There are a lot of companies offering home-based medical coding and billing jobs, and it’s all up to you to choose where to get affiliated with.
The medical coding and billing industry have definitely grown over time. In fact, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook of the medical records and health information technicians — where medical coding and billing jobs belong — from 2019 to 2029 is 8%, which is faster than the average.
As of 2019, the number of jobs under the said category has reached 341,600 and based on projection, experts do not see any chance of going down.
Well, we do, too, especially since more and more employers are providing medical coding and billing jobs from home.
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Given the current situation when people are encouraged to limit outside home exposure, industries have learned to thrive by doing most jobs online – and the healthcare industry is not an exemption.
The medical coding and billing industry is no doubt in demand over the years, and it definitely is one of the best industries to be part of if you are someone who has experience related to the medical field, or someone who wants to try something new.
But the question now is, where do you find medical coding and billing jobs?
As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of companies providing opportunities for aspiring medical coders and billers, and some of them, we’re going to share with you in the next sections.
But first, here’s a quick recap about –
- What medical coding and billing is?
- What are the requirements to become a medical coder and biller?
- How much a medical coder and biller earn?
WHAT IS MEDICAL CODING AND BILLING?
According to the Medical Billing and Coding Certification, medical billing and coding “are two closely related aspects of the modern health care industry. Both practices are involved in the immensely important reimbursement cycle, which ensures that health care providers are paid for the services they perform.”
To be more precise, and to help you understand both processes better, here’s a definition of each —
Medical coding involves translating a patient’s medical records (such as a doctor’s diagnosis, prescription, medication, etc.) into a numeric or alphanumeric code.
Meanwhile, medical billing is as obvious as it is — the job involves taking information from the medical coder and then make a bill for the insurance company.
Take note that although medical coding and billing are two different processes, you can do both as long as you are properly trained.
Before we proceed to the next section, to help you gauge whether medical coding and billing is right for you (if you are not sure yet), we recommend checking out the video below by CareerStep. We bet by the end of the video, you’ll have a clearer answer.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A MEDICAL CODER AND BILLER?
Prior to sending applications to companies that offer medical coding and billing jobs, make sure to self-assess if you qualify for the position. By doing so, you get to save a lot of time and avoid wasted efforts.
So, to help you do a self-assessment, below is a list of some of the common requirements to become a medical coder and biller:
Education
To become a medical coder and biller, you have to pursue post-secondary education, which means, once you graduate from high school, you may opt to pursue a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree, or a certificate program.
Among the three options, though, pursuing a certificate program is the fastest route to get to work in the medical coding and billing industry.
Here’s the thing, whatever route you choose, make sure that the educational institution is accredited. Otherwise, it’s useless.
Additionally, program-specific accreditation may be availed through various organizations like the American Health Informatics Management Association (AHIMA), the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC), and the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
Certification
Medical coding and billing is a very competitive industry. It requires mastery and expertise to be able to stay on top of the game.
Fortunately, though, almost all education programs for medical coders prepare graduates for basic credentialing exams. While there are different exams available, two of them can be taken right away, and these are both offered by AHIMA.
For your reference, the first credential that can be obtained is a Certified Coding Associate (CCA) credential. It is a standard of achievement in health information management that is recognized nationally. It requires at least six months of work experience prior to taking the exam unless the applicant has completed an AHIMA-approved or a comprehensive medical coding education program.
The second option is the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential. It requires at least an associate-level education in health information management from a CAHIIM-accredited program.
In addition, once you have gained work experience, experts recommend taking further professional credentials like Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) or the Certified Coding Specialist Physician-Based (CCS-P) certifications, both from AHIMA.
Work Experience
To be competitive in this field, and to ensure you get a slot from the company you are applying for, experts recommend having at least one to two work experience.
Additionally, apart from the above-mentioned requirements, employers also look for the following skills:
- Excellent Communication Skills – The job requires you to communicate a lot with healthcare providers (physicians, hospitals, clinics, etc.), thus, the need for such skill.
