Oregon medical billers and coders must be familiar with the legal fee structure that the state places on patient requested medical records, as these fees are a common occurrence for such employees in the state. As of 2011, the fee structure allows medical facilities to charge up to $30.00 for a medical record consisting of up to 10 pages. Additional fees can apply for longer records.
Medical billers in Oregon can expect to bill patients for no more than $0.50 for each additional page of their medical record up to 50 pages. Beyond 50 pages, medical facilities in Oregon are not permitted to charge more than $0.25 per page. It is important that medical billers and coders in Oregon understand that the fee structure is tiered. In other words, a medical record can cost $30.00 for the first 10 pages, $0.50 for the next 40 pages, and $0.25 for any further pages – not $0.25 for each page above 10 when the medical record exceeds 50 pages, as the law could suggest.
General Oregon Medical Billing and Coding Information
- Number of Medical Billing and Coding Employees in Oregon: 2,680
- Average Medical Billing and Coding Salary in Oregon: $35,970
- 90th Percentile Salary: $51,220
- 10th Percentile Salary: $23,390
Medical Billing and Coding Training and Education in Oregon
Anthem College
Medical Billing and Coding Diploma
The Anthem College medical billing and coding program offers courses such as Professional Coding Practice, Medical Office Procdures, Medical Billing and Coding, and Healthcare Reimbursement and Legal Issues. The program consists of 30.5 total credit hours and takes approximately 36 weeks to complete. The program also includes a 160-clock hour externship.
Mt. Hood Community College
Medical Office Coding Certificate
This program is designed to prepare students for employment in healthcare offices and possibly to continue their education by earning a Medical Office Specialist Associate of Applied Science degree. Courses include Medical Coding, Medical Terminology, and Applied Billing and Coding. This 75-credit hour program is divided into four quarters. Tuition is $91.75 per credit hour for state residents.
Medical Billing/Claims Analyst Certificate
This program will prepare students to manage healthcare billing/processing, adjust and resubmit claims, and adhere to industry regulations and policies. Students who complete this program may seek employment and later continue their education by receiving a Medical Office Specialist Associate of Applied Science Degree. This program consists of 68 credit hours and includes courses such as Medical Office Procedures, Medical Coding, Medical Office Billing, and Applied Billing and Coding. The program is typically completed in one year. State residents pay $91.75 per credit hour for tuition.
Oregon AAPC CPC Exam Information
- City: Portland, OR
- Proctor Name: Debbie Louise Guillory, CPC
- Registration Deadline: 11/12/2011
- Exam Date: 12/10/2011
- City: Salem, OR
- Proctor Name: Jill S Bortz, CPC
- Registration Deadline: 11/19/2011
- Exam Date: 12/17/2011
- City: Portland, OR
- Proctor Name: Timothy Andrew Taylor, CPC
- Registration Deadline: 11/19/2011
- Exam Date: 12/17/2011
Medical Billing and Coding Jobs in Oregon
Three significant employers of medical billing and coding professionals in Oregon are:
Three Rivers Community Hospital
- Address: 500 SW Ramsey Ave., Grants Pass, OR 97527
- Email Address: webmaster@asante.org
- Phone Number: 541-472-7000
- Website: www.trch.org
Three Rivers has 125 licensed beds and over 200 physicians. Their key services include cancer treatment, neonatal care, emergency medicine, hospice care, imaging, and physical therapy. Benefits at Three Rivers include medical and dental coverage, flex spending accounts, a matching 403b life insurance, long-term disability, earned time off, educational assistance, a vision plan, and more.
Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital
- Address: 525 N Santiam Hwy., Lebanon, OR 97355
- Email Address: shsrecruiting@samhealth.org
- Phone Number: 541-258-2101
- Website: www.samhealth.org
The seven physicians at SLCH provide a variety of services such as cancer treatment, da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery, heart and vascular care, integrative medicine, neurosurgery, orthopedics, sports medicine, weight loss surgery, and women’s services. Benefits at SLCH include paid time off, health insurance, a personal choice account, retirement plan with 2% employer match, life and disability insurance, education reimbursement and a college savings plan.
Mercy Medical Center
- Address: 2700 Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, Oregon 97471
- Phone Number: 541-673-0611
- Website: www.mercyrose.org
Opened in February 1909 with 25 beds, Mercy Medical now employs over 1,000 staff members and has 300 volunteers. Their services include ambulatory therapy, a birthing center, imaging, emergency care, heart services, hospice, respiratory care, and more. Employee benefits include a retirement plan with employer match, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, medical, dental, vision, health and life insurance, and more.
Top Cities in Oregon for Medical Billing and Coding Careers
1. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
1,400 medical billers and coders are employed in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton metropolitan area, 52% of all of the medical billers and coders working in Oregon. The wages in this area are the highest in the state, with the average worker making $18.77 per hour and $39,040 per year. The annual tenth percentile wage is $26,330, well over the national and state averages. The annual ninetieth percentile wage is $53,230, between the national and state averages.
2. Eugene-Springfield, OR
There are approximately 260 medical billers and coders in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area, and the average wage for these workers is $16.96 hourly and $35,280 annually. The top ten percent of workers earn $51,440 annually, slightly more than the state average but below the national average. The bottom ten percent of workers earn $24,250 annually, above the national and state averages.
3. Bend, OR
In Bend, there are about 100 medical billers and coders who make, on average, $16.59 hourly and $34,500 annually, both below state and national averages. The tenth percentile wage is $23,880 annually, above the state and national averages, while the ninetieth percentile wage is $46,930 annually, $4,000 below the state average.
4. Corvallis, OR
Corvallis employs around 80 medical billers and coders, only about three percent of the state total. The average employee makes $15.59 per hour and $32,420 per year. Those in the lowest wage bracket make $22,800 while those in the highest make $42,510, over $8,000 less than the state average.
5. Medford, OR
In Medford, about 140 medical billers and coders are employed. They make an hourly mean wage of $15.12 and an annual mean wage of $31,450. The annual tenth percentile wage is $21,430, barely above the national average, while the annual ninetieth percentile wage is $46,310.
6. Salem, OR
There are around 320 medical billers and coders in Salem who make an average of $15.03 per hour and $31,270 per year. The top percentile wage is $43,920 annually and the bottom percentile wage is $20,830 annually, making Salem the only city in the state below the national and state averages for medical biller and coder salaries.
About our expert. Jan Jacobs has worked in medical offices since the early 1980's. Ms. Jacobs has worked for M.D.'s and D.O.'s in primary care and specialty care. She is employed as a senior medical biller and has been at her current job for nearly 10 years, where she uses three different billing systems.
