Are you interested in a career in the medical industry but don’t have a degree? If that’s the case, then you may enjoy medical billing and coding. Training for a career as a medical billing and coding specialist can be quite rewarding; here’s some information that will help you decide if it’s right for you.
What is medical billing and coding?
Throughout the healthcare industry, you will come across loads of different medical and patient records. Medical billing and coding comes into play when you classify these records and submit procedures to insurance companies for reimbursement and payment. Primarily, it involves looking at the records and classifying the diagnoses and procedures to get them ready for billing. You do this using something called ICD-10 CM Codes, which you’ll soon become very familiar with in this line of work.
There are plenty of reasons you might want to start a career in medical billing and coding. But, before we look at the benefits, it’s time to see what your typical daily tasks will look like, and who you might work with.
Medical Billing and Coding Careers: What do you do?
Your work environment will primarily be an office setting. You’ll typically spend your days at a desk with a computer and phone reviewing patient records and procedures that they received, such as checkups, surgeries, diagnoses, etc. When you train for this line of work, you’ll be trained on the various reference codes to ensure you understand how to use the codes and match them with the procedures for accurate billing. You’ll also get plenty of training to understand medical terminology too.
You’ll interact with healthcare professionals, patients and insurance companies. As for where you work, your office will be in a healthcare or medical facility such as a hospital, dental office, clinic or even an insurance company. Also, it’s possible you’ll sometimes work with admin staff or medical records technicians.
What are the benefits of this career?
Perhaps the most significant benefit of this career is how quickly you can get started. You can earn your associate degree online, in typically about a year and a half – allowing you to work part time, while you study.
Furthermore, you get to be part of the healthcare industry without taking on the physical demands and responsibilities of jobs where you have to directly provide patient care.
You’ll work in a typical office environment, usually with a consistent schedule. Your employment benefits will vary from employer to employer, but will typically include healthcare insurance and sometimes paid time off and retirement savings accounts.
How to get started
Do you like the sound of this career? To get started, all you have to do is complete an associate degree program. You’ll be pleased to know many places offer online education for medical billing and coding degrees. So, set yourself down a wonderful career path today by applying for an online program and starting your training.