Day in the Life: Medical Office Admin Assistant

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With the shift away from private practices, Medical offices are bigger and busier than ever. That’s why they need a full, knowledgeable team to keep things running smoothly. Among the professionals they rely on are Medical Office Administrative Assistants. With patients coming and going—some filled with worry, others filled with questions—someone needs to sort it all out. Could that someone be you? If you’re well-organized with a desire to help others, a career as a Medical Office Admin Assistant might be a great match. But what’s the job like? Learn what a Medical Office Administration Assistant does in their day-to-day to find out what you might expect.

The Start of the Day for a Medical Office Administration Assistant

Even before you leave your home, you need to be ready to go. You have an important role in the smooth operation of your medical office or department, providing both administrative support and a warm welcome for patients. Your responsibilities may vary depending on the size and type of your practice, but you can expect a dynamic and fast-paced environment, so you need to be mentally prepared. Rise early, fuel up with a good breakfast, and dress professionally. Make sure you have all the essentials, such as your ID badge, phone, keys, and lunch. And off you go!

8:00 AM – Opening the Medical Office

Arrive before the office opens to patients and prepare your workspace by checking voicemails, emails, and faxes that may have come in overnight. Check the appointment schedules for doctors, nurses, and other medical staff and make sure everything is updated and ready for the day. Were there cancelations? Did someone call with a plea for an immediate appointment? Check the schedule and see how you can help. And take some time to clean up the waiting room before patients show up. Wipe down tables and chairs, put reading materials back in their proper place, and restock medical brochures and fliers if needed.

9:00 AM – Greet the First Patients

As the first patients arrive, welcome them into the office. Be warm and friendly and try to put them at ease. Does their personal information need to be updated? Are there insurance forms to fill out? Take care of business and ask if your patients have any questions. And while those first few patients wait for the nurses and doctors, you can stay busy sending out appointment reminders, answering phones, and responding to emails. When the medical staff is ready for patients, you direct them to the exam room.

10:00 AM – Help a New Patient

Maybe your next patient is a first-time visitor. Welcome them to the practice! Create an electronic medical record for them and have them fill out the appropriate paperwork, which includes new patient registration, medical history, insurance forms, privacy forms, outpatient consent, electronic communications consent, and a health information disclosure. You enter demographic information and make note of allergies and current medications. As other patients come and go, you make sure their records are all up to date too.

11:00 AM – Fill Out Insurance Claims

Throughout the morning, you may need to juggle a variety of administrative responsibilities. A common task is to complete insurance claims. Using the patient’s paperwork and the proper ICD codes, you enter the procedures that need to be covered by insurance. If the claim is kicked back or has an error, you need to fix it and resubmit. Or you may need to contact an insurance company directly to ask about coverage or follow up on claims.

12:00 PM – Lunch

At the mid-point of the day, you can have lunch. Take this time to unwind and refuel for the rest of the day. Check your personal messages, make a phone call, or listen to relaxing music to help you recharge.

12:30 PM – Schedule Referrals

After lunch, review the flow of appointments and ensure everything is going well. If a doctor or nurse is running behind, you may need to adjust the schedule or contact waiting patients to inform them of delays. In the meantime, you may need to handle referrals from other offices. Contact the patients and set up appointments for them. Send out reminders and instructions they might need ahead of time. And don’t forget to keep up with all the ringing phones and occasional walk-in patients.

1:30 –Work with Outside Teams

Sometimes, you need to help coordinate lab results, medical reports, or X-rays. You may need to talk with specialists, meet with vendors, or answer questions from prospective patients. In all your interactions, you must be pleasant and professional. You represent the whole medical office.

2:00 PM – Check Inventory

You notice that some of the office supplies are running low, so you check the inventory to take stock of what you need. Make note of the medical and office supplies that need replenishing and place orders.

3 p.m. – Send Appointment Reminders

Send out appointment reminders to the patients who are scheduled for tomorrow and reschedule for any patients who can no longer come in on that date. Return any phone calls or emails that came through while you were checking inventory and assisting patients.

4:30 p.m. – Close Down for the Day

As you approach closing time, start wrapping up for the day. Finish up any outstanding paperwork and check for messages one last time.

Are you ready to begin a career as a Medical Office Administrative Assistant? Charter College can get you started. We offer a Certificate in Medical Office Administrative Assistant that can be completed in as few as 10 months. The program is offered online for flexibility and convenience. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.

888.200.9942