A career in medical billing

Medical billing is the process of submitting claims and then following up on those claims with the insurance companies to ensure that payment is received for services rendered. Like health care in general it is a rapidly growing business with a good outlook for the future. A person trained to work in the medical billing industry has the skills necessary to be relevant in the job place for many years.

Because it is a very specialized field one can expect to spend anywhere from 9 months to two years in school for formal training. The shorter term can technically teach you what you need to know, but spending more time being trained will pay greater dividends in terms of pay, positions, and future promotion potential.

For all of it's advantages the medical billing field has a few major draw backs.

1. People interested in becoming medical billing specialists often fall victim to being scammed by offers of working from home. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has brought charges against businesses that misrepresent the earning potential for medical billing and failing to provide pre-investment information required by law. To learn how to better protect yourself against consumer fraud please visit the FTC's webpage on the subject at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/invest/inv09.shtm
2. There is a lot of competition in the market for medical billing jobs. Even before the economy in the United States went downhill the market was saturated with people trying to enter the medical billing profession.
3. The pay isn't that great. If you need a high wage job for whatever reason medical billing, especially at the entry level, isn't going to be a good choice for you. After many years of dedicated service it can become lucrative, but initially, especially if you are working for someone else don't expect to make much money.

If you are still interested in a medical billing career there are a few simple guidelines to follow which will help you along the way.

• Any advertisement that requires payment from you to be hired should be suspect. Medical billing scams will often require a pre-payment from future employees. Would you go take a job at McDonald's if they required you to pay them 39.95? Didn't think so. Don't fall for that rouse with medical billing.
• Unless you are starting your own home-based medical billing business don't expect to be allowed to work from home in the beginning. While it is true that you can find work at home opportunities in the medical billing field it is not the norm.
• Be professional. It should go without saying but because you will often be dealing with very personal, very private medical information that belongs to other people you should be above reproach.
• Expect a background check when you apply for a job.

A medical billing career can be a very rewarding experience and a very legitimate job if you take the time to properly prepare yourself, and avoid being scammed.