One growing career area in the healthcare industry is the demand for medical coding and billing specialists. To meet this demand, vocational and career training schools in NYC and elsewhere have added this curriculum to their medical training programs. While most people might assume they know exactly what this type of career is, others may just be surprised to learn some interesting details about this profession they may not have known.
- Medical coding and medical billing are two different job functions.
It is not uncommon for some working environments to have a medical coder, responsible for coding processes; and a medical biller, responsible for processing insurance claims. In smaller offices, both functions are often performed by the same person.
- Medical coders review patient information to assign codes.
While some healthcare facilities use standardized forms already with pre-assigned codes, it is still the coder’s job to verify this is the correct code. In cases where pre-assigned codes are not used, the coder must look up the code using special software and/or reference books.
- Medical billers update patient records and perform collection processes.
Once insurance companies pay for services, it is the medical biller’s job to update the patient records. In cases where the insurance company does not pay, or there is an outstanding co-pay owed by the patient, the biller must also dispute unpaid charges and collect co-pays.
- Medical billers and coders are encouraged to join the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
The AAPC is a vital resource for billers and coders, and it offers credentialing opportunities. In addition, according to the AAPC, members with one or more credentials tend to earn a higher annual salary, compared to those members without any credentials. For instances, members with at least one credential earn around $47,000 in 2015, compared to the median annual wage reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of $37,110 in May 2015.
- Medical billers and coders who find employment in teaching hospitals earn higher annual salaries.
Teaching hospitals are those hospitals typically found on university campuses, like the University of Michigan Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Center, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, and New York University Medical Center. According to the AAPC, billing and coding specialists who work in a teaching hospital earned an average of $50,925 in 2015, not including any credentials.
- Some medical billing and coding specialists have the opportunity to work from home.
Since most of the work performed is done on a computer, some doctors’ offices, healthcare facilities, and hospitals allow their coding and billing specialist to work at home, either part of the time or all of the time. In addition, some people start their own home-based businesses after gaining more experience.
Now that you know more about this medical career, if it sounds interesting and exciting to you, the next step is to enroll in a medical billing and coding training program at ABC Training Center. Call us at (718) 618-5589 for more information today!
Sources
- https://www.aapc.com/
- https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm#tab-1