If you’ve been thinking about getting into the medical billing field, I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly a medical biller does and what salary you can expect. There is a lot of interest in this field and many ways to get into it. Although experience is best, you need to get a job in that field to get experience and it can be a vicious cycle. But first the job description. Note that depending on your installation, you may or may not be doing all of the following. And if you work for a billing service, your job may be quite different, since it’s not a medical facility.
If you work as a medical biller or certified medical billing specialist, you will compile and track outstanding balances owed to medical clinics, doctor’s offices, or other medical facilities. You would maintain payment records for all patients at that medical center. I would make payment arrangements with the patient and collect any past due accounts.
As a medical biller, medical billing assistant, billing clerk, or billing specialist, you will have access to a great deal of sensitive medical information. He would be working with collection agencies and even the courts to collect delinquent accounts. He may also be working with attorneys and other estates of deceased patients to resolve their unpaid bills. You would be working and coordinating payroll deductions for the employees of your clinic or establishment. You will be aware of the rules and regulations you must follow to comply with local, state, or federal laws or regulations.
Now what skill should you have? You will work with a lot of numbers and technology. You want to feel comfortable using a computer, software, and office equipment. You will learn billing software if you have not learned it in medical billing training. You don’t need to learn coding as it’s a separate role and the coding is usually done before it hits the biller, but a little knowledge can only help. You’ll want to have good communication skills, as you may be talking to people about their medical bills.
The salary you can expect will depend on the prior experience and medical billing training you have had. You’ll earn a higher salary as a Certified Medical Billing Specialist, which requires taking a national exam. But typically your range will be in the $31,000 to $45,000 range. The more experience, the higher the salary in general. There are many ways to gain experience and training, including medical billing training online and at your local university. There is a lot of money and financial aid available for online courses and you want to check each school thoroughly to avoid scams.