If you have had an appointment with a physician, had to be at the hospital, or some other healthcare facility, you have probably come into contact with a patient access representative.
A patient access representative is responsible for the interactions with the patients that come and go.
They schedule appointments, make sure insurance and other patient information is accurate, manage patient medical records, and many more health administrative tasks.
Page Navigation
- Steps to Become a Patient Access Representative in Nevada
- Schools in Nevada
- Patient Access Representative Schools in Nevada – Summary Table
- Salary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Nevada have any education or certification requirements for becoming a patient access representative?
- What is the job outlook for a patient access representative in Nevada?
- What rules do patient access representatives need to follow in the state of Nevada?
- What benefits do patient access representatives have in Nevada? Are the benefits specific to the healthcare facility I work at?
Steps to Become a Patient Access Representative in Nevada
There aren’t a lot of steps for becoming a patient access representative in Nevada.
As long as you have a high school diploma or GED, you can get hired as a patient access representative.
However, if there is competition between you and other people for the position, you might have a better chance of getting the job if you have additional education in the form of a certificate or degree program.
Plus, it will look better on your resume.
Schools in Nevada
While there aren’t very many schools that provide specific programs for patient access representatives, there are several programs that will give some skills and knowledge that you need to become a patient access representative.
Northwest Career College
This college provides programs for the healthcare field, including a medical assistant program, a medical billing and coding program, and a healthcare administration program.
All of these will help you gain some knowledge and skills necessary to become a patient access representative.
The medical assistant program is a nine-month program, which means that you can finish it in under a year.
The cost of tuition and other fees for the program comes to a total of $15,499.
The course outline for the medical assistant program is listed below:
- Introduction to Medical Assisting
- Body Systems and Medical Specialities I
- Medical Records and Insurance
- Body Systems and Medical Specialties II
- Pharmacology and Patient Education
- Body Systems and Medical Specialties III
- Microsoft Office for Medical Assistants
- Body Systems and Medical Specialties IV
- Medical Assisting Externship
The medical billing and coding program takes approximately nine months to complete.
Tuition for the medical billing and coding program is $15,499.
The course outline for medical billing and coding includes the following courses:
- Introduction to Medical Terminology
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Diagnostic and Procedural Terminology
- Commercial and Miscellaneous Insurance Plans
- Introduction to Health Insurance
- Microsoft Office for Medical Billers and Coders
- Introduction to Diagnostic Coding
- Medical Billing Externship
- Introduction to Procedural Coding
The healthcare administration program takes around 18 months or more to complete.
The total cost of tuition for this program is $26,988.
The course outline for the healthcare administration program includes the following courses:
- Introduction to Medical Administration
- Healthcare Finance
- Health Information and Medical Records Management
- Human Resource Management in Healthcare
- Introduction to Medical Terminology
- Healthcare Management
- Diagnostic and Procedural Terminology
- Healthcare Administration Externship
- Introduction to Billing and Coding
- English Composition I
- Accounts Receivable and Claims Management
- English Composition II
- Financial and Practice Management
- American Government and Nevada State Constitution
- Microsoft Office for Healthcare Administrators
- Basic College Mathematics
- Healthcare Law
- Introduction to Psychology
Asher College
At Asher College, there are three different program options that will help you gain some knowledge and skills in the healthcare field to become a patient access representative.
These programs include the medical billing and coding program, the health information specialist program, and the medical records specialist program.
The medical billing and coding program takes around 10 months for students to complete.
They also offer an associate degree option with six additional classes added.
The courses that students will need to take include:
- Microsoft Essentials
- Medical Law and Ethics
- Medical Terminology
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Electronic Health Records
- Advanced Billing and Reimbursement
- Advanced Physicians Coding
- Advanced Facility Coding
- Career Success
- Advanced Career Development
The six additional courses for the associate degree include:
- Critical Thinking OR Introduction to Psychology
- Business Communication
- Business Math
- Introduction to Business
- Principles of Management OR Leadership
- American Government
- Nevada Constitution (only required for Nevada students)
The health information specialist program is estimated to take nine months.
The required courses include:
- Digital Literacy
- Microsoft Essentials
- Typing Fundamentals
- Office Administration
- Medical Law and Ethics
- Medical Terminology
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Electronic Health Records
- Health Information Billing and Coding
- Health Information Technology
- Career Success
- Advanced Career Development
Additional courses required for the degree include:
- Critical Thinking or Introduction to Psychology
- Business Communication
- Business Math
- Introduction to Business
- Principles of Management or Leadership
- American Government
- Nevada Constitution (only for Nevada students)
The medical records specialist program can be completed in as little as six months.
The required courses for this program include:
- Digital Literacy
- Microsoft Essentials
- Typing Fundamentals
- Medical Law and Ethics
- Medical Terminology
- Electronic Health Records
- Professional Billing Concepts
- Advanced Billing and Reimbursement
- Career Success
- Advanced Career Development
Patient Access Representative Schools in Nevada – Summary Table
Top 2 Schools in Nevada
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Northwest Career College | 7398 Smoke Ranch Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89128, United States |
| Asher College | 1215 Howe Ave # 101, Sacramento, CA 95825, United States |
Salary
In the state of Nevada, the average salary for a patient access representative is approximately $50,935.
The low end of the range falls to about $46,348, and the high end of the range hits around $56,934.
The average salary for a patient access representative in the United States is around $50,391 with the lowest of the range being around $45,853 and the highest part of the range being $56,326.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Patient Access Representatives in Nevada
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $51,222 |
| Reno | $50,864 |
| Sun Valley | $64,174 |
| North Las Vegas | $51,222 |
| Sparks | $50,864 |
| Carson City | $50,794 |
| Elko | $54,231 |
| Boulder City | $63,735 |
| Mesquite | $63,672 |
| Fallon | $63,176 |
Regional Salary in Nevada
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson City, NV | 100 | $58,240 | $28 | $79,410 | $43,050 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,100 | $46,930 | $22.56 | $66,070 | $34,440 |
| Reno, NV | 210 | $48,590 | $23.36 | $63,420 | $36,800 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
There are many questions about becoming a patient access representative.
Below, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding becoming a patient access representative in Nevada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nevada have any education or certification requirements for becoming a patient access representative?
No, Nevada does not have any legal requirements for education or certification for patient access representatives.
Getting a higher education is completely optional, but it might help you land a job when compared with other candidates.
What is the job outlook for a patient access representative in Nevada?
Jobs in the healthcare field are growing at a fast rate.
There will always be a need for healthcare jobs because there will always be a need for healthcare.
The job outlook is pretty good for healthcare jobs in Nevada, including patient access representatives.
What rules do patient access representatives need to follow in the state of Nevada?
There are no additional legal rules that patient access representatives need to follow other than the patient confidentiality laws that are in place for the protection of the patient and the healthcare field.
Other than that, the only other rules are the ones enforced by the healthcare facility itself.
What benefits do patient access representatives have in Nevada? Are the benefits specific to the healthcare facility I work at?
Just like with most jobs, the benefits that you are offered are left up to the company you work for.
Some companies offer more benefits than others.
You have to do your research when searching for a job to determine the company and location with the best benefits.