- Strong Organizational Skills – You will be handling a lot of patients’ records – translating them into codes. With that, you have to ensure you are able to keep all records in place. Remember, these are crucial files. You cannot afford to misplace anything.
- Attention to Detail – As a medical coder and biller, you have to ensure that all information is correct.
- Ability to Keep Confidentiality – Since you are handling sensitive files, it is very important that as a medical coder and biller, you are able to hold confidentiality.
HOW MUCH DOES A MEDICAL CODER AND BILLER EARN?
According to FlexJobs, the pay for medical coders vary depending on where you work. Additionally, factors like your work experience, expertise, credentials, and education may also affect your salary rate.
However, bases on the site’s 2018 report, the median salary for a medical coder was between $35,520 and $43,470.
Meanwhile, according to Payscale, while certain factors such as the ones we mentioned earlier also affect the salary rate, currently, the average pay for medical billers is $16.40, which could go as low as $12.48 to as high as $21.46.
WHERE TO FIND HOME-BASED MEDICAL CODING AND BILLING JOBS?
So, in the previous sections, we already provided you a quick recap of the medical coding and billing industry. This time around, in this section, we are going to discuss the very reason why you are here – the places where you can find medical coding and billing jobs.
In our list are:
- Aviacode
- Change Healthcare
- Conifer Health Solutions
- GeBBS Healthcare Solutions
- Himagine Solutions
- Humana
- iMedX
- Maxim Healthcare Services
- Nthrive
- The Coding Network
- United ]Health Group
Now, let’s talk about each deeper –
Aviacode
For 20 years now, “Aviacode has delivered superior medical coding and medical coding compliance services to large-scale healthcare systems, individual hospitals, physician groups, surgery centers, and imaging centers“.
To ensure it continues to provide excellent service among its clients, Aviacode continuously seeks qualified individuals.
Aviacode offers various medical coding jobs for different types of health care providers such as inpatient facilities, primary care specialists, clinics, dentists, hospitals, and a lot more.
Furthermore, medical coders can choose from either part-time or full-time work.
Currently, Aviacode has over 700 nationally certified medical coders, and are present in 50 states.
Change Healthcare
Previously known as Altegra Health, Change Healthcare, “is a leading independent healthcare technology company, focused on insights, innovation and accelerating the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system through the power of the Change Healthcare Platform“.
The company provides various medical coding positions that range from part-time coders across different specialties to senior auditors whose job involves supervising and reviewing coding work.
So, whether you are a newbie or a pro, Chang Healthcare has something for you.
Conifer Health Solutions
Conifer Health Solutions is a company that provides various managed services to healthcare facilities. Unlike other companies, it primarily focuses on the financial and patient communication aspects of health care.
As stated on its website, Conifer Health Solutions is “passionate about providing the foundation for better health“.
But apart from that, the company is also focused on providing jobs. In fact, they offer remote medical coding and quality assurance jobs for applicants with at least three to five years of medical coding experience.
Given the company’s experience and credibility in the healthcare services industry, it’s definitely worth becoming part of.
GeBBS Healthcare Solutions
Founded in 2005, this Los Angeles, California-based company is “a leading provider of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), Health Information Management (HIM), and Risk Adjustment solutions“.
With GeBBS Healthcare Solutions’s innovative technology plus the company’s more than 9,000 well-competent global workforces, clients are ensured of improved financial performance, compliance, as well as patient satisfaction.
As compared to other companies we listed, GeBBS Healthcare Solutions is a global entity that provides both remote and office-based jobs, which means you do not necessarily have to be from the United States to land a job in this company.
Himagine Solutions
Himagine is “the largest privately held HIM outsourcing company in the United States“. Currently, the company supports 250 clients across 50 states.
As stated on its website, the company is a hundred percent focused on providing services to the “healthcare industry, working with children’s and specialty hospitals, academic medical centers, large health systems, small rural and secondary market facilities, and physician and group practices across multiple specialties“.
This, however, is made possible through its pool of employees (90% of which are HIM professionals), as well as its team of over 70 HIM leaders manage, audit, and support its field-based coders and registrars.
