DISCOVER THE CAREER OF MEDICAL BILLING...
Medical billing, as well as medical coding, is currently among the most in demand professions around the world. If you ever had an interest in healthcare, but prefer administrative over clinical work then this is for you.

Medical billing is gaining ever increasing interest among job seekers and people who desire a meaningful career. A medical biller is usually hired by a doctor or healthcare facility, such as a medical group practice, or Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) either as an in-house employee, freelancer, or independent consultant for processing and streamlining their medical billing processes. In other words, the doctors and health care facilities hire professionally trained staff to bring in the money they have earned through providing medical and health care services to the public. Their focus lies mostly on the administrative and business aspects of a medical practice, hospital, or clinic.

Medical Billing and Coding Career

Medical billers are an invaluable asset to countless businesses and facilities that provide medical and health care services to the public, with the possibility to eventually become their own boss as a freelance medical billing service provider, or independent medical practice advisor, and form their own medical billing business. Many see medical billing and medical coding as two distinct career paths, however, both embrace and include so many facets of each other to where one couldn't exist without the other.

Our Medical Billing Community forum moderator, Steve Verno, an experienced medical biller, mentor, author and independent medical billing business consultant has provided an interesting metaphor for us to understand what medical billing is all about. He said...

"Metaphorically speaking, medical billing is much like a river. It has deep parts and shallow parts. It can go straight or curve around bends. Its current can be slow and lazy or it can rush by so fast you have no control. It can be navigated, but carefully and cautiously. If you take a wrong turn, you can end up in deep water and up the creek without a paddle. If you don't heed the dangers, it can destroy you. The journey can be wondrous or boring. As the journey ends you can feel happy that you accomplished your goal, or you can arrive wet and miserable." ~ Steve Verno, Medical Biller

Most of the medical biller's days are spent at a computer desk in the claims processing office, the administrative billing and accounting department, or a private office, depending on the type and set up of the medical billing company or consultant firm. The size of the facility, or company directly affects their weekly work load, but in general, most salaried medical billers work 40 hours per week.

How to Become a Medical Biller

The best advice on how to become a medical biller often comes from medical billing experts who are already working in this field. An experienced medical billing instructor, or mentor can present medical billing examples based on facts, present medical billing software they have actually used, and explain medical billing and medical coding situations they have actually encountered, handled, and know what is expected on the job.

Can I learn medical billing and coding through home study?

Yes, and no. The medical billing process can be easy if you know what you are doing, however, self-training may only confuse you, since it can also be quite intricate and complex. Unless your self-study material is very well laid out and focused on the right areas you might get lost, or overwhelmed if you decide to learn on your own. Formal medical billing training, which is readily available everywhere, even online, is the best route for most. While it can be extensive (notice, we said extensive, not expensive), it will provide the knowledge you need to handle a medical billing job:

• Medical terminology
• Insurance terminology
• Claim forms and claims process
• EOBs
• Aging reports
• AR recovery
• Coding basics
• Data entry and software
• Basic medical office management and admin

Not only will this training teach you fundamental medical billing basics but also introduce you to the latest technologies and processes that enables you to select codes that best represent the services furnished during a medical office visit, or hospital stay.

Complete Medical Billing Training

Complete medical billing training typically requires the following courses followed by a practicum:

Your education does not end upon graduation from a formal training program, even for the best medical billers and coders education continues throughout their entire career.

The rules and regulations, billing procedures, coding system, Medicare rules, technology, research and laws in health care constantly change, and so, professionals in the medical billing and coding discipline will always have to continue learning, refreshing, revisiting and enhancing their skills. The best way to continue learning is through seminars, workshops, online webinars, continuing education programs, magazines and courses offered from various groups and medical office and billing software vendors. Some of the workshops and webinars are free, others are quite expensive, but in either case, they are important and well worth the money and time spent.

More Money With More Training?

As with any job, wages are commensurate with experience and can be higher, or lower in different locations. American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) states the average starting salary for Certified Medical Coders is approximately $35,000 per year. Experienced professionals may eventually set up their own medical billing and coding consulting business and earn additional income for seminars, coding review analyses for providers and freelance consulting to payers. An independent consultant will try to make as much money as possible by investing their time and skills accordingly.