Many people have been left guessing as to what profession to get in, especially with the constantly changing landscape in the jobs sector. While many job sectors are booming, other areas have seen layoffs and shrinking services. In a world becoming more and more interconnected, it’s harder to compete with countries that can offer goods and services at lower costs.
The good news is the medical industry has seen a steady spike for years now across multiple professions. Medical billing and coding is one profession that remains in demand today and is projected only to grow in the coming years.
Many people that enter the field of medical billing and coding because of the excellent growth potential and the job security that’s offered to people. There are currently a million doctors and surgeons practicing in the United States alone, and with medical and other healthcare professionals all over the world growing, it’s only going to become a more in-demand field. All of these doctors, surgeons, and hospitals all need people who can manage the growing number of patients, insurance claims, and billing for all of the services that are being provided. The population and medical need is only growing and the industry needs people to perform this essential function.
If you’re interested in doing this kind of work, realize that not every job is the same. For a person that’s certified to perform the important task of medical billing and coding, there are in-patient and out-patient services. Out-patient services include when someone goes into a short-term care facility and receives basic services for minor cuts, lacerations, and common illness issues. These patients usually leave the doctors office or emergency room the same day, and usually with-in hours. In-patient services are for more severe issues that requires people to stay in the hospital for extended periods. There’s more training that goes into the in-patient field. It pays more and people usually graduate from out-patient to in-patient services as their careers advance. Either way, medical billing and coding gives people a real chance to seek a rewarding career in the medical profession.
Which ever route you take, it’s the same basic principal. You’re working closely with doctors and patients to manage statements, payments, and collections of information. You’ll be working alongside other healthcare professionals to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Through education and training programs, you’ll be given all the tools you need to excel in your field. Luckily, today it’s easier than ever to get one of these degrees. You can go to local schools and get training, or if you prefer, you can enroll in online training programs with flexible schedules for busy moms and other working professionals. You’ll also be trained to perform essential duties like explaining insurance benefits to patients and other clients, doing office bookkeeping that keeps track of all the benefits to your patients, reviewing bills, completing medical forms, and interacting with insurance companies.
With a population that’s aging and growing, it’s professions like these that will be ensuring the safety and health of our future generations. Working both in and behind the scenes, you’ll be trained in the most up-to-date software and practices, and you’ll be in a field that really makes a difference. If this sounds interesting to you, then do some research online and find out more about how to start your path to a career in the promising field of medical billing and coding. With your certification, you will finally be able to get the kind of future you’ve always wanted.
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Health information management is a much in demand field and forms an important part of the overall healthcare system. Medical coding and billing is part of health information management and like the author says, is expected to see a healthy growth in employment over the next few years. For those who are interested to break into this profession, it’s important to know the different types of medical billing and coding training programs available and what each means in terms of employment opportunities, growth prospects and earning capacity.
I have been in medical billing for a long long time. If you like numbers and medical stuff, you will like medical billing. I’ve hired many people who had no experience whatsoever and trained them to be medical billers. I look for people who have a knack for accuracy. IMO, the best medical billers are those who are driven to be precise and who are motivated to win. When you’re following up on, or appealing claims, the insurance companies try to get you to go away. You have to be a thorn in their side.
My answer for people who ask me what they should do to get a foot in the door is to start as a receptionist or a low level assistant. Many of the best billers I have ever ended up with started as our receptionist. If I saw that the person had the necessary qualities, I would start training them on billing asap!
Awesome info. Thanks for the tips, Frankie!
As someone who works in medical billing myself, let me say that it’s important that both medical coders and billers pay attention to detail and ensure that the codes and all other insurance data entered into the system are accurate. Both jobs require interpersonal skills as they deal with healthcare staff, patients and insurance representatives. It’s also important that both medical coders and billers possess integrity as the law requires that patient data is to be kept confidential.