by Updated on | $ 300 | $ $ 14000 | $ $ $ 33000 |
Weigh the costs of patient access representative training with the benefits to see if this career is a good investment.
You will need to train in an educational format to certify as a patient access representative.
Since this job is in the medical industry, proper training will likely take time and cost money.
Find out how much money you need to become a patient care representative in the US.
How Much is School for Patient Access Representatives?
There are several routes to becoming educated as a patient access representative.
You can take a speed course at a trade school that takes a couple of weekends.
Alternatively and more ideally, you can earn an associate’s degree in college as a PAR.
If you are taking a course on patient access representative training, the cost is approximately $2,700 to $5,000.
A two-year associate of arts or science degree in patient access representative or a related subject will be about $7,000 a year.
This is an affordable college rate that is based on in-state tuition with financial aid.
Some private schools can be up to $40,000 an academic year.
However, many schools have financial assistance, scholarships, work-study programs, and other financial gifts like stipends and endowments.
These are often set aside by departments for majoring and minoring students who exhibit interest and need.
What is the Time Frame for PAR Training?
A certificate course in patient access representative techniques will take about six months to complete.
This is based on the timeframe for online self-paced certificate courses for PARs.
For college students, the AS or AA route for patient access representative training is between one and a half and two academic years.
This does not include the time needed to pass a certification exam.
Students often study and prepare for a certification exam after graduating college with a degree as a PAR.
This requires six to nine months of preparation and time to schedule the exam.
Do I Have to Be Certified as a Patient Access Representative?
A patient access representative does not have to be certified.
However, in order to gain employment and boost credentialing in other job areas, such as nursing, you will need to get certified.
This involves studying and passing a board certification exam as a PAR.
There are several national exams for patient access representatives.
These PAR exams include:
- CMAA or Certified Medical Administrative Assistant
- CEHRS or Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
- CHAA or Certified Healthcare Access Associate
- CHAM or Certified Healthcare Access Manager
What is the Cost of Certification as a PAR?
Certification exams for a PAR vary.
For example, the CEHRS exam cost $115 to take once.
The CHAA examination is $155 for members of the association and $225 for non-members.
Keep in mind membership can be as expensive as $500 a year.
Also, these certifications must be renewed.
Typically, certifications must be renewed annually or every two years.
The CEHRS, for instance, requires renewal every two years, and it costs $169.
You must complete 10 continuing education (CE) credits at a local school to renew.
What is the Overall Cost of PAR Training?
The cost for training in school or online for PARs varies from $0 to $5,000 but can be as much as $14,000 to $30,000 for a degree.
Certification is important and will be included here.
The cost for a certification exam for a patient access representative or related field is about $175 and renewal is just as expensive.
Therefore, the total cost of training for a patient access representative is $300 to $33,300.
Key Takeaways
When it comes to becoming a patient access representative, training is important.
You also want to consider taking a certification course to pass a certification exam.
This course should be included in the training you sign up for and pay to attend as a future PAR.
Other considerations for patient access representative training costs include:
- Certification exams should be considered and are expensive.
- Expect to pay around $200 to $250 for an exam if you do not have a membership to the related association.
- Memberships to national associations for PARs are about $500 annually.
- Training for PARs is anywhere from free to $5,000.
- If you want to get a college degree in patient access representative skills, you will have to pay the cost of tuition.
- College tuition is four times more than what online or professional certification courses cost.
- The overall cost of patient access representative training is between $300 and $33,300.
If you want to be a PAR, the timeline for training is less than one year to two years.
This depends on whether you go the professional route with a trade school or attend a traditional college.
A college degree includes general education courses that you do not have to take to become a PAR.
And you have to pay for these extra classes in most instances.
Financial aid, though, is available to most students in pursuit of a college degree.