Medical Billing Course
By enrolling in a medical billing course, learners can potentially pursue a long-term career within the healthcare sector. Medical billers can possibly get competitive salaries as well as other career benefits. The demand for healthcare professionals in this field is expected to grow even more during the next few years. This is why opting for a medical billing course can prove to be beneficial. There are many schools and colleges that offer medical billing courses. In addition to joining campus-based programs, students can also opt for online medical billing programs.
What do Medical Billers do?
Medical billers are basically responsible for looking after the billing needs of a healthcare unit. They need to acquire knowledge and skills related to medical processes and billing codes to successfully take up biller jobs. They also handle medical billing software and carry out a number of other office management and insurance related tasks.
Types of Medical Billing Courses
Prospective students can opt for a medical billing course according to their career goals. There are different training programs in medical billing offered by different schools and colleges. Generally, there are two kinds of medical billing courses that are offered by traditional as well as online schools. These include:
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Medical billing degree course
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Medical billing certification course
This medical billing course provides learners with typically all of the essential knowledge and skills to become a medical biller. It may span over two years, though may be completed in less or longer time. Medical billing certification course, on the other hand, is shorter. Students are exposed to the fundamentals of medical billing and coding in this type of program.
Medical Billing Course Content
Students will learn about different aspects of medical billing in medical billing training programs. The general course content of the medical billing education includes:
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Medical terminologies
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Medical office procedures
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Medical billing procedures
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Coding processes
Online Medical Billing Course
Students who wish to pursue a career as a medical biller can work towards completing online medical billing courses. Distance learning programs have several benefits for certain students. They allow learners to attend classes, participate in group discussions and appear for tests from virtually anywhere. They also save a lot of time as they can be completed at the students' own pace. The lower tuition fee of an online medical billing course also makes it an ideal learning choice. An online medical billing course is also quite useful for individuals who are involved in full-time or part-time jobs.
Career Outlook for Medical Billers
Completing a medical billing course allows students to improve theor prospects of seeking employment in various healthcare centers. The exact salary income of a medical biller depends on his/her qualification, experience as well as the place where they finds job in. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, billing and posting clerks earned $34,410 per year in May 2014. The growing demand of these professionals has opened new career options for them.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
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California | 1660 | 0.11 | 1.26 | 18.13 | 37720 |
Florida | 1130 | 0.14 | 1.68 | 17.97 | 37370 |
Illinois | 960 | 0.16 | 1.92 | 17.9 | 37240 |
Texas | 760 | 0.07 | 0.78 | 16.62 | 34570 |
New York | 650 | 0.07 | 0.85 | 20.12 | 41840 |
Source: bls.gov