Hi all,
My husband's company is moving us from Texas to the Pittsburgh, PA area and I will not be able to transfer up there myself with my current job (as an insurance claims adjuster). I am actually thinking about a career change. I love working with numbers and enjoy working on my own, thought maybe this might be a good career path for me. I already have a BA in Psychology, but I'm pretty sure I would need to get certified in billing/coding in addition to my degree.
Can anyone give me the pros/cons of a career in medical billing/coding? What to do? What NOT to do? Approximate amount of time to get certified? Approximate salary? Better to work at a hospital or a doctor's office or do contract work?
I will take any advice anyone can give about this kind of career. I would like to know all I can about it now, instead of getting certified and realizing this may not be for me.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advice!!
~ Jen
Hey Jen,
The medical billing field is no different than any other job. Steve is right, if you are not 100% vested in it then it will be difficult to succeed. Be sure that you get the training you need and are willing to put in the work and you will be headed in the right direction.
The reason I love the medical billing field is because it is very challenging. Every day you will find issues that you haven't seen before. You will need to be continually learning and challenging everything. You get to take something (a claim) from the very first stages of it's creation all the way to it's end (adjudication), which is something that I also love about computer programming where my formal education lies. The pros and cons of billing are going to be different for everyone. For me data entry gets tiring and boring, but you may find that it is easy and that pleases you. You will really have to find out for yourself what you like and don't like.
As for certification. I don't have one. I have worked in my Dad's medical billing office since I was 13 and have gone through on the job training 14 years worth. This is one of my downfalls as a biller though and one I plan on addressing in 2010.
Compensation for billers varies on location, job description, and where you are employed. But $11.00 - $18.00 an hour is what you should generally expect with the 18.00 being after many years of experience.
As for where to work... Completely based on your opinion. Positions are available in hospitals, billing offices, physicians office, online, and some at home. No one can tell you which will be better for you.
I hope some of that helps. Good Luck.
Adam Mlynarcik
