What You Should Know About A Medical Billing Specialist

Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs. We will first take a look at what it takes to become a medical billing specialist, and then we will also explore the alternatives to hiring a medical billing specialist.

What is a Medical Billing Specialist?

A medical billing specialist is someone who works with a medical office and is in charge of the company's medical billing. If you desire to be a medical billing specialist then accuracy and attention to detail is a must as you will most likely be in charge of claims processing, charge entry, and billing and collections. However, most medical offices will hire someone to do more than just be in charge of medical collections. They will want someone to be more of a medical assistant as well. Job duties will then expand to include things like:

? Accounts payable, payroll and banking tasks

? Prepare and maintain patient charts

? Schedule appointments

? Receive and make phone calls

? Perform insurance verification, pre-authorize and referral duties

How do I become a Medical Billing Specialist?

Most businesses will require you to either have several years of experience working as a medical assistant or some kind of advanced certification as a medical assistant. There are several programs out there to help train and educate you to become a medical billing specialist. By doing a Google search for "medical billing specialist" you should be presented with a lot of options to help guide you to becoming a certified medical billing specialist. There are programs that you can complete online and at your own pace. Others require you to attend some classes for a couple of semesters. In my search I found many of the programs to cost around $1000 but some were as much as $6500.

Is it worth it to become a medical billing specialist?

The medical industry is experiencing a tremendous demand for individuals knowledgeable in medical office operations. Medical billing specialists are one of the fastest growing professions and are currently a very high demand job. According to the American Medical Association, there are over 1.2 million Medical Specialists in the United States. If you are interested in this kind of profession, it would be to your advantage to learn more about it.

What about outsourcing?

Because of the time and meticulous accuracy that medical billing requires, there are some companies that only specialize in being a medical billing specialist. Medical offices outsource all of their medical billing practices out to these companies rather than hiring an in-house specialist to manage their medical billing needs.

Is there software that can do everything a Medical Billing Specialist can do?

There is yet another solution to managing your medical billing needs. Companies such as AdvancedMD provide a software solution to be your medical billing specialist. An advantage for a medical office to go this route might be that it will be cheaper in the long run to have software to manage all of their billing needs. Also the electronic medical billing specialist will be less prone to errors unless they are due to a human entry error.

As you can see there are many solutions to help you to better manage your medical office. There are advantages in every category; it just depends on what will be the best fit your office. If you are thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist, I feel that it is worth looking into as it is a very high demand job. However, you should be aware that with alternatives out there, like outsourcing and medical billing software, you might have a little competition.

Mike Nielsen is a client account specialist with 10xmarketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information about medical billing specialist, visit http://www.AdvancedMD.com

---

How to Change Careers and Still Pay the Bills - 5 Key Steps

Studies show that more than 50% of people are unhappy... Read More

The Top 10 Mistakes Job Seekers Should Avoid In Contacting An Employer

There are numerous tools and resources available to guide job... Read More

Last Year Physician Resident Checklist

Here is a last year resident checklist not to forget:LICENSING:Licensing... Read More

Seven Ways to Say You?re Fired and What to Do When It Happens to You

Today's employers scramble for creative ways to advise employees of... Read More

Why Employers Want an Employee with a Degree

You wake up in the morning, head to work, and... Read More

Overcoming Inertia in Job Change

If you can hold on to an optimistic belief in... Read More

Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment

The world sure is changing, and if you look at... Read More

How to Overcome a Bad First Impression

Have any of these situations happened to you? Forgetting your... Read More

80,000 Americans Work in the Oil Change Industry

There is a huge shortage, which effects franchises costs in... Read More

Job Offer Negotiations: Getting What You Want

You have worked hard at finding your next job. You... Read More

Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker

There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are... Read More

Formal Business Attire is Making a Comeback

The dot com boom of 1990s brought with it a... Read More

Salary Negotiation Secrets Revealed

Before you go into the interview, it is important to... Read More

What Is Your Greatest Weakness?

The fastest way to make a good interview go bad... Read More

8 ?Thurvival Skills? for 05

Just what is a "thurvival skill?" It's a skill that... Read More

Reactions to Job Loss; Getting Past the Emotions

Without doubt, job loss through downsizing or redundancy, is a... Read More

Career Education Options For Working Adults

Ask yourself this question: "Do I like what I do... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunities for New Graduates

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunities for New GraduatesThis... Read More

Fascinating Ways to Make a Living Doing What You Love May Be Closer Than You Think...

You don't have to look very far to find fascinating... Read More

Should You Make A Career Decision Based Upon A Career Quiz?

Q. I'm about to graduate High School and I don't... Read More

Keep Your Phone Costs Down!

When you're looking for work, some of your expenses will... Read More

Rejection Got You Down in the Job Search?

REJECTION IN THE JOB SEARCHGOT YOU DOWN?It's true, no one... Read More

Talented People

I was asked last week for an article about employment,... Read More

Managing Change -- Endings Are Just Doorways to New Beginnings

Every May we celebrate Mother's Day-a time to tell mothers... Read More

Successful Job Interview Tips

Congratulations! You've finally landed that job interview you've been waiting... Read More

The Hidden Agenda of Interviews

It's Not What They Ask - The Hidden Agenda of... Read More

Is it a Scam?

I wanted to quit my job. So I decided to... Read More

Traveling for An Interview? 10 Tips to Get You From Here to There

You've just been granted an on-site interview in another town.... Read More

Dissatisfied with Your Job? Take Your Power Back!

Apparently, there are all sorts of reasons to be dissatisfied... Read More

Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come --

Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse.... Read More

How to Success On The Job from Job Hunting to Keep Your Job and Get Most of Out of It

INTRODUCTIONThis article will prepare you for the difficult task of... Read More

Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?

Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to... Read More

Creating Traffic Jams

It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a... Read More