The types of jobs related to medical billing and coding vary tremendously, and individuals in the profession can broaden their employment options by using the training they acquired to go on to other occupations in related fields. For instance, classes in medical billing and coding provide the student with excellent basic, as well as specialized, knowledge in such fields as medical, health care, insurance and government.
Related Careers
In addition to traditional medical billing and coding jobs, there are a host of related jobs that require medical records and health information skills and expertise. A list of healthcare careers from Health Care Jobs includes:
- Patient account representative
- Electronic claims processor
- Billing coordinator
- Claims reviewer
- Claims analyst
- Medical collector
- Reimbursement specialist
Other similar jobs may include auditor, HIPAA coordinator, clinical terminology manager and insurance verifier.
For individuals who enjoy the office setting, medical-related office jobs into which medical billers and coders can expand include medical administrative assistant, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, insurance clerk and accountant.
Additional Education
Many jobs related to medical billing and health care may require additional education or courses of study. Individuals who want to branch out and expand their knowledge in the field can:
- Take continuing education classes
- Get advanced specialty certification
- Attend seminars
- Get vocational training
- Attend technical school
- Earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree
Individuals intrigued by the medical and health care field who enjoy helping people may want to continue their education in medicine by taking advanced classes in nursing, phlebotomy, medical transcription, health science library studies, and admitting and discharging.
Advanced Degrees in Medical Information
Medical billing and coding education does not have to stop at a certificate or diploma. Many students choose to go on to earn an associate degree or even a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Many of the top brick-and-mortar and online schools for medical billing and coding education offer degree programs related to health information, insurance, and medical management, in such areas as:
- Health care administration
- Health information management
- Health information technology
- Health informatics IT
- Medical office management
- Medical transcription
Case Study: Health Information Manager
Take, for example, the job of health information manager. The demand for health information professionals is expected to increase dramatically in the next decade, offering a challenging opportunity for those medical coders and billers who want to advance their careers. This job uses such skills as:
- Medical coding
- Medical records management
- Risk management
- Data analysis
- Privacy and compliance
Jobs in this field are opening up in government agencies, health care software companies, academic institutions, and consulting agencies.
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.
