Online Class: Introduction to Medical Billing

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Anatomy and Physiology 101

Medical Terminology 101

Medical Terminology 201

Course Motivation

In addition to private offices and hospitals, additional healthcare establishments include: outpatient care centers, medical diagnostic laboratories, ambulatory service areas and nursing residential care facilities.

Healthcare Employment Outlook

As indicated by economic determinants, wages and salary pay rates within the healthcare industry are projected to increase 27 percent through 2018. This is nearly double the rate of increase (14 percent on average) for all of the other industries.

Expanding the workforce, employment growth within the healthcare sector is expected to bring about more than 3.6 million new wage and salary jobs (this is 19 percent of all the wage and salary jobs being added to the economy during the course of the coming decade).

Medical Billers on the Rise

Grouped within the healthcare sector known as Health Information Management (HIM) , health information technicians (the group to which coders belong) are projected to be one of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the US.

Within the coming decade, four million jobs within the healthcare industry will open up with many of these positions existing outside of the traditional care-giving arena, e.g., consulting, claims-review, and auditing firms. Because of the fact that medical billing (specifically the coding component) is significantly specialized, they will remain in very high demand.

Healthcare costs are excessively high and both insurance companies and the government are willing to invest more time and money to ensure their dollars are properly spent. Specifically, they are willing to spend more on the research process so that they are better equipped to control fraudulent claims, mitigate abusive practices, and clearly identify conditions which qualify as medical necessities.

With such an eagle-eye focus on healthcare billing issues, the majority of companies and private practices desire to hire candidates with experience in the field and/or have obtained specialty schooling. Individuals with such qualifications are preferred for they are less apt to fall into the legal pitfall trap associated with incorrect billing practices. As an added precaution, companies and private practices have opted to take out coding insurance for their medical billing documentation specialists.

Right now, within the health care sector known as Health Information Management (HIM), health information technicians (which are the coders who are involved with medical billing) are projected to be one of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the United States.

In addition to that, four million jobs within the healthcare industry will open and medical billing is one area that is going to remain in very high demand.

This course is designed for those people who have little or no knowledge about medical billing.  You will be walked through every step of the process and it will be presented in layman's terms.  In other words, you don't need a medical degree to understand what this course will teach you just a desire to expand your knowledge. 

There has never been a better time to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that are available and this course will provide an ideal preparation environment for anyone interested in this booming area in the health and medical administration industry.  This is a perfect first step for someone looking to find a new employment opportunity that is both rewarding and exciting.

The student who takes this course will gain an understanding of the healthcare industry and what it takes to be involved with medical billing.  With both online forums and with email support from the instructor, students will be able to expand their knowledge and expertise.  This is an ideal way for someone involved in fields such as insurance to expand their knowledge of the billing process and take that knowledge further in their own company.

Students will be exposed to such areas as:

        Overview of healthcare system and career opportunities in medical billing:  Students will be given the employment statistics for the healthcare industry, as well as understand the importance of education and training and discover where those opportunities exist.  In addition, they will see how medical billers are on the rise and learn the difference between medical billers and medical coders.

        Provider and patient information:  The student will learn more about what it means to be a medical biller, as well as gain some medical terminology, and explore what third party payers are and how they fit into the overall picture of medical billing.

        Hospital billing:  Students will learn about the ways that hospitals handle their billing procedures and will explore such aspects as the hospital chargemaster and examine the Healthcare Price Transparency Act.

        Billing the visit:  The student will learn about the billing process as it relates to medical treatment and will explore how to deal with establishing rates, what to do in the event of a billing discrepancy, as well as examine how billing is submitted and what a post-payment audit is.

        Different types of health insurance:  Students will examine the four basic types of plans, and will investigate the differences between them, as well as understanding which plan a client possesses.

        Medicare overview:  The student will learn what Medicare is, as well as the history of Medicare and how it currently works.  Enrollment in Medicare will be addressed, as well as how the billing process works also taking a close look at the appeals process and what is new in the Medicare program.

        Legal issues:  As with anything involving the medical community, emphasis should be paid to such aspect as legal issues.  Students will examine the current healthcare climate and learn what protections are given to consumers today.  Compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will be addressed, as well as the difference between a billing oversight and outright fraud.  Students will also examine the insurance company reimbursement process.

        Certification information:  Students will learn what it takes to make the grade as a medical biller, as well as the requirements for becoming a certified medical reimbursement specialist (CMRS) and what is in the CMRS exam and where students can get more information on studying for it.

Although it might appear to be complex, this course is actually very easy to understand and there is always a wealth of information that can be shared through either online forums or with the instructor.