How to Become a Certified Medical Biller

Medical billing involves submitting claim forms to various insurance providers as well as to Medicare and Medicaid in order for a physician or other health care provider to receive payment for services rendered. A certified medical billing specialist or biller is someone who has received their certification in medical billing from an accredited training institution. They work in doctor offices and hospitals as well as clinics and other health care facilities. They are responsible for accurately coding all claim forms and then submitting them to the appropriate principalities to ensure that not only the health care provider gets paid but also the patient is protected by their insurance coverage.

Instructions

• 1

  Possess strong attention to detail. This is very important considering one wrong code entered into the billing claim form could result in thousands of dollars lost. Coding is a huge portion of the job.

• 2

  Decide what kind of certification you are interested in obtaining. You can become a certified professional coder or certified professional coder-hospital as well as a certified professional coder-payer. The type of billing specialist you choose will determine the education necessary to obtain certification.

• 3

  Attend an accredited training program. You will need training in order to get your certification. You can find training programs at many local colleges as well as online. Many jobs in the medical billing field are now only open to certified billing specialists. Also, the certification gives you an advantage in a highly competitive field.

• 4

  Take the proper certification exam. The test will ask questions about the proper use of specific codes and billing procedures. Once you pass the exam you will receive your certification. The exam is usually taken with the training institution you attend before graduation.

• 5

  Use your training and certification to secure a job in a medical office or hospital. Expect to work about forty hours a week with little to no contact with the general public.

• 6

  Consider starting your own medical billing business from home. Many certified medical billing specialists are now working from home offices. This option is convenient for both the biller and the physician or clinic because it saves the billing specialist time they would have had to spend working on other office tasks.