Career as a Medical Biller- How to start a career as a Medical Biller
The healthcare industry has witnessed the fastest growth ever in the last few years, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak. It has positively contributed to the increasing job opportunities in the health sector. Nowadays, a healthcare organization offers thousands of profitable job positions, excluding patient care. Medical billing is one of the most trending and high-in-demand job profiles in every healthcare sector. Those who don’t want to pursue their career in patient care can work in the thriving healthcare industry by applying for the medical biller job profile. Individuals can earn a hefty amount each month as the job position of medical billers is exceptionally crucial for any healthcare organization. The medical billing department manages and supervises all vital administrative tasks within a healthcare organization.
A medical billing associate accomplishes a unique set of job responsibilities. The primary reason behind the origin of this job profile is to help physicians, medical entities, and other healthcare specialists in keeping track of medical records and obtain payment from the patient for the medical services that he has received from the hospital or clinic authority. Due to the immense growth in the health insurance industry, healthcare companies need more medical billing in different areas of healthcare, followed by more medical billing associates to fulfill their ongoing demand. If you want to pursue your career in an administrative work area of the healthcare industry, medical billing can be an ideal career choice for you. Here in this article, we will discuss the job profile of medical billing associates, their work responsibilities, what skills one needs to apply for this job position, how one can become a medical billing associate, and what courses are helpful for this field. Let’s know first who a medical biller is.
- Who Is A Medical Biller?
- Roles and Responsibilities of A Medical Biller
- Work responsibilities of A Medical Biller
- Required Skills For Becoming Medical Billers
- How To Become A Medical Billing Associate? (Eligibility and Experience)
- Medical Billing Courses and Fees
- Best Offline UG and PG Diploma Medical Billing Courses in India
- Salary of A Medical Billing Associate in India
- Top Recruiters of Medical Billing Jobs In India
- Top Online Platforms for Medical Billing Certification Courses
- Medical Billing Course Duration and Fees
Who Is A Medical Biller?
A medical biller, also known as a medical billing associate or specialist, is an individual who plays the role of an active medium between healthcare providers, insurance companies, healthcare organizations, and patients. Medical billers handle and manage all the financial transactions of a healthcare organization. Similarly, they usually work in the healthcare provider’s front-desk office, create medical bills, keep track of medical records, and ensure the accuracy of the transaction reports. They also send the medical bills to a health insurance company in a timely manner.
A medical billing associate is primarily responsible for creating accurate, legal bills for patients depending on the medical services they receive from the healthcare organization. It is a medical biller’s responsibility to collect payments from patient parties. Additionally, a medical biller’s job is extremely crucial as they have to maintain the confidentiality of patients’ records and information. Medical billers often work closely with health insurance companies along with healthcare organizations. They submit formally correct claims to the insurance companies and follow up with the insurance providers regarding payment delays or non-payments.
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Roles and Responsibilities of A Medical Biller
A medical billing associate plays numerous crucial job roles in a healthcare organization. They have thousands of different work responsibilities, closely work with various professionals, such as healthcare providers, medical professionals, and insurance providers, and handle patient parties. This job position is exceptionally critical for the financial cycle in every health sector. That’s why every healthcare organization, from single medical service providers to large medical centers or hospitals, is now looking for skilled and qualified medical billers to fulfill their administrative requirements.
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Work responsibilities of A Medical Biller
The following are some major responsibilities of medical billers.
- Collecting information from patients
The process of medical billing comprises many significant steps. Medical billers collect necessary information from the patients, such as their medical history, demographics, insurance coverage, and the healthcare service they have received.
- Ensuring data accuracy
Medical billers carefully review all the patient’s data and ensure its accuracy. They also check if the information is up to date or not. If not, they contact the patient parties and request them to provide the updated information.
- Preparing insurance plans
Medical billers prepare medical charts depending on all the information collected from the patients. They also accurately review these charts to verify the coverage of services. A medical billing associate is also primarily responsible for preparing insurance plans for the patients based on the patient’s information.
- Submitting medical claims
Billers generate medical claims, check the accuracy, and submit the claims to the insurance providers. Once the claim gets approved, insurance companies send those bills to medical billers with the amount the insurance providers have agreed to pay.
