Virtual Medical Assistants
If you’ve visited a doctor lately, you’ve probably noticed something: providers are busy. They’re juggling charts, portals, insurance, messages, and somewhere in the middle of all that, they’re trying to actually see patients.
That’s exactly where a virtual medical assistant (VMA) comes in.
A virtual medical assistant is a remote team member who supports a practice behind the scenes. Instead of sitting at the front desk, they work online—answering calls, updating charts, managing schedules, following up with patients, and helping providers stay organized.
Think of a VMA as the person who:
Reminds a patient about tomorrow’s visit
Makes sure insurance is verified before the appointment
Sends instructions after a telehealth visit
Double-checks that the provider’s notes are in the chart and in the right place
They can explain basic instructions, help patients understand what to expect from a treatment plan, and make sure messages get to the right provider. Their job is to keep communication flowing so no one feels lost.
In many practices, providers spend a huge portion of their day on non-clinical work. A good VMA quietly absorbs a lot of that load, giving that time back to patient care.
Strong communication skills matter more than anything here. VMAs talk with anxious patients, busy providers, and sometimes frustrated insurance reps. Being clear, patient, and kind is just as important as being fast on a keyboard.
What Does a Virtual Medical Assistant Do Day to Day?
The exact tasks depend on the practice, but most VMAs touch several parts of the patient journey.
Some typical responsibilities include:
Scheduling and reminders
Calling or messaging patients to confirm appointments, reschedule when needed, and follow up on missed visits.
Insurance and authorizations
Helping with eligibility checks, prior authorizations, and basic questions about coverage so patients aren’t surprised by a bill.
Billing and coding support
Assisting with claims, making sure codes and information are accurate, and helping the billing team reduce errors and delays.
Record-keeping
Updating patient information in the Electronic Health Record (EHR), organizing documents, and making sure notes are complete and easy to find.
Inbox and call management
Answering phones, routing calls, responding to routine questions, and flagging urgent issues for the provider.
Care-plan support
Tracking follow-up tasks, checking in with patients after visits, and documenting progress so providers have a clear picture at the next appointment.
Telehealth support
Making sure patients have links to their virtual visits, collecting information beforehand, and helping them feel comfortable with the process.
To do this well, a virtual medical assistant doesn’t need to be a doctor—but they do need to understand basic medical terms and typical workflows. When a patient says, “I’m still having side effects from my new medication,” the VMA needs to know how to document that, who to notify, and what the next step is.
When they’re effective, providers feel the difference. The workday feels less chaotic, and patients feel like someone is paying attention in between visits—not just during face-to-face time.
Career Outlook: Why This Role Is Growing
Healthcare isn’t getting simpler. There are more portals, more telehealth options, more documentation requirements, and more patients who expect quick answers.
Because of that, roles like virtual medical assistants are becoming more common.
Practices and health systems are realizing that they don’t always need every staff member in the building. Some roles can be handled remotely just as well—sometimes even better—because VMAs can focus without constant front-desk interruptions.
For someone considering this as a career path, the advantages are clear:
Opportunities across different specialties: primary care, cardiology, dermatology, mental health, med spas, and more
A chance to grow into practice management, team lead, trainer, or patient care coordinator roles
The flexibility of remote work, which can be especially appealing for people with families or those who don’t want to commute
As more care moves online and more patients use telehealth, the demand for organized, tech-comfortable, patient-friendly VMAs isn’t likely to shrink anytime soon.
How VMAs and Patient Care Coordinators Work Together
In many places, patient care coordinators and VMAs share overlapping responsibilities. Sometimes one person even fills both roles.
A patient care coordinator usually looks at the bigger picture of each patient’s journey:
Are referrals completed?
Did the patient get their test results explained?
Is there a follow-up scheduled after a hospital discharge?
Does the patient understand their plan and next steps?
The virtual medical assistant often handles the logistics that make this happen:
Scheduling the referral
Calling the patient to confirm they received instructions
Sending reminders for follow-up appointments
Documenting everything in the EHR so the care team can see the full story
This combination matters most for patients who have complex conditions, multiple providers, or frequent appointments. When both roles are done well, patients feel supported instead of overwhelmed.
Someone in a patient care coordinator–type role also needs a very human set of skills: empathy, patience, the ability to explain things clearly, and the confidence to speak up on behalf of the patient when something isn’t going smoothly.
Where Virtual Medical Assistants Work
Virtual medical assistants can fit into almost any health setting that uses phones, computers, and EHRs—which is practically all of them now.
You’ll find VMAs in:
Small private practices and specialty offices
Larger group practices and multi-location medical groups
Hospitals and outpatient clinics
Community health centers and non-profit organizations
Telehealth companies and fully virtual clinics
Med spas and cosmetic practices that mix clinical care with high patient volume
In community or public-health settings, VMAs might also help patients connect with social services, transportation, or financial assistance programs. In specialty practices, they might handle more detailed prep for procedures or follow-ups on lab results.
Another important area is medication and prescription support. A VMA can help by:
Reminding patients about refills
Confirming which pharmacy to use
Passing messages between the provider, pharmacy, and patient when there’s a question or problem
This kind of help reduces missed doses, confusion about instructions, and last-minute phone calls that clog the schedule.
From a business perspective, hiring a virtual medical assistant can save costs on office space, equipment, and on-site staffing. Practices can adjust hours more flexibly—for example, offering early-evening coverage without having to keep the entire office open.
Skills and Background Needed
There’s no single “perfect” background for becoming a virtual medical assistant, but a few paths are common.
Many VMAs have:
Experience working in a medical office, clinic, or front desk
Training in medical assisting, nursing, billing and coding, or healthcare administration
Time spent in a call center or customer-service role where they learned to handle high call volume and sometimes stressed callers
More important than the specific degree is the skill set. Strong VMAs tend to:
Communicate clearly, both on the phone and in writing
Stay calm with upset or anxious patients
Protect patient privacy and handle sensitive information carefully
Learn new software quickly and feel comfortable troubleshooting simple tech issues
Keep track of many moving pieces without dropping details
On the documentation side, a VMA may help transcribe provider notes, complete EHR fields, and make sure each visit has the necessary information for billing and follow-up. This is detail work, and it matters: clean notes protect the practice, support accurate billing, and give providers what they need at a glance.
Patient Care and Community Health
At the end of the day, titles aside, both virtual medical assistants and patient care coordinators exist for the same reason: to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks.
Patients often feel overwhelmed—by medical language, by bills, by time off work, by family responsibilities. A thoughtful VMA or coordinator can make that experience less intimidating by:
Breaking down instructions into simple steps
Helping patients remember what’s next and when
Reminding them they’re not alone in figuring things out
Making sure questions get to someone who can answer them
As communities age and chronic conditions become more common, these roles will only get more important. Good medicine isn’t just about what happens in the exam room; it’s also about everything that happens before and after.
For anyone who likes healthcare but doesn’t necessarily want to be at the bedside, enjoys technology, and truly cares about people, becoming a virtual medical assistant or patient care coordinator can be a meaningful, long-term career path.
