Medical Office Assistant Job Description

Medical Office Assistant

Salary range: $35,000-$75,000
Sweet spot: $40,000-$60,000
Major cities: $50,000-$75,000
Other markets: $35,000-$65,000
Hourly: $15-$25/hour Sweet Spot: $17-20/hour
Bonus: Customary

A medical office assistant oversees administrative functions for a single doctor or a team of doctors in a small private practice or as part of a larger healthcare system. They are a crucial part of ensuring the medical office runs smoothly; despite the many technical skills needed, soft skills are paramount! A medical office assistant must be compassionate and understanding to patient needs. In addition, a medical office assistant must be detail-oriented and conscientious, in order to prevent insurance and billing mishaps.

From a technical perspective, medical office assistants need to be experienced in interacting with patients, scheduling appointments, handling billing, insurance protocols and payment, filing and accessing patient records, following-up with patients and assisting with insurance claims. This role requires light computer software skills and comfort with other traditional office equipment. Finally, a medical office assistant should have a working knowledge of medical terminology, health insurance guidelines, and medical billing protocols.

Job Description

Be the face of the practice. Greet incoming patients and vendors and assist them in completing paperwork and direct them to the appropriate departments, as necessary
Answer phone calls, schedule appointments and keep a robust calendar for one or several physicians. A busy practice may require scheduling across several physicians
Sort mail, collate faxes, reply to emails,
Provide administrative support to doctors, nurses, support staff and patients in a large healthcare clinic or smaller private practice
Schedule staff meetings which may require reserving a conference room and procuring catering
Maintain records for the practice in an organized and confidential manner
Oversee billing and invoices for patients and vendors; assist in the submission of insurance claims where insurance is accepted by the practice
Ensure that all office supplies and possibly medical supplies are in stock; reorder, as necessary
Assist in the transcription of a doctor’s notes and file them accordingly in a confidential database

Critical Soft Skills

Collaborative
Comfortable with complexity / ambiguity
Detail-oriented
Discreet
Efficient time manager
Emotionally intelligent
Excellent interpersonal skills
Friendly/personable
Multitasker
Organized

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