more technology-driven, medical receptionists need to know and operate Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. EHRs enable system collection of all patient data, which helps enhance the quality and efficiency of the health care system.
- Organizational skills: Medical receptionists work in a fast-paced environment and have to multitask. Having good organization skills when juggling multiple tasks is crucial in case you find yourself having to tend to the patients, answer calls all the while entering patient information into the system simultaneously. Your organizational skills will ensure you carry out duties with a high level of accuracy.
- Medical billing and coding: Companies require medical receptionists to know about billing, and coding terminology as they're essential to process payments and insurance claims. Gaining knowledge of standard medical coding systems such as ICD-10, CPT, and HCPCS give you an advantage over other applicants.
- Problem-solving: A medical receptionist is a patient’s first contact when they enter a hospital or medical facility. This may lead to unexpected situations daily and it will be up to you to resolve the needs of patients and safeguard the overall reputation of the office. It is vital to be reasonable and willing to analyze the problem, research information, and solve the issue as quickly as possible.
- Knowledge of HIPAA regulations: Safeguarding the confidentiality of the patients is one of the most important duties of the medical receptionists. Confidentiality is critical when it comes to managing health insurance claims and patient health records. Being aware and enforcing HIPAA regulations helps prevent legal issues of noncompliance for the medical offices. One mistake can put both the patient and the medical facility at risk.
- Interpersonal and communication skills: Being a medical assistant consists of interaction with the public at all times. Patients will approach you to ask questions and bring up concerns expecting a friendly, helpful attitude from the medical receptionists. This attitude promotes patient satisfaction and loyalty and will expand and bring back customers.
Educational requirements for medical receptionists
Degree
A high school diploma or GED is the minimum requirement to work as a medical receptionist. However, you should expect to receive on-the-job training usually conducted by a senior office staff member to help you learn about medical software, ethics and terminology.Certifications
Earning a diploma or certification in medical reception or medical office technology strengthens your resume. The National Healthcare Association (NHA) offers a certification course to become a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA). This certification program includes lessons on medical billing, pathology, pharmacology, law, ethics, confidentiality in allied health, electronic medical records, body systems, medical terminology and medical office procedures.
As medical billing and coding skills are essential for a medical receptionist, completing a Certified Professional Coder CPC exam or one of the online medical billing and coding programs would give you a competitive edge among other applicants. The NHA also offers Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) for those who want to become a specialist in electronic health records. These certificate programs attest to the individual’s ability to audit patients' records, perform basic coding for reimbursement claims, and review patient demographic and insurance information.MOOC courses
Though MOOC websites do not provide official credentials, they are a valuable way to gain in-demand skills and knowledge to make you an outstanding candidate for the job. Coursera's Privacy Law & HIPAA course teaches you tips regarding confidentiality. You will also learn about potential confidentiality issues and how to address them.
On the other hand, Udemy has a Becoming a Medical Receptionist course to acquire basic knowledge of the job's primary duties. You will understand medical records, filing, billing, coding and interpersonal communication methods for patient interactions.
Medical receptionist resume-writing tips
Your medical receptionist resume is your entry to the medical administration field. To ensure you get an interview, you'll have to make a positive first impression using a resume that is organized and showcases your abilities. Here are some essential tips that you have to keep in mind to create an attention-grabbing resume.
- Emphasize your hard skills: Skills are as necessary as qualifications for the role of a medical receptionist. While soft skills are critical, mentioning hard skills in your resume adds value. For instance, if you are proficient in medical billing and coding, HIPAA compliance, computer database systems, and insurance verification, make sure to add it in your skills section to increase your chances of getting an interview.
- Tailor your resume: Sending the same resume for every job application is not ideal. Every employer has different requirements for the same work opportunity. Before you send your resume, go through the job description posted by the company and add the mentioned keywords if you, in fact, possess those skills. These actions will guarantee your resume makes it past the ATS or applicant tracking system used by the recruiter.
- Keep your resume organized: Organizational skills are of utmost importance for the role of a medical receptionist. So ensure that your resume is formatted and organized. Stick to a one-page resume, and use a standard font like Arial and Times New Roman. Make sure only to add relevant information and that the language is concise and clear.
Looking for Cover Letter ideas? See our sample for Medical Receptionist cover letter.
FAQ
Where do medical receptionists work?
Medical receptionists work in different health care settings. You can find job opportunities for medical receptionists at hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician offices, dentists, and other health care, as well as personal care services practitioners.
What is the job outlook for medical receptionists?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded a 4% increase in receptionists' jobs between 2019 and 2029. This increase would also include demand for receptionists in the medical field during this period.
Are medical receptionists and medical assistants the same?
Medical receptionists and medical assistants are not the same. While medical assistants have both administrative and clinical job responsibilities, the role of receptionists is purely administrative.