- Preparing medical bills
Before the patients visit the doctor, medical billing associates create the patients’ bill with all the received information. They also send the invoices to patients mentioning the payments. Additionally, they follow up with the insurance companies and the patient parties on non-payment or payment delay issues.
Other job responsibilities of medical billers are:
- Collecting and reviewing pre-authorizations and referrals as required for further procedure
- Reviewing medical claims by using billing software and updating the software with rate changes
- Following and adhering to all the regulations and guidelines
- Preparing invoices and other medical documents
- Contacting the insurance providers regarding any financial discrepancy
- Generating revenue, making payment arrangements, and monitoring accounts
- Investigating denied claims
- Providing support to the patients and helping them to develop payment plans
- Preparing both electronic and paper copies of documentation
- Maintaining confidentiality regarding patient’s information
- Handling patient and insurance-related telephonic inquiries
- Managing cash spreadsheets and collection reports
Required Skills For Becoming Medical Billers
People of any gender can apply for the job position of medical billing associate. However, individuals can get a job in this field depending on their skills and experience. While a fresher in this field can get the position of a junior medical billing associate, a senior-level professional with more than five years of experience can get the position of a medical billing specialist. This job profile is solely skill-based, and one must have a few essential skills to pursue a career in medical billing. The following are some significant skills required for this job profile.
- Medical billers must have excellent verbal and written communication skills as they interact with different kinds of people, such as patients, their families, healthcare professionals, healthcare organization authorities, and insurance providers. Good communication skills help medical billers collect accurate information from people.
- Medical billers should also have interpersonal abilities so that they can easily handle situations like financial discrepancies and rejected claims.
- Medical billing associates must have an in-depth knowledge of using computers and other related applications. They must know to use MS Word, spreadsheet, database, and billing software.
- A medical biller’s job is more than just preparing medical bills and generating insurance claims. They must have good problem-solving skills to handle stressful situations like payment delays or non-payments. This skill also helps billers find appropriate solutions for the patients if they experience any issues.
- Medical billers often handle multiple responsibilities at the same time. They are the first person patient parties contact if they have any insurance or medical service-related queries. Additionally, they prepare medical bills, charts, claims, and other documents. That’s why billers must be good at multitasking and know how to set priorities according to the situation demands.
- Customer service skills are extremely essential for the job profile of medical billers. Medical billers must know how to handle different patients and their family members of distinct groups and backgrounds. Billers must provide them good customer service depending on their requirements.
Other required skills include:
- Time-management skills
- Ability to work in a team
- Attention to detail
- Organizations skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Familiarity with using calculators
- Strong understanding of account and bookkeeping
- Adaptability and accuracy
- Empathy and compassion
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to follow regulations and guidelines
- Decision-making skills
How To Become A Medical Billing Associate? (Eligibility and Experience)
Though the job profile of medical billers is skill-based, an individual requires some significant educational qualifications and work experience to pursue a career in this field. Candidates must meet the following criteria to get a job as a medical biller.
Eligibility
Students who haven’t studied medicine in their graduation or post-graduation can also apply for the job profile of a medical biller. A medical degree is not mandatory for getting a job in this field. However, candidates must complete their graduation from any discipline or with a subject specialization with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized educational institute. Nowadays, many online platforms provide paid certification courses in medical billing. Individuals can join these online courses to learn more about medical billing. But it is hard to find any educational institute in India that offers offline medical billing courses. However, the following courses are considered helpful for cracking interviews and getting a job as medical billers.
- Healthcare Administration
- Accounting
- Business management
- Business communication
- Professional Marketing
- Public relation
Experience
Many healthcare organizations offer freelance and part-time opportunities for medical billers. Apart from this, individuals can also join paid medical billing internships. Most organizations offer certifications and full-time job positions to medical billers after the successful completion of their internships. These opportunities help one to gain practical experience of working as a medical billing associate. Thus, working experience is considered extremely helpful for those who want to become full-time medical billers.
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Medical Billing Courses and Fees
People willing to pursue their careers in medical billing can join online certification courses to learn more about this field. Nowadays, many online educational platforms provide paid certification courses in medical billing and coding for those who want to start their careers as medical billers or coders. However, most medical courses are online and it is hard to find any college or university in India that provides offline undergraduate and postgraduate courses in this field.
