ClaimCare Medical Billing Services has interviewed countless candidates that have just graduated from a medical billing school and coding school. As a rule, we find that the courses in a medical billing school (and coding school) add little value or knowledge to the resume of an individual with no prior medical billing experience.
The majority of graduates we do hire start in our apprenticeship program – a position they could have obtained without a medical billing school investment. They start out alongside other apprentices that have no experience and no formal training in medical billing.
The terminology and concepts taught in medical billing school no more prepare a person to be a full fledged medical biller than reading a book on how to drive a car prepares one for the challenges of actually driving a car – it is practice behind the wheel that is required. The academic elements can be helpful – just like supplementing practice behind the wheel with a manual on safe driving makes sense. Unfortunately, however, this is only true if the academic material is accurate. I have found that often students have been damaged by medical billing schools that either teach incorrect medical billing concepts or leave the students with a sense that they have nothing left to learn.
Almost without exception, the best way to break into medical billing is to find a medical billing service or a physician practice that will allow you to execute basic medical billing tasks such as verifying insurance or calling on claims to find their status.
Both of these activities give individuals a solid base for launching a medical billing career. They provide the individual with both a grounds up understanding of the building blocks of medical billing and a real medical billing job on their resume.
If you approach organizations with this plan in mind it is quite likely that you can find an entry level opportunity. Such an opportunity will allow you to earn an income while learning medical billing and will look much better on your resume than medical billing school.
Once you have established skills as a medical biller, then it can be helpful to study for and take a certified coder exam. A certified coder with no medical billing experience, however, is not in great demand.
If you have your heart set on becoming a medical biller then please do not start with medical billing school. You will serve both yourself and your future medical billing departments better following the path outlined above.
Copyright 2008 by Carl Mays II
