What is the Best State to Become a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist?

“Go West, young man, and grow up with your country,” wrote John B.L. Soule in his 1851 editorial during the expansion of the west. The Bureau for Labor Statistics reports that in 2008, the annual salary for a medical billing and coding specialist ranged anywhere from $20,440 to $50,060. Keeping that range in mind, what is the best state to head to if you want to become a medical billing and coding specialist? Soule’s original statement to head west is not too far from the truth.

Salaries State by State

In 2008, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), conducted a salary study of around 11,000 medical billing and coding specialists. The study found that geography was a key factor in salaries. The states with the highest compensations were:

1. California
2. The District of Columbia
3. Massachusetts
4. Connecticut

How Can I Become More Valuable to a Medical Billing and Coding Employer?

If you’re looking for long-term job security and ways to advance your career, you may be interested in becoming more valuable to medical billing and coding employers.

Below, we’ve outlined a seven-step plan for you to achieve increased value and professional growth in the medical billing and coding job sector.

1. Complete Training Courses

Medical billing and coding are complex fields. The professionals you will compete with for jobs generally possess a good amount of specialized training and experience.

Research online or on-site medical billing or coding courses and select one that matches your job goals. Even if you have a full-time job and little free time, you can choose from an array of online training programs that allow you to set the pace of study. Inquire about whether the program you choose covers topics important to medical billing and coding employers such as:

1. medical terminology,
2. medical coding manuals,
3. Medicare and private insurance claim processing guidelines,
4. handling denials and appeals,
5. maintaining regulatory compliance, and
6. avoiding accusations of fraud or abuse.

2. Join a Professional Association

What is The Overall Demand for Medical Billing and Coding?

General Demand for Medical Billing and Coding Professionals

Though the medical billing and coding profession is always looking for qualified people, demand in the field for medical billers and coders is escalating almost exponentially due to an aging population and changes in medical technology.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 Edition), in 2008 there were 173,000 professional medical insurance billers and coders in the United States, with the predominance of these individuals working in hospitals and varied health care facilities including small medical practices and outpatient care centers. Medical billing and coding demand, even through temporary job agencies and professional services firms, accounted for 40 percent of opportunities in hospitals and the rest in provider offices, nursing care, outpatient centers and home health service areas.

Certainly all dimensions of the health information field are exploding as the healthcare field shifts patient documentation to electronic data storage methods. For positions related to medical billing and coding, demand will, as a consequence, provide lots of options in the market, as tightening legal requirements for insurance policies and evolving government regulations make the need for maintaining accurate medical records that much more critical to an operation.

Do I Need Medical Coding Certification to Get a Medical Coding Job?

If you want to know whether you need certification to get a medical coding job, the short answer is achieving medical coding certification is preferable and it will benefit your career. However, if you do not currently have a medical coding certificate, you will find tips below to help you get your foot in the door of the medical coding job market while you work on attaining credentials.

Four Ways to Pursue a Medical Coding Job without Certification

While achieving medical coding certification demonstrates that you possess the skills needed to perform the job well, certification isn’t required by law. If you have relevant office or billing experience and you can present yourself as an exceptional candidate to employers, you may be able to start down the path of a medical coding career before attaining certification. Use the following tips to present yourself as a worthy candidate for a medical records or coding job:

What Kind of Experience is Needed to Get Medical Coders Jobs?

Whereas a medical assistant or nurse once typed out invoices after hours for medical practices, today even the smallest clinics have computerized their billing to save time, improve coding accuracy and protect their revenue stream. The result is a demand for medical billing and coding professionals with proper experience.

The General Market for Medical Coders

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics rates medical billing and coding as one of the 10 fastest-growing allied health occupations. Demand is further intensified by an 18 percent shortage of qualified candidates, according to surveys by the American Hospital Association. This market demand is good news for individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in medical coding and billing; especially for those who have previously performed medical coding in some realm of their previous employment.

Though billing and coding are distinct disciplines, individuals who seek medical coders jobs ought to be skilled in both billing and coding, even if an eventual position only emphasizes one discipline over the other– as would likely be the case in large patient care facilities where medical claim volumes are high.

Are Medical Coding Online Jobs a Scam?

The tremendous growth of the medical coding industry and need for trained coders has unfortunately led to some medical coding online scams. In addition to fraudulent coding schools that act like “diploma mills,” online coding job scams are prevalent as well. Individuals who wish to find online medical coding jobs should do research and educate themselves for typical fraudulent behavior.

The lure for most people is the opportunity to work from home. Who would not jump at a listing for a medical coding job that offers plentiful work with flexible hours in the comfort of their own home? The truth is that while work-at-home jobs for medical coders do exist, they are not as plentiful as the many websites out there would like you to believe. Moreover, it takes medical coding course work and several years of experience in the field to be able to do medical coding at home properly and efficiently.

Signs of Fraud

How Can I Increase My Odds of Landing a Medical Coding Job?