Best Online Medical Billing Courses
The following are the top 7 best online medical billing courses.
P.S- Candidates can join these online medical billing courses anytime, according to their preference.
Sl No. |
Courses Name |
Course Provider |
Duration |
Average Fees |
1. |
Certified Professional Biller Certification Course |
Enrollment Required |
INR 1,03,446 |
|
2. |
Medical Billing Training 2022 | Revenue Cycle Management |
5 hours 30 minutes |
INR 1999 |
|
3. |
Online Medical Coding and Billing Course |
4 weeks |
INR 63825 |
|
4. |
Medical Coding and Billing specialist |
5 months |
Enrollment Required |
|
5. |
A Specialty Approach to Learning Medical Billing and Coding |
2 hours |
INR 999 |
|
6. |
Certification in Medical Billing and Coding |
3 months |
Registration Required |
|
7. |
Certified Medical Coding Professional (CMCP) |
6 months |
INR 27,500 |
Best Offline UG and PG Diploma Medical Billing Courses in India
It is quite difficult to find private or government educational institutes in India that offer undergraduate offline courses in medical billing. Additionally, no colleges and universities in India provide offline PG diploma courses in medical billing. However, business management, marketing, accounting, and healthcare administration offline courses are considered helpful for this job profile.
Salary of A Medical Billing Associate in India
The billing department plays a significant role in every health sector as it is the only association between the management and the patients. A medical billing associate’s job includes thousands of crucial responsibilities, such as ensuring accurate payments, preventing delays or denial in payments, and providing customer support. Thus, the salary of medical billers has increased a lot in the last few years primarily because of the growing demand for this job profile in the health sector. In India, the average salary of a junior medical billing associate is 17,000-20,000 INR/month. Additionally, a senior-level medical billing specialist with more than six years of working experience can earn up to 4-5 lakhs per annum. The salary in the medical billing field largely varies depending on the job location, respective organization, a medical billing associate’s work experience, job roles, responsibilities, and skills.
Most health organizations, medical clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes offer full-time job opportunities for this job position. However, candidates can also apply for freelance or part-time medical billing jobs. Most organizations usually pay freelance medical billing associates based on their work hours and monthly billing target achievements. Additionally, many hospitals and nursing homes offer multiple internship programs for medical billing freshers who wish to learn and earn together. The duration of these medical billing internship programs can range from 3 to 6 months. A medical billing associate can earn up to 12,000-15,000 INR/month while working as an intern. However, the pay scale of medical billing associates increases over time depending on their performance.
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Top Recruiters of Medical Billing Jobs In India
Due to the increasing demand for medical billing associates in every health sector, hospitals, and other medical organizations are now offering many profitable job opportunities in the medical billing field. The following are some renowned companies hiring for the job profile of medical billing associates.
- Infinity Medical Billing Solution, Chennai
- GM Analytics Solution, Gurugram
- IDS Argus Healthcare, Mohali
- Healthy Horizons Clinic, Hyderabad
- Auribus Global Inc., Ahmedabad
- Optum, Hyderabad
- ACN Healthcare, Mumbai
- PMG, Noida
- MedUS Healthcare Services Pvt. Ltd., Indore
- Access Healthcare Service, Thiruvananthapuram
Top Online Platforms for Medical Billing Certification Courses
Nowadays, many online platforms provide certification courses in medical billing and coding. Candidates who want to pursue their careers as medical billing associates can join these courses. Here are the top six best online educational platforms offering helpful online certifications in medical billing.
- Udemy
- American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
- Medical Billing Course.com
- U.S Career Institute
- Magnet Medical Coding Solutions
- Academy of Medical Coders India
Medical Billing Course Duration and Fees
Many online educational platforms provide paid short-term certification courses in medical billing. However, most available medical billing courses are online, and it is hard to find any college or university in India that provide offline UG and PG programs in medical billing.
Candidates must pay the fees to join these online certification courses in medical billing. The course fee widely depends on the online educational platforms and the course duration. The duration of an online medical billing certification course can range from a few hours to 6 months. Additionally, an online certification course in medical billing can cost between 1000-1,00,000 INR.
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