Himagine Solutions particularly hires remote medical coders who live in a number of cities in the country like Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as Los Angeles, San Diego, Detroit, Charlotte, and San Francisco.
Humana
Humana is an American health insurance company that is based in Louisville, Kentucky.
With over 20 million members in the country as of 2020, and 2019 reported revenue of US$ 56.9 billion, and roughly 46,000 employees, it is not surprising that Humana is one of the country’s largest insurance providers.
Of course, similar to other companies on our list, Humana also offers work from home medical coding jobs. Although most of the time, you will work from home, the job may require occasional travel to the company’s headquarters in Louisville.
iMedX
iMedX was founded in 2002 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. iMedX is “an integrated medical document management and health information solutions company“.
According to its website, the company offers a full suite of high-value revenue cycle management solutions, which includes transcription and coding services, results-based consulting, as well as education and training opportunities, and data analytics.
If you are eyeing to apply at iMedX, it is important to note that the company hires work from home medical coding specialists as independent contractors and not as employees.
Furthermore, the company also employs part-time and full-time employees who have certification plus at least three years of relevant coding experience.
Maxim Healthcare Services
Maxim Healthcare Group has been in the business for more than 30 years now. Over the years, the company has constantly been making a difference in the lives of not just patients, but also the lives of caregivers, as well as employees.
Maxim Healthcare offers a suite of services, which include “home healthcare, companion and behavioral care, healthcare staffing, and workforce solutions“.
To ensure that the company gets to fulfill its commitment to provide “customer service, compassionate patient care, and filling critical staffing need,” it continuously hires qualified workers — including medical coders.
Similarly, the company offers remote medical coding jobs. However, only candidates with certification, as well as at least three years relevant work experience (based on the specialty of every position), are qualified.
Nthrive
Nthrive is a healthcare information management outsourcing company.
Currently, the company boasts its roughly 4,400 clients, a loyal customer base that includes all 20 healthcare systems that were named by the United States News and World Report in their Best Hospital’s Honor Role in 2019.
Nthrive provides work from home jobs for medical coders, quality assurance specialists, registrars, as well as transcriptionists, and auditors.
It is important to note, though, that applicants for the medical coder position must have an active certification, and must also have at least two years of hands-on, relevant work experience.
The Coding Network
Established in 1995, The Coding Network believes that “accurate coding is pivotal to improving reimbursement and is an essential component of compliance“.
No wonder why the company is known for providing medical coding as well as quality assurance services to various healthcare providers.
Similar to other companies in the medical coding and billing industry, The Coding Network also provides work from home medical coding jobs for current as well as aspiring medical coders.
To qualify, though, the candidate must have at least three years of relevant work experience, as well as at least five years of experience in a specialty area if you are applying for a coding auditor post.
UnitedHealth Group
Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth Groups is one of the world’s healthcare giants.
The company, which is “driven by a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone,” offers healthcare products as well as insurance services.
Being a big company, it no surprise that the company offers various remote job opportunities that are related to medical coding. Some of these jobs include coding consultants, quality assurance coders, as well as coding educators.
For every position, there is a corresponding requirement. However, most of them require some level of certification, as well as relevant work experience.
Online Job Marketplaces
Apart from the above-mentioned companies that specifically cater to medical coding and billing jobs, there are also other places where you can look for such remote medical coding and billing jobs.
Yes, we are talking about online job listing sites which include:
- FLexJobs,
- Indeed,
- Upwork, as well as
- LinkedIn.
We recommend these job marketplaces particularly to individuals who are not sure where to find medical billing and coding jobs exactly.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON MEDICAL CODING AND BILLING JOBS
Medical coding and billing is a growing industry. Needless to say, it plays a very important role in the overall healthcare industry.
In fact, medical coding and billing is considered as the backbone of the healthcare industry.
So, if you are looking into joining the medical coding and billing workforce, we got to say that you have to brace yourself for a friendly competition. Are you ready for that? Well, you should be by ensuring you have the required credentials.
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