Back Office Medical Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides exhaustive information on the back office medical assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

What Does a Back Office Medical Assistant Do?

The back office medical assistant job description entails checking insurance coverage of patients before they can be seen by the doctor.

It also involves monitoring payments to ensure that they fit within the agreed-upon financial limitations set by the insurance carrier and patient.

Back office medical assistants identify potential problems with the patient’s health prior to the doctor visit.

They are responsible for scheduling and maintaining appointment calendars, as well as ordering and processing medical records.

It is also their duty to notify the referring physician of any changes or lapses in patient’s medical record or insurance agent (if any) related to coverage of services or expenses.

Back office medical assistants may be involved in telephoning patients for reminder call-in, emergency calls via paging system, and answering phone calls from patients who have not received their medications/prescriptions/etc.

They are also responsible for replying to charges from insurance companies, informing patients about their health plan benefits, etc.

Back office medical assistants are in charge of gathering patient information, such as any chronic conditions and other information regarding the patient’s health, to be sent to the insurance company or managed care organizations.

This information usually includes the patient’s name and address, Social Security number, date of birth, address, and telephone number.

The back office medical assistant work description also involves creating and maintaining a master calendar of patients’ physician’s appointments.

It also entails arranging needed reminder calls to patients made by a third-party vendor or staff member, as well as making sure that all appointments are scheduled within the provider group’s guidelines.

Mailing payment reminders to patients who have not paid for a visit or procedure is another task they perform.

More on Back Office Medical Assistant Job Description

The back office medical assistant job duties also include answering any questions from patients regarding their balances or account status, researching insurance coverage and benefits, and calling insurance companies to verify coverage.

It is also their responsibility to notify the referring physician if a patient has not paid their bill in accordance with agreed-upon schedule.

Their job also involves working with the insurance carrier to determine covered expenses based on the patient’s plan type.

Back office medical assistants update and maintain patients’ medical records.

They are in charge of notifying the consulting physician and informing them of any changes in patient’s status and/or progress with treatment.

In addition, they handle prescription refills, making sure that all prescriptions have been sent to the doctor, ensuring that any medications are available in the pharmacy.

It is also their duty to call patients to reschedule appointments that have not been met due to no-shows and remind patients of upcoming appointments or tests.

Back office medical assistants are responsible for sending completed forms to insurance companies and submitting claims according to the insurance rules and regulations.

They have a duty to call other staff members, such as the social worker, school counselors, etc. to notify them of any upcoming visits.

The back office medical assistant job description also involves updating the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Medicare/Medicaid and other federal regulations regarding patient privacy.

It is also their duty to protect patients’ records.

This is a very serious responsibility because the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) requires that all of a patient’s personal information be safe at all times.

Back Office Medical Assistant Job Description Example/Sample/Template

• Perform administrative tasks to support the back-office operations of a medical facility or clinic
• Manage and maintain patient records, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality
• Schedule appointments, follow-ups, and referrals for patients
• Coordinate and organize medical charts, files, and documents
• Prepare and process medical insurance claims and billing information
• Assist with medical coding and ensure adherence to coding guidelines
• Communicate with patients regarding test results, prescription refills, and general inquiries
• Responsible for incoming and outgoing correspondence, such as emails and phone calls
• Prepare examination rooms and ensure cleanliness and proper stocking of supplies
• Assist healthcare providers during examinations, procedures, and treatments
• Take and record vital signs, patient histories, and other relevant information
• Perform basic medical procedures, such as collecting specimens, administering medications, and dressing wounds
• Handle inventory of medical equipment and supplies
• Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure smooth workflow and patient care
• Adhere to medical and legal regulations, including HIPAA guidelines
• Provide support and assistance to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff as needed
• Stay updated on industry trends, regulations, and best practices related to back-office medical assisting.

Back Office Medical Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before in the role of a back office medical assistant or are currently working in that position and are making a new resume or CV, then you can apply the sample back office medical assistant job description above in creating the Professional Experience part of the resume.

You can apply the duties and responsibilities of a back office medical assistant given in the job description template above in creating the Professional Experience of your resume, to show that you have been successful in performing the duties of the job.

This can greatly boost your resume and increase your chances of being called up for interview and hired, especially if the new job that you are seeking requires someone with some back office medical assistant work experience.

Back Office Medical Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Here are major requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the back office medical assistant role:

• Minimum State law license required to operate as a physician assistant at an independent medical facility
• Must maintain good business and professional reputation among coworkers and other people you deal with during the course of your job
• Ability to perform multiple tasks together at the same time without making mistakes
• Ability to speak clearly, concisely, calmly, and in a convincing manner whether through telephone, email, or in person on the job for well over an hour at a time
• Ability to do the job after working at least 10 hours per day, 5 days per week for at least one year
• Happy, outgoing, and social nature with people
• Passion to learn new and diverse things daily
• Ability to be a team builder and motivator of others
• Must be able to work independently and flexibly with little supervision when necessary, as well as able to work within a team environment and interact accordingly with patients, physicians, and other medical staff members
• Ability to work in stressful, fast-paced conditions
• Possess strong ability to work under time constraints in a rapidly changing environment and following written and verbal instructions
• Ability to handle stress often associate with the physician assistant job, like: working with sick, injured, nervous, and distraught patients, complicated medical problems that change quickly, tight deadlines, and dealing with difficult situations often arising from the medical care of patients
• Helping patients feel calm when they are experiencing medical emergencies, stress, tension, or fear of medical procedures.

Back Office Medical Assistant Salary

The average salary for a back office medical assistant is about $33,787 (ziprecruiter.com) and $41,739 (indeed.com) per year.

Indeed published the best paying cities as Los Angeles, CA, $46,045; Atlanta, GA, $44,025; Scottsdale, AZ, $42,122; Fresno, CA, $41,540, and Las Vegas, NV, $41,288 per year.

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the back office medical assistant career. They can learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities back office medical assistants commonly perform and so be able to decide if that is what they want to do.

It is also helpful to employers/recruiters in making a detailed job description for the role in their organizations.