Medical Billing
>> Friday, July 8, 2011
Medical billing & Coding is the process of submitting and following up on claims to insurance companies in order to receive payment for services rendered by a healthcare provider. The same process is used for most insurance companies, whether they are private companies or government-owned. Medical billers are encouraged, but not required by law to become certified by taking an exam such as the CMRS Exam, RHIA Exam and others. Certification schools are intended to provide a theoretical grounding for students entering the medical billing field. It is an important administrative process that is present in medical office work. The task of the medical billing specialist varies from institution to institution, but their basic responsibility is to organize all the patients' records, bills and statements, and make sure that they do not have any errors before coding the information in. Although this may sound like an easy task, the specialist will need to understand what has been recorded by the medical practitioner, like diseases and diagnoses, making sure they accurately code them into a format that is easily understandable throughout the health care industry. Furthermore, they will need to keep track of each patient's account, matching the correct data to the correct patient, as well as their payment options.
Apart from that, they often correspond with insurance companies because insurance is a very common practice in the medical field, so one will need to verify policies and receive payment for the services provided to the patients. However, if there are additional payments necessary that is not covered by insurance, the specialist will need to come up with possible payment plans and then submit the bills to the patient. While most companies have fully transformed their billing trends to information technology, there are still organizations that still use paper documents in billing. This is where a specialist should be versatile in their knowledge of what is medical billing.
For one who would realize the dream of becoming a medical billing specialist, they would need to have a minimum certification of high school diploma, although most employers would prefer those who have a higher learning certification, such as an associate or bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, or other related fields. Meanwhile, having a certification from a recognized organization such as the American Medical Billing Association in the United States can be attractive on one's resume, as in order to attain such certification, one will need to learn more about the job and display an understanding of what the job is about. Where job opportunities are concerned, it is plentiful as there are many health facilities booming, which ranges from hospitals to clinics to health centers. And as technology becomes a big part of medical advancement, medical institutions are constantly looking for medical billing specialists that are able to provide an efficient system that will allow maximized healthcare within their institutions.
Suggestions
If you are interested in learning more about the average medical billing and coding salary that you could earn from either profession then this article should help you out. If you are involved in medical billing, you will be doing certain tasks, while if you are involved medical coding your job will require you to do something different. This also plays a role with how much money you can earn because each job pays a little bit differently. Some people fall under the category of having both job titles. These are usually people that work at smaller companies, small medical offices, or other healthcare businesses that require these types of services from fewer employees.
To get an idea of how much the medical billing and coding salary is we need to first take a look at how much each job pays separately. The average starting salary of a medical billing specialist is between $26,000 and $32,000 per year. You will need to have some type of training or certification in order to receive this type of starting salary. If you are interested in receiving one of these types of jobs then it will be in your best interest to get the necessary certifications and training. This will allow you to earn more money during your lifetime while working in this field.
If you are strictly going into the medical coding field then you will be able to earn a little bit more money. The average starting salary for a medical coder ranges between $25,000 and $42,000. It is generally preferred that you have some type of education in order to get the better paying jobs in this field. If you go as far as receiving your master's degree then you can take your earnings to a whole other level and may be able to earn $60,000 or more per year. Therefore, it may be worth the extra time and investment in your education in order to increase your lifetime earning potential while working in this industry.
Right now, there is much need for people that have these skills and can perform these types of jobs. You should now have a good idea of what the medical billing and coding salary is to help you make an educated decision about your future.
Role of the Medical Billing Service
In many cases, particularly as a practice grows beyond its initial capacity to cope with its own paperwork, providers farm out their medical billing process to a third party known as a Medical Billing Service. These entities promise to reduce the burden of paperwork for medical staff and recoup lost efficiencies caused by workload saturation, paving the way for further practice growth. A recent trend towards outsourcing in countries such as India has shown a potential to reduce costs, but it is not clear if this trend will continue or decline as a result of customer concerns over privacy.
Apart from that, they often correspond with insurance companies because insurance is a very common practice in the medical field, so one will need to verify policies and receive payment for the services provided to the patients. However, if there are additional payments necessary that is not covered by insurance, the specialist will need to come up with possible payment plans and then submit the bills to the patient. While most companies have fully transformed their billing trends to information technology, there are still organizations that still use paper documents in billing. This is where a specialist should be versatile in their knowledge of what is medical billing.
For one who would realize the dream of becoming a medical billing specialist, they would need to have a minimum certification of high school diploma, although most employers would prefer those who have a higher learning certification, such as an associate or bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, or other related fields. Meanwhile, having a certification from a recognized organization such as the American Medical Billing Association in the United States can be attractive on one's resume, as in order to attain such certification, one will need to learn more about the job and display an understanding of what the job is about. Where job opportunities are concerned, it is plentiful as there are many health facilities booming, which ranges from hospitals to clinics to health centers. And as technology becomes a big part of medical advancement, medical institutions are constantly looking for medical billing specialists that are able to provide an efficient system that will allow maximized healthcare within their institutions.
Suggestions
If you are interested in learning more about the average medical billing and coding salary that you could earn from either profession then this article should help you out. If you are involved in medical billing, you will be doing certain tasks, while if you are involved medical coding your job will require you to do something different. This also plays a role with how much money you can earn because each job pays a little bit differently. Some people fall under the category of having both job titles. These are usually people that work at smaller companies, small medical offices, or other healthcare businesses that require these types of services from fewer employees.
To get an idea of how much the medical billing and coding salary is we need to first take a look at how much each job pays separately. The average starting salary of a medical billing specialist is between $26,000 and $32,000 per year. You will need to have some type of training or certification in order to receive this type of starting salary. If you are interested in receiving one of these types of jobs then it will be in your best interest to get the necessary certifications and training. This will allow you to earn more money during your lifetime while working in this field.
If you are strictly going into the medical coding field then you will be able to earn a little bit more money. The average starting salary for a medical coder ranges between $25,000 and $42,000. It is generally preferred that you have some type of education in order to get the better paying jobs in this field. If you go as far as receiving your master's degree then you can take your earnings to a whole other level and may be able to earn $60,000 or more per year. Therefore, it may be worth the extra time and investment in your education in order to increase your lifetime earning potential while working in this industry.
Right now, there is much need for people that have these skills and can perform these types of jobs. You should now have a good idea of what the medical billing and coding salary is to help you make an educated decision about your future.
Role of the Medical Billing Service
In many cases, particularly as a practice grows beyond its initial capacity to cope with its own paperwork, providers farm out their medical billing process to a third party known as a Medical Billing Service. These entities promise to reduce the burden of paperwork for medical staff and recoup lost efficiencies caused by workload saturation, paving the way for further practice growth. A recent trend towards outsourcing in countries such as India has shown a potential to reduce costs, but it is not clear if this trend will continue or decline as a result of customer concerns over privacy.
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