Medical Billing and Coding

Medical billing and coding is a specialized field which relies on knowledge of medical terminology, insurance company requirements and coding in order to process the computerized forms for insurance company reimbursement to the medical practice.
When a patient is seen by a doctor, particularly when an insurance claim for part or all of the cost will be filed, a tremendous amount of medical billing and coding must be done.

Each part of the process of the patient’s visit must be documented and billed to the insurance company or to Medicare. Standard codes are used to record the process, usually as handwritten check-off boxes on a multipart NCR form.  One copy can be used to give to the patient, one copy to the medical billing and coding person and one part for the patient’s file. The information is entered in to a database to be forwarded to the insurance company or Medicare for reimbursement to the medical facility.

Since Medicare and insurance claim files are subject to audit, extreme accuracy is essential.  The work is often done at a home office, but may also be done at an central billing organization.  Part or full time work is available and the openings are expected to continue growing at a faster than usual rate through the next several years.

Some on the job training still exists, but medical billing and coding training courses ranging from 9 to 24 months are more advisable.  Certification is not common yet, but is highly recommended to place yourself on the cutting edge for the future. Basic wages are in the $8-10 hourly range, but $35-40 per hour for experienced people is attainable.