A Brief History of Medical Billing Degrees
As the medical industry grows and health care billing systems become more complex it has created a need for staff within the medical industry to specifically handle billing and coding. For those looking to pursue a career in medical billing one of the biggest upsides is that most medical billing programs are offered at an associate level.
Courses in a medical billing program will establish a basic understanding of the anatomy of the human body as well as basic biology needed to grasp concepts of today’s medical practices. From there, students will be introduced into specifics of the medical billing industry such as learning common coding techniques and medical billing and reimbursement. Students will also be schooled on how to obtain payments from insurance companies and Medicare.
Medical billing majors will be crucial to the ever evolving medical industry because they are responsible for retrieving funds hospitals and clinics need to keep their doors open.
Delving Into Medical Billing Majors
Most medical billing courses will begin by offering basic anatomy courses as well as courses in medical terminology. Because of the importance of the need for accuracy in the medical billing field, courses will usually include a basic course on medical law and ethics. Students can also expect to see basic mathematics courses as there will be a need to have a working knowledge of working with monetary values while doing billing and coding.
From there, curriculum wills shift to courses that will more specifically detail modern medical coding. Coding courses will focus on learning medical terminology used in within the industry and in billing systems. Many programs require students take part in an externship at an actual hospital or healthcare facility to complete the course.
One item to consider when pursuing a career in medical billing is that employers prefer to hire medical record and health information technicians that are credentialed, according to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics. In most cases, credentialing programs require regular recertification and continuing education to maintain a credential. Some even require a specific amount of coding experience time in a workplace setting.
There are also several different organizations that offer credentials such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), among many others. To obtain an AHIMA certification, one must graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). According to the Bureau there were more than 200 accredited programs in the U.S. in 2008.
Degree Levels:
Associate
Like any education in the medical industry, courses will first focus on building a working knowledge of modern medicine. Expect to begin coursework with biology and anatomy courses before transitioning into courses that will deal more directly with medical billing. Because of the need for accuracy and attention to detail needed when doing any kind of medical clerical work, expect to take courses on medical terminology as well.
Once into the heart of the program, courses will shift to teach various methods of medical billing and coding. Many online courses require students to complete an externship before completion of the program, and though while not technically part of the courses students will want to complete the written RHIT exam administered by the AHIMA.
Supplementing Medical Billing Majors
Due in part to the fact that most medical billing programs are only two-year courses, there are several things that you can do to help prepare yourself for a career in medical billing as well as to stand out from the crowd when entering the workforce. While no hands on patient care is performed by medical billing technicians, the more actual medical knowledge you have the better.
Since billing and account collectors spend most of their respective days working with numbers, taking additional courses in accounting or mathematics will help perform daily tasks within the field. Business law and ethics courses are also a good fit to understand the rights hospitals, clinics and other healthcare systems have when it comes to billing and accounts collection. In business settings, bill and account collectors must be careful to follow applicable Federal and State laws that govern their work. Along the same lines, knowing and studying business law will help you know you rights within the field.
Finally, communication is one of the most essential abilities a billing and accounts employee can have. Any communications courses will be a worthwhile supplement for anyone pursuing a job in the industry. Courses in writing and speech will not directly correlate to the field, but will be important in giving students confidence when speaking with customers and insurance companies.
Learn More About the Medical Billing Major
- Medical Computing
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Billing and Accounts Collectors
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
Medical Billing Majors in the Job Market
As the healthcare industry grows and more medical claims are submitted to insurance companies, there will be more of a demand for qualified individuals who can verify their accuracy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates openings for bill and account collectors are projected to increase by 19% through 2018, with more jobs specifically appearing in the healthcare industry specifically. Growth within in the industry will come from increased number of claims due to the growing elderly population of the United States, in addition to rising costs of healthcare premiums and more insurance caries trying to minimize costs.
Median annual income for billing and account collectors was $30,940 in May 2009 with the lowest 10% earning more than $21,000 annually and the highest 10% earning more than $46,000 annually. The Bureau also listed 20,480 jobs for bill and accounts collectors being employed by general medical and surgical hospitals alone in May, 2009. They also listed the mean annual wage for those employees at $32,080.
Similar to a bill or accounts collectors in a business environment, medical billing specialists will work on settling delinquent accounts, however most of the collections work will be handled through various insurance companies and Medicare. Medical billing workers can expect to use computers to keep records of accounts and using that information to keep track of collection attempts and receivables. The stored information is essential to communicate accounts information with medical managers.
Also, billing and accounts collectors can except to spend significant amounts of time on the phone to complete daily tasks. Billing and accounts specialists will also work with medical coders, and may be called upon to do medical coding themselves, and from there treatments and other medical costs are entered into a classification system. This determines the amount for which healthcare providers will be reimbursed if the patient is covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other insurance programs.
Careers I Can Get with This Degree:
