Medical Administrative Assistant Job: An Overview
A medical administrative assistant (sometimes referred to as a medical office specialist or a medical office assistant) provides vital support to healthcare professionals in doctor’s offices and hospitals by performing all of the administrative duties that keep the office running smoothly. Medical office assistants in NJ perform administrative duties ranging from maintaining health records to electronically transmitting insurance claims.
If you are interested in working in the field of healthcare, but prefer to work in administration rather than in directly providing medical care and treatment, a career in medical administration could be right for you.
Keep reading to learn about the knowledge and skills that you need to become a successful medical office assistant.
Necessary Knowledge for Successful Medical Office Assistants:
A successful medical office assistant is a very knowledgeable member of the healthcare team in any medical office. Medical administrative assistants handle patients’ medical records, health insurance information and medical billing, and are therefore privy to confidential and sensitive information. In order to support healthcare professionals and their patients, medical office assistants must have a thorough knowledge of HIPPA regulations, and the ways in which commercial, HMO/PPO, federal, and state insurance plans work, as well as knowledge of medical law and ethical issues and responsibilities related to medical office practice.
Medical office assistants must have an understanding of medical terminology and common medical symbols, abbreviations, diagnostic tests and procedures so that they can properly complete medical coding. They must also understand the ethical standards for professional medical coding.
Finally, a medical administrative assistant must have a thorough knowledge of front office responsibilities, such as greeting patients, answering telephones, and keeping patient appointments on schedule.
Important Skills for Medical Office Assistants:
Medical administrative assistants must have strong interpersonal skills, since they work closely with healthcare professionals, patients, and other administrative professionals. Some medical office assistants will have to explain billing and fees to patients, as well as perform telephone debt collection when bills go unpaid. For medical office assistants who work in the front office, interpersonal skills are particularly important as they greet patients and lead them through the processes of filling out patient information forms and ensuring that their billing and insurance information is up-to-date.
In addition to being able to communicate information about medical records, billing, and insurance to patients in person and on the phone, medical administrative assistants must also possess strong basic writing skills in order to write clear, effective business letters and memos.
Medical administrative assistants must also have some technological skills; they will use computers to electronically transmit insurance claims, complete medical billing and coding, and maintain medical records on medical record software.
Get Skills and Knowledge in the Medical Office Specialist Program at ACI
Advantage Career Institute, located in Eatontown, NJ, is one of the state’s top medical training schools. If you live in NJ and think that a career in a medical office could be right for you, visit our Medical Office Specialist page to find out more about our program courses, call us at 723-440-4110 or contact us online to learn more.
