| The healthcare field is considered to be | | | | |
| 'recession-proof' meaning that regardless of how | | | | Medical coders work alongside medical billers in |
| poor the economy is, there will always be jobs | | | | health departments and hospitals to coordinate |
| available. While millions of people are facing layoffs | | | | the providers health insurance billing needs. A |
| and unemployment due to our faltering economy, | | | | medical coder uses a set of codes for reporting |
| the heathcare field is still in great need of qualified | | | | services provided by a health care provider to |
| personnel. | | | | the insurance company. The codes used are |
| One of the most promising careers within the | | | | nationally recognized and allow insurance |
| healthcare field is medical billing. A medical biller is a | | | | companies to chart the services of the healthcare |
| person who is responsible for submitting and | | | | provider. In most cases, if a service provider |
| following up on claims to insurance companies in | | | | does not code their claims then they will not be |
| order to receive payment for services rendered. | | | | paid for their services by the insurance |
| | | | | companies. |
| People who graduate with medical billing careers | | | | In order to obtain medical coding certification, you |
| work with software that simplifies and | | | | will have to spend up to a year studying a |
| standardizes the reports that are generated. If | | | | program that is endorsed by the Academy of |
| you are interested in becoming a medical billing | | | | Professional Coders or the American Health |
| professional, you can enroll in one of the many | | | | Information Management Association-depending on |
| medical billing schools that will train you to become | | | | whether you wish to be a professional coder or a |
| certified in the field. Medical billing careers offer | | | | coding specialist. Certified medical coders can work |
| competitive salaries based on experience. Those | | | | in a great many environments such as medical |
| who are new to the field can expect to earn a | | | | offices, hospitals and insurance companies. |
| little over $30,000 annually while billing experts | | | | |
| with over twenty years of experience can earn | | | | Both medical billing and medical coding provides job |
| $40,000 per year. You can expect to spend an | | | | stability and the opportunity for advancement. |
| average of one year in a medical billing school and | | | | Anyone interested in either field should research |
| you can either attend classes in a 'brick and | | | | schools available in their area that offers the |
| mortar' traditional school setting or you may | | | | education and certification required to enter these |
| study online. | | | | fields. |