Stella Said:

What would you say is a better career? Medical or Insurance?

We Answered:

Go with the family and study insurance. Don't stop improving your website skills. That may be where your future lies.

Jon Said:

I need to get out of retail, Is EVERST career institute great?Studying Medical insurance billing and coding?

We Answered:

Check the AHIMA website. They have a list of the programs that are accredited by them. They are the people who are in charge of certifications which can be important as far as getting a job from what I understand and see in my area.

Bryan Said:

How long does a medical insurance coder and medical biller takes?

We Answered:

I teach medical billing and coding. I have taught everything from 60 hours or less programs up to seven month programs that were over 500 hours and several in between. You can take an eight week program or study as long as two years if your community college offers an associate degree program.

So you will get the most bang for your buck at your local community college, adult school and ROP programs. The vocational schools are the most expensive as would be online programs. I highly recommend you DO NOT take an online course for billing and coding. It might be okay for medical terminology if that is the only class you can find to take.

Before you start any program check with local employers to see which schools they like. Some companies won't hire graduates of certain programs. I got my A.A. in Business/Medical Assisting many years ago. The doctors preferred us because we had a more well-rounded education. It might be possible to go to school one year, get your certificate for the medical billing and coding program, get a job and then go back to school and finish your degree. Some companies even have tuition reimbursement programs. One place I worked offered up to $3,000 a year.

Right now a lot of people are going into billing and coding so they can get a job. I just taught a bunch of students who were attending the program through unemployment. Many of them I don't think will make it because they are looking for a job, not a career. If you want this to be your career, do whatever you can to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

If the course includes an externship, great. However if only the private schools offer externships then you have to ask yourself whether or not it is worth the extra money. A few things you should ask them. First, how many students get hired from their externship? How much do they earn? What percentage of graduates get a job in the industry? And ask to speak to some graduates. If they don't have any, BIG red flag.

If you take a short billing course, make sure you also study medical terminology, even if it is on your own. Chabner has a great short course book, I forget the name. It is only five chapters but covers the basics. Chabner also has a full medical terminology book which includes a CD with practice and games which help a lot. Last I saw it was the eighth edition but they may have come out with a new one.

While it can be tough in this economy to break into this industry many of my students started off working as a medical front office person as they knew the insurance stuff. If they offer you a job take it. You are getting paid to learn. If you have a good attitude you will eventually work your way up.

Look up AHIMA and HOSA for more information.
www.ahima.org
www.hosa.org

One crucial thing to understand. When you complete a program you get a certificate of completion. It DOES NOT mean you are certified. HOSA is great to get involved in while you are in school. Study the website for AHIMA to find out about the different certification tests you can take. Some programs are actually designed to help prepare the student to take one of the exams. When calling local employers also find out which certification they like.

Write back if you have any other questions.

Ivan Said:

Difference Between Medical Insurance Billing and Billing&coding?

We Answered:

I teach medical billing and coding. I don't think there is that much difference but you can compare the two courses and find out how much of the class is devoted to coding.

In general even if you take just a basic medical billing course they will teach you the basics of coding because in order to submit the claim to the insurance company, either by paper or electronically, you must provide the diagnosis and procedure codes. In a billing and coding class you will perhaps do more coding than just a basic medical insurance course.

The medical insurance person can do all kinds of things besides submit the report to the insurance company. They can be responsible for doing one or more of the following:

1) Contact insurance company to verify patient benefits.
2) Contact insurance company to get authorization for a test or a surgery.
3) They can type or transcribe reports to submit to the insurance company.
4) Make up the patients chart when they arrive and enter all the demographic information.
5) Collect patient copayments, deductible and coinsurance payments.
6) They can post charges, payments, and adjustments.
7) Complete day sheets and/or deposits.
8) Submit claims to the insurance company by paper or electronically.
9) Keep a spreadsheet of how much insurance companies pay for each procedure.
10) Send out patient statements monthly.
11) Follow up on outstanding claims.
12) Explain financial policies to patients and create payment plans with patients.
13) Work the Accounts Receivable report monthly.
14) Follow up with patients who have not paid their bill.
15) Send accounts to collection as ordered by the doctor or facility.
16) Do diagnosis and procedure coding as needed.

At this point in time the best money is for hospital billing and/or becoming a certified coder. Be advised that less than ten percent of my students who take the introductory course decide to go on to become professional coders. It is tough to sit all day and pull out diagnosis and procedures from a patient's chart.

Starting out you may only be able to get a job in a doctor's office because hospitals want experience. Many of my graduates are getting medical front office jobs because they know the insurance stuff. If you work hard and have a good attitude you can work your way up the ladder.

Yes, you can work at home but usually you need to first have experience working for someone else and it is a tough field to break into if you want to work for yourself. I'm not sure whether or not companies offer telecommuting.

Scott Said:

Wat classs in college would i be taking, if i want to own my own medical insurance company?!?

We Answered:

You can try entrepreneurship classes./