does anyone do medical billing???

[phillmolly]

Hi,

I am thinking about going back to school in sept for a medical billing certificate and was just wondering if anybody on the disboards does it and why the like or don't like it. The primary reason I want to do MB is because I have been told you can work from home. I aslo think it is something I may be good at, I was in banking for ten years so I am used to paying attention to details. I would think about medical transcribing but I am horrible speller and don't know how that would work out. I also had my license to sell life insurance and took a class for my health insurace license but I never took the test. I was just really interested in the pros and cons from people who do it in real life. Also, is it field that is growing? Are there even any jobs out there? TIA!!!!

 

[eisforpants]

as someone who has worked from home off and on for the last 20 years, breaking into the "Medical Billing" field from home is very very difficult.

Those who bill from home do so after they have been with a Dr's office for many years and have proven trustworthy enough to be able to bring stuff home from the office...plus HIPPA laws are getting tighter and tighter.

Rarely can you find a job off the street in Medical billing. So, if you are looking to work from home, medical billing probably isn't the wisest way to go.

I would save my money unless you are wanting to work in an office environment. There are plenty of opportunities to work from home, Medical billing just isn't one of them.

 

[kristinw3girls]

I have to agree. I've been billing for 20 years and I got to the office every day! Some things can be done from home, but more and more, it has become necessary to be in the office. Like the previous poster, if you just want to be at home, this isn't for you! Good Luck with your quest. I would have loved to be home, but love having the bills paid even more!

 

[3boymthr]

I had a cousin who tried to break into this field on a work from home basis and she couldn't find enough providers willing to take the risk - I think she was barely making enough to cover her gas expenses back and forth to pick up the data. Even if you can find a provider that is willing to allow you to do their billing with the new electronic submission HIPAA mandates that resulted in most doctors billing electronically now, you would probably have to invest in the software to send the bills directly to the insurance companies. You would also have to invest in a dedicated computer to run this software because having protected information on a computer that could be accessed by anyone other than you could violate HIPAA regulations. The software alone could cost you $$$$$$.

 

[Amy&Josh]

I work in the medical field and do the coding and billing... You MUST have at least 5 years of experience before ANY doctor will let you bill from home and he/she MUST be able to trust you and you have to have the right equipment for a home office. I was moved out of the office to a home office last year due to space, and let me tell you, it is so much easier to bill and code from the real office. Coding and billing is NOT somethig that you can just jump in and do... If you screw up one claim you are due for a liability issue...

 

[saremca]

Have you considered transcription? That's what I do, and I work from home and make pretty good money.

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

i am not a fan of medical billing!(if the job market were better, Id be out)
I can deal with the data entry, the cranky patients & even the problem accounts, but trying to call insurance companies and have them fix a claim is next to impossible!
the calls are sent to India & 1/2 the time they dont even know what we are talking about & they just read some instructions from their screens.
I cant TELL you how many times Ive been disconnected, been told to call 3 different #s or transfered into the "survey line".
I have some claims that have been sent back 5+ times for reprocessing, cause either they never sent it back or they have "no record of my call"UGH!
If these insurance companies werent the devil in disguise, I think Id enjoy this job more.