Securing your perfect job requires skills to stand out in a crowd of candidates. It takes more than a full resume and a good handshake to land the medical coding job that you are looking for. Besides tweaking your cover letter and honing your interviewing skills, there are many actions you can take to make sure you rise to the top of the candidate pool. Learning about computer software and technology, getting the proper training and experience, obtaining certification and applying for an association membership are a few of the most important things to consider.

Befriend Your Computer

Learning how to work with computers can seem intimidating, but it is not impossible. Start by taking some classes in computer skills and technology. A medical coding job consists of a lot of computer work. Many people know how to work a computer, but not many know how to operate the particular software that a medical coding job requires. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states in its Occupational Outlook Handbook that medical records and health information technicians “that demonstrate a strong understanding of technology and computer software will be in particularly high demand” in the future of the field.

What are the Different Types of Medical Billing and Coding Jobs Available to Me?

All medical billing and coding jobs do not fall under one title or type. Generally, medical billing involves billing for goods and services rendered at health care facilities, while medical coding involves assigning numeric codes to patients’ diseases and conditions for the purposes of filling out insurance forms.

Medical billing and coding jobs vary by a number of different factors including:

1. experience
2. specialized knowledge
3. customer contact
4. work environment and
5. field: medical or insurance.

Variations in Medical Billing and Coding Jobs

Within medical billing and coding jobs, individuals may work in multiple areas or they may work exclusively in one area such as:

What is the Medical Billing and Coding Job Market Looking Like for 2012?

Today’s weakened economy and job outlook have not held much promise for many Americans seeking employment. The medical billing and coding job outlook, however, is one bright spot that promises continued job growth in the near future.

Current Statistics

According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2008, medical billers and coders made up about 172,500 jobs in the U.S. The average annual job growth rate for an industry is between seven and 13 percent. However, the medical billing and coding job outlook is expected to increase by 20 percent or more between 2008 and 2018. That would increase the number of people employed doing this type of work to 207,600. The states with the highest level of employment in medical billing and coding are:

1. California (17,340 jobs)
2. Texas (14,710 jobs)

Medical Billing Jobs 2012

• What is the Medical Billing and Coding Job Market Looking Like in 2011? - The job market for medical billers and coders in 2011 is strong, especially as the US continues to climb out of the recession that began in 2008. Overall healthcare spending will continue to grow, and health records will become increasingly electronic, which opens opportunities for freshly trained professionals.
• What is the Medical Billing and Coding Job Market Looking Like for 2012? - The medical billing and coding job market should continue to improve in 2012, given the rising costs of healthcare and an aging population. Since ICD-10 implementation is scheduled for October of 2013, those with training in the new code set will become increasingly valuable as 2012 progresses.
• What are the Different Types of Medical Billing and Coding Jobs Available to Me? - There are plenty of job titles available to medical billers and coders aside from "coder" and "biller." You could work as an administrative assistant, auditor, compliance officer, manager, educator, product developer or consultant, just as examples.

Is Medical Billing and Coding for You?

According to Bethany Despot, a medical billing and coding student studying at Northern Michigan University,

"I would recommend medical billing and coding to people who can learn new things. If you don’t like stress, I wouldn’t take this job. You do deal with angry patients sometimes, which they’re teaching us to do in our classes. If you’re prone to mistakes I wouldn’t take this job either, because a mistake could potentially cost a patient their life, not only you your job."

But one important final thought before we continue with our expansive guide to medical billing and coding - a note on work from home jobs. More and more people are looking to work from home, and medical billing is often considered to be a career that allows one to do so. However, according to a 2008 AAPC survey, two-thirds of medical billers are not permitted to work from home. On the other hand, this statistic also reveals that one third of medical coders are allowed to work from home at least some of the time.

Medical Billing and Coding Education

Medical Billing and Coding Education

Online medical billing and coding courses are the perfect solution to continuing education requirements for young MBAC professionals. Many careers require individuals to obtain CEUs, or continuing education units in order to stay certified. According to the AAPC, 26.3 percent of the medical billers and coders surveyed in 2008 paid between $101 and $250 out-of-pocket for CEUs, professional membership fees and other resources. Nineteen percent paid between $251 and $500, and 15.2 percent paid more than $500 every year. However, 71 percent of the respondents also either "strongly agreed" or "agreed" with the statement, "My employer pays for CEUs to keep my knowledge current." So, when looking for a job, it may be helpful to find out if the employer will pay for your ongoing education.

What are Some of the Best Techniques for Finding Medical Billing Jobs?

Medical billing jobs are an integral part of the health information management and health information technology fields. Because there are so many medical billing job scams advertised, particularly on the Internet, job seekers must proceed with caution and hone their job search techniques using only credible resources.

Generally speaking, persistent networking and research are the overriding key techniques needed forfinding legitimate entry level medical billing jobs. More specific examples of job hunting techniques for finding medical billing jobs include:

1. joining an accredited certifying organization
2. taking advantage of government employment programs, and
3. volunteering your services.

