Medical Coding vs. Billing

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	Medical Coding vs. Billing

This is the most trusted online resource for medical coding students and experienced professionals in the medical billing field! We provide free education and certification information, latest tips and articles, and let you explore school and job listings free.

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The Medical Coding and Billing Career

The need for skilled medical coding and billing professionals remains high. The managed care industry, consisting of HMOs, PPOs, Point of Service Plans, and High Deductible Health Plans covers nearly 200 million Americans.

U.S. Labor Department states that Medical Coders and Billers are in high demand because:

medical services and health plans are abundant

innovation with improved access, more choices

government regulations are ever changing

health system reforms demand proper action

doctors and healthcare providers want to get paid

Whether in small private practices, or mid- to large size group practices doctors want to get paid for their services and depend on the medical coding and billing staff. And then there are the medical centers and hospitals... American medical centers and hospitals are large (over $1 billion in revenue). They salary their medical staff and healthcare providers in more than 30 different specialties and usually have thousands of employees (5,000 to 10,000 is not uncommon).

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Furthermore, medical centers and hospitals provide a vast array of supplies and medications to their patients, the biggest segment of hospital cost comes in the form of bandages, stents, prostheses, drugs, intravenous fluids, sterilizing equipment, and countless other items required for modern care. These too must be properly billed to the patient or their health insurance providers.

Medical Coding Training Schools by State

Directory of medical coding training colleges and schools. Diploma, degree and certificate programs available on-campus and distance learning. Also: medical assisting!

Differences Between Medical Coder's and Biller's Job

Although medical coders and billing professionals share many similar tasks there are fundamental differences in their responsibilities. The medical coder primarily focuses on converting a medical procedure, diagnosis, or symptom into specific codes to submit a claim for reimbursement. The medical biller assures that health insurance companies and patients are accurately billed for all procedures provided by the health care provider.

What ties both occupations firmly together is the shared focus on the medical facility's financial and business growth---both a very important aspect to all healthcare providers. Medical coders and billers must work hand in hand to coordinate their efforts to meet the patient and/or health insurance billing needs of the practice or organization; the financial success and millions of peoples livelihood depends on it.

Specialization

Training and education gives medical coding and billing professionals the skills and edge they need to succeed in this highly competitive field! Many who once started out handling both, the medical coding and billing aspects of a medical office, eventually specialize in either medical coding or medical insurance billing only and get paid according to their knowledge, accuracy, and dependability.

Promotion

Experienced medical coders and billers may get promoted as section supervisors to oversee the work of the coding procedure, correspondence, or discharge sections. Others may perform retrospective audits of medical records to ensure compliance with current industry standards for coding and billing as well as develop education and training programs for physicians and staff members.

Differences In Pay

The medical coder and biller is compensated according to the level of training and skills and how effectively these skills are used. The medical coder's salary is quite competitive. The coder usually is compensated at a higher hourly rate than a medical biller. Medical billers, however, although they earn slightly less have a better chance to start their own medical billing business from home.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that the earning potential for medical coding and billing experts varies widely. Pay levels are governed chiefly by experience and qualifications. Depending on their location, experience, credential and education medical coders earn...

Entry level coders: $20,000 to $30,000 annually

Certified coders: $25,000 to $60,000 per year

Experienced coding consultants: as much as $100,000 to $120,000 a year.