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

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Job Search -- One of the Secrets of a Trade Show

A trade show is a great place to network, look... Read More

What To Do When You Get Caught Surfing By The Boss!

It has been a long morning and you need a... Read More

Avoid Mistakes and Gaffes in Your Job Resume

Having mistakes and gaffes in your job resume spell disaster... Read More

Free Resume Examples: Use Them, But Dont

There are lots of free resume examples (or free resume... Read More

How To Effectively Present All Of Your IT Skills

Effectively present all of your IT skills with the IT... Read More

Career Change: From Suits & Sales to Boots & Rails

Peter Humleker had it made. As the general manager of... Read More

Continuing Professional Development

Continuing professional development (CPD) is promoted by the CIPD to... Read More

References: Choose Wisely

Sophisticated job seekers know and understand that sometime during the... Read More

The Path of Least Resistance

I spend a bit of time on airplanes. So, I... Read More

How to Overcome Being Overqualified

Have you ever gone through the interview process, felt confident... Read More

Negotiating Skills: How to Obtain the Salary You Want

Salary negotiating is an important topic that must be addressed... Read More

A Bit of Pollyanna

"Stop being such a Pollyanna," a trusted, more experienced colleague... Read More

Your Next Performance Appraisal: Make It Work For You

In the rush of everyday work, it can be difficult... Read More

Avoiding Tire Kickers as Job Seekers

With the economy heating up and employment prospects opening up... Read More

Finally Revealed: The Top 7 Resume Killers?

During my job search I read dozens of books and... Read More

Surviving in Corporate Amercia: Part 1 - Email

There is a saying that goes, "The best offense is... Read More

Salary, Raises, & Perks: Negotiate to Get Paid What Youre Worth!

Salary negotiation requires preparation and good timing. It's important to... Read More

How To Establish Trust, Credibility and Enthusiasm To Your Interviewer

If you use your voice to get attention, you use... Read More

Sample Resume Objectives: Read, Dont Copy

The resume objective statement is typically something that trips people... Read More

Writing a Must-Read Cover Letter

If you want to land an interview, you'll need more... Read More

The Hidden Agenda of Interviews

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

Are You Sabotaging Your Career?

My experience working with thousands of leaders world wide for... Read More

Travel Writer Jobs, What Are They And How To Find Them

Travel writing jobs are few and far between. Getting into... Read More

Pre-Interview Web Research

You have obtained an interview -- congratulations! You feel prepared... Read More

What Did You Say?

My table-mates introduced themselves as the reciprocal protocol began. We... Read More

The 5 Ps Of A Job Search

Step One - Plan:Most people spend more time planning a... Read More

Why Human Resources Are The Real Key To Success In This Information Age

The rapid changes that have mainly been brought about by... Read More

When Should You Update Your Job Skills?

With the U.S. economy still slumping and unemployment numbers barely... Read More

Career Transitions : Fearless Flyers

You may have read one of my previous articles on... Read More

A Peek at Nursing as a Career

We need more people to choose nursing as a career.... Read More

Can You Compete?

Are you looking to hire the best talent? Are you... Read More

Employment Law: Attendance Rewards - Legal Ramifications

If you were thinking of offering your employees special rewards... Read More

Salary Negotiation Secrets Revealed

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