Join an Accredited Certifying Organization

What is Medical Billing and Coding?

First things first - don't make the mistake of thinking that medical billing and coding are the same thing. In fact, medical billing is a subspecialty of medical coding. So, a medical biller will prepare reimbursement requests on the behalf of medical care providers and facilities to make sure that insurance companies pay them back for providing services. While this might seem as simple as sending the insurance company a bill, it's not - hence the need for coding specialists.

Mistakes in the medical billing and coding industry can be disastrous - the difference between patients getting the treatment they need and having to pay for whatever treatments they can afford. What's more, medical billers and coders have a huge financial impact on both the

Medical billing and coding 1

Medical billing and coding. Sounds simple, right? Well, with thousands and thousands of codes - each tailored to fit multiple diagnoses, symptoms, treatments, and medications, medical billing and coding can quickly become far from easy. One of the major draws to this career path is the lighter education requirements when compared to other careers in medicine and the flexibility of both schedule and work environment that many medical billers and coders enjoy. On MedicalBillingandCoding.org, you will find all of the information that you need to do the following 

• Select an accredited medical billing and coding school.
• Obtain the skills necessary to become a medical billing or coding specialist.
• Choose the certification you need to find a job.
• Find the employers in your area that pay the most and hire most frequently.

Is medical billing and coding the right career choice for you? According to Pam Lounsbery, a certified medical biller and coder in Michigan,

"If you don't like to read carefully and don't have a very good memory, I would not suggest you go into this field. There is so much to pay attention to and to remember."

But if memorization and attentiveness happen to be two skills that you have or would like to develop, medical billing and coding might be the perfect choice for a rewarding and challenging career.

Electronic Health Record (EHR) - Exception Relating to Electronic Prescribing Information

Exception Relating to Electronic Prescribing Information

CMS's regulatory proposal creates an exception to the physician self-referral prohibition in the Stark law for certain arrangements in which a physician receives necessary non-monetary remuneration that is used solely to receive and transmit electronic prescription drug information.

CMS's proposed rule protects the donation of qualifying electronic prescribing technology when the donation is made by hospitals to members of their medical staffs, by group practices to their physician members, and by prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare advantage organizations to physicians. CMS is considering whether to limit the aggregate fair market value of all items and services provided to a physician from a single donor. CMS believes a monetary limit is appropriate and reasonable to minimize the potential for fraud and abuse, and is soliciting public comment on the amount of the cap.

The proposed exception would protect only items or services that are "necessary" to conduct electronic prescription drug transactions. This might include, for example, hardware, software, broadband or wireless Internet connectivity, training, information technology support services, and other items and services used in connection with the transmission or receipt of electronic prescribing information. CMS believes the exception would allow a hospital to provide a physician with a hand-held device capable of transmitting electronic prescribing information, even though the physician may already have a desktop
computer that could also be used to send the same information. However, the proposed rule would require the physician to certify that items and services provided are not technically or functionally equivalent to those that the physician already possesses or has already obtained.

In addition, to be eligible for the exception, the items and services must be "used solely" for the transmission or receipt of electronic prescribing information. However, CMS is proposing to create an additional exception to protect the provision of hardware and connectivity service that are used for more than one function, so long as a substantial use of the item or service is to receive or transmit electronic prescription information. CMS is soliciting comments on methodologies for quantifying or ensuring that a substantial use of hardware and connectivity services is for the receipt or transmission of electronic prescribing information.

Exception Relating to Electronic Health Records

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

The use of e-prescribing and electronic health records is accelerating 

On October 11, 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") and the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General ("OIG") published separate, but parallel, proposed rules representing a unified effort to advance the goal of widespread adoption of electronic health records technologies by hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers. These proposed rules are in accordance with the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 ("MMA"), which directed the Secretary of HHS, in consultation with the Attorney General, to create an exception to the Stark law and a safe harbor under the Anti-Kickback Statute to protect certain arrangements involving the provision of non-monetary remuneration (consisting of items and services in the form of hardware, software, or information technology and training services) that is necessary and used solely to receive and transmit electronic prescription drug information.

Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)

Providers and suppliers must have Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher and have the most recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader before initiating an enrollment action using Internet-based PECOS.

The Internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (Internet-based PECOS) can be used in lieu of the Medicare enrollment application (i.e., paper CMS-855) to:

• Submit an initial Medicare enrollment application
• View or change your enrollment information
• Track your enrollment application through the web submission process
• Add or change a reassignment of benefits
• Submit changes to existing Medicare enrollment information
• Reactivate an existing enrollment record
• Withdraw from the Medicare Program

Advantages of Internet-based PECOS

• Faster than paper-based enrollment (45 day processing time in most cases, vs. 60 days for paper)
• Tailored application process means you only supply information relevant to YOUR application
• Gives you more control over your enrollment information, including reassignments
• Easy to check and update your information for accuracy
• Less staff time and administrative costs to complete and submit enrollment to Medicare