Career Options in Medical Billing and Coding

Posted on June 17, 2010

If you think that as a medical biller and coder you will only be eligible to work for a private practice, you are sorely mistaken.  While it’s true that medical billing and coding is a specialized career within the health care profession, there are certainly several different options for those who choose the field.  Depending on your education, experience, and particular talents, you can specialize in claims, collection, coordination, and a host of other areas particular to the trade.

For starters, you can enter one of three broad fields.  You can work with physicians, with insurance companies, or on your own as a freelancer.  Which one you choose depends largely on your personality and goals.  If you prefer to work in a large office in which there are probably several people who share your profession, you may lean towards a career with an insurance company.  If you would rather work in a small office with only a few employees and virtually run your little corner of the world, then joining the familial environment of a private practice may be your best bet.  If, however, you are merely impeded by others and you prefer to control your own schedule, you may be better off selecting your clients and working from home as a contractor.

From there, you can either educate yourself in several areas (both to enhance your own knowledge and to broaden your appeal to prospective employers) or choose to specialize.  If you have excellent attention to detail, you may want to focus on health insurance claims or medical documentation.  For extremely organized individuals who enjoy working with and directing others, an emphasis on coordination or management might hit closer to home.  If technology piques your interest, you may be better suited for electronic data interchange, whereas a propensity for problem solving could indicate that you’re better off leaning towards a job as a billing systems analyst or an auditor.  You can also consider becoming a sales representative for a medical billing firm or go for a higher degree if you think that becoming an instructor is more up your alley.  Regardless of your particular talents, you should certainly gain knowledge and experience in all possible areas to help you better understand the profession as a whole and ensure job placement upon receiving your certificate or degree.

But what are your chances of getting a job?  Luckily, the health care profession continues to grow and expand, despite recession, thanks to an ongoing demand for qualified individuals and an ever-shifting landscape of information technology.  A degree in medical billing and coding (or a related field) can ensure job placement since it is an area of medicine that is often understaffed.  In addition, the opportunities for those with education and experience are many and varied.  Whatever your area of expertise, whether you choose to work in a medical office, at an insurance company, or for yourself, there are jobs to be had in this growing field for people with the drive to advance and the desire to help others as well as themselves.