What Does a Medical Biller/Coder Do?
Join this Great Administrative Healthcare Career, with IBT
A Medical Billing and Coding Specialist is an administrative healthcare professional, and these workers play a critical role in the functioning of our healthcare system. Medical Billing and Coding Specialists complete important administrative tasks, and work in a variety of medical environments including private medical practices, medical billing companies, hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies. Administrative medical office positions such as these are found all across the country, and some Medical Biller/Coders may even be able to work from their own home. If you are interested in training for this administrative healthcare career, read on to learn more about what the role these workers play in the healthcare system, and how IBT can prepare you to enter this rewarding career field!
Medical Biller/Coders play an important procedural role in our healthcare system, they are the individuals who are responsible for translating healthcare services rendered into requests for payment from insurance companies. During a patient’s medical visit every single procedure and diagnosis is recorded by someone in the healthcare provider’s office. A Medical Biller/Coder codes these individual patient services and diagnoses, then uses those codes to request payment from the patient’s insurance company.
For every medical procedure, injury, illness, and diagnosis, there is a corresponding medical code. There are thousands of medical codes, and these codes act as a universal language between doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies. Medical Biller/Coders are like translators, taking each bit of information and putting it into the corresponding numeric or alphanumeric code that can then be used in the billing process. A Medical Biller/Coder must be familiar with the codes used in the industry, understand the guidelines and rules of the codes, and be able to use them accurately. Accuracy and adherence to guidelines is imperative as it can affect the status of an insurance claim.
The Medical Biller/Coder is responsible for ensuring the medical provider is properly compensated for their services. A Medical Biller/Coder turns the codes into a financial report, which is a bill for the insurance company, also called a claim. The Medical Biller/Coder sends the claim to the insurance company, which evaluates and returns it. The Medical Biller/Coder then evaluates the returned claim to determine how much the patient owes, after the insurance is taken out, and then creates an accurate bill to deliver to the patient. If a patient is delinquent or unwilling to pay the bill, the Medical Biller/Coder hires a collections agency to ensure the medical provider is properly compensated for their services.
A Medical Biller/Coder’s day consists of conducting this process, and so organization, attention to detail, and time management are critical components of the job. So is having the specialized knowledge and skills it takes to complete the work. At IBT, the Medical Biller/Coder/Office Specialist program prepares students with the specific knowledge and skills needed to be successful in this important administrative healthcare field.
IBT’s Medical Biller/Coder/Office Specialist program is achievable in as few as 9 months, and IBT even offers the flexibility of an online-hybrid program! At IBT, students learn:
- Comprehensive medical coding and billing procedures
- Current medical software and trends in the insurance industry
- Current procedural coding and diagnostic coding
- How to prepare and file insurance claims and analyze benefits
- Claims processing/collection strategies
IBT’s program provides practical, hands-on training to prepare graduates for entry-level positions in this rewarding healthcare field. With training from IBT, students are prepared for entry-level medical careers as a medical biller, medical billing specialist, medical insurance specialist, medical coder, medical records clerk, hospital admitting clerk, and/or a medical administrative assistant. Graduates of IBT’s program are prepared to obtain the Certified Professional Coder-A (CPC-A) certification from the AAPC certifying agency and the the National Certified Insurance & Coding Specialist (NCICS) certification from NCCT, professional certifications that demonstrate your level of skill and knowledge.
If a career in the administrative healthcare field of Medical Billing and Coding sounds interesting to you, IBT’s Medical Biller/Coder/Office Specialist training program can prepare you with the knowledge and skills you need, in as few as 9 months! With IBT’s convenient online-hybrid program, you can gain the training you need for professional certification and a career you can be proud of. At IBT, in Santa Clara, California, our mission is to see you succeed, and we will do everything we can to help you prepare you for success in your career. If you are ready to train for a career in the growing field of administrative healthcare, call IBT at 1-800-915-3562 today!