This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
ByKelly L.PublishedUpdated
Medical Billing and Coding Courses
Sheila Spieler has been a Managed Care Consultant for over 11+ years, specializing in accounts receivables. She routinely interviews and hires medical billers for local physicians. We asked her about medical billing courses and how possible it was to get a job as a Medical Biller/Coder and work at home without any initial onsite time.
First off Sheila, what IS Medical Billing?
Most people who visit a physician have some type of medical insurance with a co-payment. The co-payment is collected at the time of the visit and the balance of the doctor's charge is submitted to the insurance company of the patient. A medical biller submits the balance of the invoice to the proper insurance company for payment.
What are your thoughts about Medical Billing Courses, specifically the ones that claim “you can work at home” after training?
Physicians cannot afford to hire newly certified medical billers to work from their home, they simply don't have the knowledge or experience to properly submit claims. That doesn't reflect on the abilities of a new hire, almost everyone entering a new position needs training and practice in procedures.
It sounds so easy, take a class and go to work!
It's extremely complex. The majority of medical billing classes only cover a small percentage of the knowledge needed to ensure correct billing and coding procedures. Most teach basic data input. An established physician can have 10 to 20 different insurance companies, each with specific guidelines, different coverage and coding procedures. A claim submitted incorrectly will be rejected and not paid, sometimes for months!
A claim can be rejected because the employer's name was omitted. Or a claim can be rejected because the procedure is not covered at the doctor's office but IS covered as a referral. There are many reasons claims are rejected, it is the responsibility of the biller to make sure a claim is properly submitted the first time. Even a lot of the doctors aren't familiar with the correct codes for different procedures. To clarify further, an employer buys coverage for their employees through an insurance company. The insurance company customizes the coverage based on the employer's needs.
Let's say you work for employer A and your sister works for employer B. You both have the same insurance company, but the coverage can be totally different between the two. The medical biller would need to know the specific coverage for each employer to properly submit claims.
If you were considering taking a medical billing course, what would you like to see as part of their instruction?
– Medical Terminology – CPT Coding – ICD9 Coding – DSM Coding (Mental) – An in-depth knowledge of HMO/PPO/Network Contracts – Physician Credentialing – Reimbursem*nt/Denial Analysis
How possible is it to work at home as a medical biller?
It's possible but only after hands-on experience and whether or not a physician would allow it. The majority of patients are covered through an HMO or PPO plan. A physician would have to be very comfortable with your knowledge and ability to submit claims before they allowed you to work from home. Let's face it, the medical biller controls the income. High denial rates cause hardship on the doctor's practice. The claim has to be accurate, submitted correctly the first time and paid in a timely manner for the doctor to stay in business.
Hands-on training is the only way you will learn the individual physician's network. An experienced medical biller would probably have to spend less time in a new job updating and training before they could work at home. Physicians should monitor new employees in the beginning. They can't afford to find out 30 days later that a majority of their claims were rejected, it takes much too long to resubmit.
Thanks for all the information, Sheila!
All in all, spend time researching medical billing courses and make sure you are getting the best training you can afford. Inexpensive classes often don't teach much more than data entry. Realize you are most likely going to be required to spend onsite time before you can work at home. Medical coders are in demand so the market is certainly a good market and not evaporating. You have time to research and do your homework, it just isn't as easy as those advertisem*nts lead you to believe!
About the Author: As manager of Real Jobs Online, JoAnna Gilford is committed to real telecommuting employment and education. She is the author of “Work at Home Workshop: The Truth About Telecommuting” and editor of RJO's daily newsletter.
Funding for Medical Billing Courses
If funding is an issue, I do know that Careerstep not only offers medical billing courses, but financial aid and grants too. They often have new student specials as well. These can be anything from a free laptop upon enrollment to $400 off tuition.
More Information on Medical Billing Careers
I've got an entire resource page dedicate to information on medical billing and coding jobs from home. I've also got a jobs lead page specific to medical billing and transcription jobs.
Example: “My medical billing and coding certification program included training on medical terminology. Because of this, I am able to discuss patient records with the healthcare team, accurately code and submit claims, spot inaccuracies, and help patients understand their bills.”
Attention to detail, medical terminology, knowledge of coding systems, analytical skills, communication skills, knowledge of insurance policies, and time management are all essential for success in the field.
In summary, medical billing and coding can be a challenging field that requires attention to detail, critical thinking, and technical skills. However, with the right training and experience, you can become a skilled medical biller and coder.
Receiving and sorting incoming payments with attention to credibility. Managing the status of accounts and balances and identifying inconsistencies. Issuing bills, receipts and invoices.
The best way to handle this question is to think about what your current career trajectory is and how this role in this company fits in to help you achieve your ultimate goals. To enhance your answer, provide general ideas about the skills you want to develop and things you want to accomplish.
In the context of healthcare billing, denials refer to the rejection of claims submitted by healthcare providers to insurance companies for reimbursem*nt. These denials can occur due to a variety of reasons, ranging from administrative errors to complex insurance policies.
Preparing and submitting billing data and medical claims to insurance companies. Ensuring each patient's medical information is accurate and up to date. Preparing bills and invoices and document amounts due to medical procedures and services.
Your success as a medical biller or coder depends on how closely you pay attention to details. Paying attention to detail is crucial to providing accurate bills and recording payments appropriately. Medical billers have to ensure that the information given by patients matches the available records.
Degree or diploma programs at most junior colleges typically take two years to complete. The Medical Billing and Coding Certification program at Campus can be completed in as little as 36 weeks, with an estimated program length of 42 weeks from the first day of the program to full certification.
In most cases, it takes between one and three years to become a medical biller and coder. Earning a medical billing and coding certification can take up to one year, while earning an associate degree can take up to three years.
If you're considering a career in medical coding, you might be wondering if there's a lot of math involved. The answer is yes and no. Medical coding is primarily about organizing medical information into codes, so while mathematical skills are helpful, they aren't always necessary.
By helping process payments and reimbursem*nts for medical services, you are making it possible for healthcare providers to continue the essential work of treating patients. In addition to being indispensable to healthcare organizations, you're also an ally to the patient.
Billing process. The billing process is a set of steps that a business follows to create and send invoices to its customers for the products or services provided. It typically involves gathering customer and product/service information, generating an invoice, sending it to the customer, and tracking payment.
Let patients know the costs for visits and procedures in advance, inform them of their financial responsibility, and tell them their options for payment. Don't shy away from discussing billing with your patient. They actually prefer that you be open and transparent with them.
Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
