Front Office Medical Assistant Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities

Front office medical assistant also greet and check in patients and verify their personal and insurance information.

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

It also highlights major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the front office medical assistant role.

What Does a Front Office Medical Assistant Do?

The front office medical assistant is responsible for answering and directing all inquiries from patients to all other department.

They check in the patients and ensure that the paperwork is in order.

The front office medical assistant job description involves collecting co-payment and providing assistance to patient with disabilities if needed, such as wheelchair ramps, parking assistance, etc.

It also entails maintaining all patient records, insurance files and billing records in their custody and providing these documents every time they are requested.

The documents may be requested by a representative of the hospital or providers of care to whom the front office medical assistant is delegated by their supervisor.

Front office medical assistants maintain a neat and clean appearance at all times and provide information to patients with disabilities regarding different issues.

They work with the billing department, as well as with the hospital’s marketing department for events and campaigns.

It is the responsibility of the front office medical assistant to take part in a regular program of staff training to increase their knowledge of health care and to improve their skills in working with patients and families.

The front office medical assistant work description also entails taking part in meetings with patients and their families to help them access health care services, providing information on issues related to patient’s health concerns, and assisting with insurance issues.

A part of their duties may involve working in a laboratory facility where specimens taken from patients are processed into reports for physicians’ use in diagnosis and treatment.

Working closely with the operating department and the nursing staff to ensure that patients are informed about precautions and preventive steps, such as avoiding exposure to cold, cross-contamination and other transmission procedures, is a routine part of their tasks.

This professional works in the laboratory department where they collect specimens from patients and record data, conduct tests, and prepare reports for physicians’ use in diagnosis, treatment, or care.

The front office medical assistant assists doctors at certain times as required when they provide care to patients and their families by following all of their instructions regarding contact with personnel, procedures, drugs, and treatments.

They work closely with the personnel from other departments, including the finance department in order to process and maintain all billing of patients.

Maintaining confidentiality at all times when dealing with any information related to patient, staff and hospital operations is a very important duty of the front office medical assistant.

Front Office Medical Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The front office medical assistant job description involves the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

Answers telephone, screens and directs calls
Maintains a high level of confidentiality
Assists in the scheduling for patients, physicians and other staff members to make appointments or special requests
Obtains insurance information from patient and/or confirms coverage with insurance provider prior to scheduling appointments or procedures
Prepares room assignments for patients and physicians according to department policies and procedures to ensure maximum efficiency of staff and equipment at all times
Assures that rooms are ready when needed by completing room-scheduling checklist, turning on lights, adjusting temperature controls, straightening furniture for comfort of patients and reviewing supplies needed for procedure
Gives the front office proper appearance and attention at all times
Makes follow-up calls to reassure patients, physicians, and other staff members that their needs have been met
Answers any general questions patient or physician may have at time of visit
Conducts patient registration in a manner that assures confidentiality with information such as name, address, age, sex, color of eyes, distinguishing marks and insurance information being used only by authorized personnel
Obtains answering service if needed
Reports any violations of policies and procedures or any unacceptable behavior to management
May participate in some aspects of the front office operation such as answering telephones, customer service, scheduling, and assisting patients.

Front Office Medical Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you are making a new resume or CV as someone who has worked as a front office medical assistant before or are presently working in that role, you can apply the sample job description provided above in making a compelling Professional Experience for the resume or CV.

You can highlight the duties and responsibilities you have performed or are currently carrying out in the Professional Experience section of your resume by the one from the above front office medical assistant job description example.

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

Front Office Medical Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Here are major requirements you may be expected to fulfill if you are applying for the front office medical assistant role:

World experience in customer service, answering telephones, data entry, and/or receptionist
Basic knowledge of medical terminology or experience with a physician’s office would be a plus but is not required for this position
Competent with computer software (Microsoft Office Applications) for word processing, spreadsheets, and database management
Excellent telephone communication skills are necessary
Have good organizational skills to handle multiple tasks at once and work well in a high pressure environment without losing perspective on what’s important (patients).
Must be proficient in all phases of front office operation
Ability to work under pressure and high stress situations, must have great customer service skills, and ability to prioritize on the job
High school diploma or equivalent
Valid driver’s license is required for this position (except if the position is for a salaried employee)
Good communication skills are also essential as it requires frequent interaction with numerous different people at all times
Must be able to speak accurately, clearly and with a pleasant voice at all times without raising voice above a conversational level.

Front Office Medical Assistant Salary

According to salary.com, the average medical front office assistant income in the United States is $37,083 as of May 27, 2022, with a salary range of $32,528 to $42,194.

According to bls.gov, an average of 123,000 openings for medical assistants is expected each year over the decade.