| On February 16, 2006 the Health Insurance | | | | care. Insurance institutions and government |
| Portability and Accountability Act was finalized, and | | | | agencies are investing huge resources to control |
| enacted. This law is designed to establish national | | | | claims' fraud, abuse, and establish some degree of |
| standards for all health care transactions, and to | | | | reimbursement parity. As a result, more insurance |
| ensure the security and privacy of all health | | | | companies, and health care facilities are looking to |
| related information. The motivation behind this law | | | | medical billing experts for help. These companies |
| is to improve the performance, and efficiency of | | | | and practices are looking for experienced and |
| our health care system. This type of reform has | | | | educated individuals; the legal consequences of |
| created a need for qualified individuals who can | | | | incorrect billing could be devastating. There is a |
| utilize the tools of this legislation, and assure full | | | | movement in the industry to make medical billers |
| compliance, and maximum reimbursement. It | | | | responsible for inaccuracies, much they way |
| would therefore be a prudent move for health | | | | accountants are for tax returns. |
| care facilities to employ such individuals in order to | | | | At present, there are no standards for |
| avoid mistakes that could have dire consequences. | | | | educational requirements for medical billers and |
| The proliferation of medical knowledge following | | | | coders. However, more employers are looking for |
| World War II brought about an explosion of | | | | some formal training at an accredited career |
| diagnostic, and treatment procedures. As a result, | | | | training institution. These schools range in training |
| there became a need to organize, and standardize | | | | time from nine months to two years, anything |
| all these developing technologies. Here is where | | | | less would not be considered adequate. There is a |
| the foundations of medical coding were born. | | | | move for certification, and several organizations |
| Medical coding met these challenges, and allowed | | | | are sponsoring certification examinations in medical |
| for a more uniform way of communicating health | | | | billing and coding. Medical billers and coders earn as |
| information under a common language. By January | | | | much as $8 to $10 per hour in the beginning, and |
| 1979, standardized definitions, and codes were | | | | could potentially realize $30 to $40 per hours with |
| adopted, and used by health care providers, and | | | | experience and additional responsibilities. |
| insurance companies. Since improvements and | | | | Today, evolutions in the health care industry are |
| refinements of medical procedures are constantly | | | | happening at a very high pace. It is only with the |
| being developed, codes must be added and | | | | assistance of sophisticated computer programs, |
| updated to reflect these changes. Today, the | | | | and standardized coding procedures that medical |
| number of medical and surgical procedures have | | | | coders are now able to describe and characterize |
| become enormous, so too have the codes to | | | | the tremendous number and various kinds of |
| describe them. These overwhelming numbers of | | | | medical and surgical procedures. These realities |
| codes and protocols have made outsourcing | | | | coupled with government regulations, and health |
| medical billing the standard. | | | | insurance guidelines have contributed to the strong |
| Medical Billing and related occupations continue to | | | | demand for experienced medical coders and billers. |
| be the fastest growing opportunities in health | | | | |