Thursday, 2 July 2015

Medical Coding and Billing Careers

Medical Coding and Billing Careers

Is Medical Coding and Billing the Career for Me?

The medical coding and billing field offers a number of benefits, including:
  • Nationwide shortage – There’s a great need for well-trained medical coders nationwide—in fact, there are estimated to be 30% more positions than professionals! This shortage will only increase with all of the coming industry changes.
  • Healthcare security – The healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing in the country, and medical coding and billing gives you a chance to enjoy that security from an office setting with many opportunities for promotions and advancement.
  • Competitive salaries and benefits – Medical coding and billing professionals enjoy competitive salaries as well as the potential for traditional employment benefits.
Improve your life with a new career as a medical coding and billing professional. Earn a great incomeand successful, possibly even work from home, career in a growing industry as you’re able to better support your family!

Medical Coding and Billing Job Description & Earning Potential

What Will I Be Doing as a Medical Coder and Biller?

As a medical coding and billing specialist, you will review patient medical records and assign codes to diagnoses and procedures performed so the facility can bill insurance and other third-party payers (such as Medicare or Medicaid) as well as the patient. Most of these professionals work on-site for hospitals, clinics, physicians, and a variety of other healthcare facilities. Medical coding jobs may also offer opportunities to work from home. Many of these positions require a year or two of experience first, but Career Step’s relationship with IOD Incorporated has provided our graduates with the opportunity to work from home right after graduation.
Coders use 3 different code sets: CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-9/10. It’s important to be trained on the new ICD-10 code set because all healthcare facilities and physicians will be transitioning from the ICD-9 codes to these new codes, but you will also need to be familiar with the ICD-9 code sets to earn industry certifications and get a job before the transition.
Career Step’s training will teach you to use all of these codes. The Professional Medical Coding and Billing ICD-9/10 program will cover the CPT, HCPCS, ICD-9 , and ICD-10 code sets. Knowing both the ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets will give you a head start in the job market and ensures you have the skills needed to earn national certification and start working right away no matter when the ICD-10 transition takes place.

How Much Can I Make in Medical Coding and Billing?

Pay scales of medical coders and billers vary by employer, geographic location, and experience, and you can quickly increase your earning potential by earning industry credentials:
  • Competitive salaries – The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the middle 50% of medical coding and billing professionals earn between $28,250 and $46,640 a year.
  • Certified coders earn more – The 2010 AAPC Salary Survey reports that certified coders earn over $7,500 more per year than their non-certified colleagues.
  • Career Step includes certification prep – Preparation for both the CCA (offered by AHIMA) and the CPC (offered by AAPC) exams is built in to your AHIMA-approved Career Step training so you're prepared to earn industry credentials right after graduation

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