Medical Billing and Coding Jobs - How To Become A Medical Biller and Coder
As a Medical Biller and Coder, you can work from your home.
An experienced Medical Biller and Coder, who has built up a good client base, can make a very good living working from home.
Experience is the key. First decide if this is a job which would suit your interests and personality. Are you detail-oriented with good computer skills and good communications skills? Are you interested in medicine and its related technologies? Do you have good communication and computer skills? All these skills and qualities are essential if you want to become a skilled and successful Medical Biller/Coder.
Get the best education you can. Take courses in English, sciences mathematics and computers if you are still in High School. Get any volunteer experience you can in related medical fields or working with computers.
After completing High School, you will need to attend a College or Vocational school and take a certified training course. Here you will be taught, among other things, anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology. You will learn the specific 'codes' that are used to represent all medial conditions, diseases, treatments, and diagnostic and medical procedures.
Depending how long you train, you will receive either a certificate or an associate degree. You can also choose to obtain either a bachelors' or a graduate degree, with which your salary will increase accordingly. Because of the high degree of accuracy demanded in this profession and the legal ramifications that errors can cause, those with superior education are more in demand by employers.
After you have completed your training, you can chose to become certified. Taking the certification exam is completely voluntary but it does provide concrete proof of your skills and as a result is highly recommended. This exam is available through the American Academy of Professional Coders.
Medical Billers and Coders use the records provided by physicians and other health care providers and assign the appropriate 'code' to each item and procedure. This coded information is then organized and Bills are forwarded to the appropriate individual or insurance company. Medical Billers and Coders must keep very accurate records which may also have to be organized for use in health surveys and research studies.
Medical Biller/Coders work in hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, nursing homes pharmacies, and insurance companies. Here Biller/Coders usually work a forty hour week, often overtime as the job demands. Before setting up a home-based business, Medical Billers and Coders need to gain experience and make contacts.
Because of the growth in the medical field, job opportunities for Medical Billers and Coders are increasing rapidly. This is an excellent profession for those who are properly qualified.
