The receptionist in a physician's office is the first person a patient or visitor to the office meets. She is responsible for moving patients through the office in an efficient manner while attending to other office duties. Employers typically require a minimum of a high school education for this position. The average salary for a front desk receptionist in a medical office is between $21,589 and $29,648 as of December 2010, according to PayScale.
Greeting Patients
The receptionist greets patients when they are checking in for an appointment with the doctor. While the receptionist does not provide any direct care to patients, she does ensure the patient moves through the check-in process efficiently. Receptionists may pull patient files after patients check in for an appointment and re-file patient files after the appointment.
Scheduling
A physician office receptionist schedules appointments for patients calling in to the office and for patient checking out after an appointment. The receptionist may call to verify appointments with patients as a part of her daily activities. A receptionist may call patients to make changes to the schedule as necessary. For example, if a patient cancels an appointment, the receptionist may attempt to fill the slot with another patient. Receptionists may maintain an appointment schedule for multiple doctors in a medical practice.
Insurance Verification
During the check in procedure, the receptionist may verify the patient's insurance information and make copies of insurance cards. The receptionist also verifies that the patient information is up to date and accurate during the check in process. A medical office receptionist may also pre-certify procedures or treatments with an insurance company.
Data Entry and Office Duties
The receptionist may be responsible for ordering supplies for the office, maintaining the office equipment and performing data entry. A receptionist receives mail and packages for the office.
Payments
Medical office receptionists accept co-payments or payment for services from patients during the checkout process.
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