Question:
Currently I am employed as a receptionist of a medical practice. I'd like to change my career to the medical billing department. But, I feel like there is so much to learn and I will never learn it all. My personal time is very limited because I work forty hours during the week and do not have time to attend school full time. What steps should I take to becoming a medical billing specialist?
Answer:
I think it's great that you are looking into enhancing your career in the medical field. You do realize you are in a perfect starting position to learn the beginning basics of medical billing? Your current position is in the front lines, so to speak. Use your current skills as a receptionist to hone in on aspects of medical billing. These would include, obtaining the proper patient and insurance information the first time, getting prior authorization for services before services are rendered, and maintaining medical record documentation in the patient chart. Those three factors will determine the accuracy of sending what's referred to as a clean claim to the insurance. This simply means a claim free of errors that the insurance can readily process for payment.
Online schools provide a flexible learning environment. Explore online medical billing training and employer options. Look for an online school that allows you to learn at your own pace. Will your employer transfer you to the medical billing department in an internship while you are learning medical billing? If so, it can help you to learn more quickly and to get a foot in the door to the medical billing department.