Medical Billing & Coding

There are many commercials and ads about the medical billing career field. Some of these ads are from legitimate vocational schools that can provide students with the right training and education, but other ads try to tease people into buying a self-study course. Unfortunately, the medical billing industry is rife with scams and diploma mills, so it’s important to investigate any medical billing school you plan on attending. There are several articles on this site that discuss ways to find a quality medical billing school.

This page is dedicated to answering common questions students have about medical billing and coding:

What is Medical Billing and Coding?

The medical billing and coding career field is for someone who wants to work in health care, but would prefer to work in more an administrative role—instead of with patients. Medical Billing and Medical Coding are actually two distinct jobs, so we’ll discuss each separately.

Medical Billers are really responsible for making sure everyone is being billed correctly. Some of this involves talking with patients and/or health insurance companies on a regular basis to make sure all invoices are paid in a timely fashion. The biller should understand how to read medical invoices and coding language. This is perfect for someone who wants to have a balance of working with people (on the phone) and also spending time analyzing invoices and data.

Medical Coders on the other hand really don’t have too much interaction with insurance companies and patients. This job is perfect for someone who would prefer to spend time analyzing and coding data. Every duty performed in a medical office has a particular code assigned to it, and it needs to be coded properly in order for proper billing. The Medical Coder and Biller often work together to make sure all invoices are paid properly.

Some smaller medical offices might have one employee handle both job functions, but many times these jobs are outsourced to a medical billing agency that can handle both jobs.

What’s the working conditions like for medical billers and coders?

Medical billers and coders typically work in an office environment, either in a health care facility or agency setting (away from doctors and patients). This career field is for someone who wants to work a 40 hour work week or part time. Depending on the agency or medical billing company you work for, you have may have the option of working extra hours for more pay. Please verify this prior to joining a medical insurance billing and coding office.

What training do you need to work in medical insurance billing and coding?

In order to understand the medical terminology and medical billing codes, most employees in medical coding need to have training and education from either a vocational school or local college. You should have training in medical terminology, medical billing software, medical documentation evaluation, and government programs.

Is it true that medical billers can work can work from home?

As mentioned above, there are a bunch of scams that advertise medical billing jobs where you can work at home. It’s actually very difficult to work at home—especially when you’re just getting started. Working at home requires a solid client base that usually takes years of experience working in this field. The U.S. Department of Labor most recently reported that only 3% of medical billers work at home.* If you plan on working in medical billing, don’t think about working at home because that’s very rare.

How much do medical billing clerks earn?

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that the median wage for medical billers was $13.00 in May 2004. The highest 10% of medical billers and clerks earned more than $18.88. It’s probably higher now since those stats are from 2004.

What are some other jobs medical billers can do?

The training received from a medical insurance billing and coding school can possibly give you the skills to work in bookkeeping, payroll, accounting clerks, or medical administrative assistant. This will, of course, vary on your education and experience.

Got another question? Please contact us and let us know what you’d like to know.

*Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Department of Labor, 2007