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What does a Medical Office Specialist do?

Photo of Brenna Goyette
Brenna Goyette
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert

Published 3 min read

A medical office specialist provides support to the medical staff and patients of a healthcare facility. They are responsible for a variety of tasks, including answering phones, scheduling appointments, filing insurance paperwork, and maintaining medical records.

Medical Office Specialist job duties include:

  • Greeting patients and visitors
  • Answering phones and routing calls
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Checking patients in and out
  • Verifying insurance benefits
  • Filing medical records
  • Billing and coding insurance claims
  • Processing payments
  • Ordering office supplies
  • Maintaining equipment

Medical Office Specialist Job Requirements

A medical office specialist typically needs at least a high school diploma, although some jobs may require postsecondary education, and must complete on-the-job training. Many medical office specialists become certified through professional organizations. Some states have certification programs for medical office specialists. Experience in a related occupation is helpful.

Medical Office Specialist Skills

  • Medical office specialist
  • Medical billing
  • Medical coding
  • Insurance claims
  • Patient scheduling
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Answering phones
  • Filing medical records
  • Verifying patient insurance
  • Scanning medical documents
  • Data entry
  • Medical transcription

Related: Top Medical Office Specialist Skills: Definition and Examples

How to become a Medical Office Specialist

A medical office specialist is a professional who provides support to the medical staff and patients of a healthcare facility. They are responsible for maintaining medical records, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and insurance claims. A medical office specialist must be able to effectively communicate with both patients and medical staff. They must be organized and detail oriented in order to keep the medical office running smoothly.

If you are interested in becoming a medical office specialist, you will need to complete a high school education or equivalent. Many community colleges offer programs that will prepare you for this career. Once you have completed your training, you will need to obtain a certification from the American Association of Medical Office Specialists.

The duties of a medical office specialist can vary depending on the size and type of healthcare facility where they are employed. However, there are some common tasks that all medical office specialists perform. These include answering phones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, and handling billing and insurance claims. A successful medical office specialist must be able to juggle multiple tasks at once and have excellent customer service skills.

Related: Medical Office Specialist Resume Example

Related: Medical Office Specialist Interview Questions (With Example Answers)

Editorial staff

Photo of Brenna Goyette, Editor

Editor

Brenna Goyette

Expert Verified

Brenna is a certified professional resume writer, career expert, and the content manager of the ResumeCat team. She has a background in corporate recruiting and human resources and has been writing resumes for over 10 years. Brenna has experience in recruiting for tech, finance, and marketing roles and has a passion for helping people find their dream jobs. She creates expert resources to help job seekers write the best resumes and cover letters, land the job, and succeed in the workplace.

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