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You can learn on your own time with-out disturbing your busy schedule/job.
Click this link for the salary survey
http://www.aapc.com/resources/research/medical-coding-salary-survey/2007.aspx
http://www.aapc.com/resources/research/medical-coding-salary-survey/2007.aspx
Job Facts
| Students who complete medical coding and billing training enjoy good job prospects. There is a growing demand for medical coders and billers. Students can greatly increase their chances of employment by getting certified. | Accuracy is essential in medical coding and billing jobs. |
| Coding/Billing specialists must pay close attention to detail. |
| Coding/Billing specialists receive and complete medical claim forms and answer inquiries from doctors, patients and insurance companies. |
| Coding/Billing specialists analyze medical records to identify medical information such as diagnoses, prognoses and dates of treatment from patient records. |
| Specialized knowledge from medical billing schools includes medical terminology, diagnostic and procedural coding, and legal requirements for release of medical information. |
| Coding/Billing specialists work in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, and many other areas of the healthcare field. |
| Average work hours will be 40 hours per week. Sometimes you may need to work more to process claims, as some facilities are open 24 hours/day. |
| Because of the growing number of patient visits and claims, careers in the medical coding and billing are expected to grow rapidly. |
| You must have these qualifications: |
| 1) Pay attention to minute details |
| 2) Interpret, analyze, and negotiate insurance contractscts. |
| 3) Basic computer skills |
| 4) Passion to learn |
| 5) Basic mathematics to calculate payments, charges, etc. |
| 6) Love for medical terms |
| 7) Ability to work for 4-8 hours per day in front of computers. |
| 8) Maintain the privacy and security of Protected Health Information |
| 9) Good organizational skills |
| 10) Excellent professional skills, as you will be interacting with patients, physicians, and payers to clarify their queries |
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You have chosen the Healthcare Industry
Efficient and effective education and knowledge of HIPAA is a must to be a successful coder/biller.
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Healthcare is one of the fastest growing professions in the country
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| Is it necessary to get certified? |
| Certification is not required for the job. However, certification may help you get better pay. On average, certified professionals earn $49,000. Uncertified professionals earn around $37,000. |
| There are so many codes. Do I need to memorize them all? |
| No need to memorize codes. In fact, relying on memory for the codes leads to errors. 100% accuracy is must for coding and billing. Always refer to coding manuals and guidelines. |
| Job Profile of Medical Coder. |
| Review medical records and Superbill |
| Assign the medical codes following American Medical Association and payer guidelines |
| Check for the medical necessity. |
| Ensure that codes reflects documentation. |
| Discucss coding with Physicians/ assistant/ nurses. |
| Provide feedback to the office manager/physician. |
| Update knowledge of payer guidelines |
| Ensure HIPAA compliance. |
| Job Profile of Medical Biller. |
| Insurance verification to ensure that patients are eligible to receive services |
| Get authorization from payers for diagnostic and surgical procedures. |
| Process claims |
| Payment posting, generat patient statements and mailing. |
| Follow up/Collect balance amounts/unpaid/underpaid amounts |
| Denial management,etc. |
| Day-to-day duties may differ from facility to facility depending up on the operational strategy. |
| *** There will be some degree of stress on the job as the process needs accuracy and quality work. |
| Like any other job professional who works in front of a computer monitor, care must be taken to avoid discomfort. |
| Coders/Billers say that the best part of the job is |
| “ To see that claims are paid what they code and bill. Managing the revenue cycle effectively. |
| Patients appreciate the coders/billers when there claims gets paid and they are thankful for support you provide. |
| Worst part of the job is |
| “When claim gets denied, underpaid. Hanging on the phone to get agent. |
| Telling the patients that they don’t have coverage for the services, or that they have high deductibles." |
@2009 Medical Coding Experts All Rights Reserved |
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