3 Reasons to Pursue a Career as a Medical Billing Specialist
The past few years have brought about a fair amount of change. With the pandemic impacting all of us in one way or another, we have each experienced some sort of change in the last year. At the same time though, change can be positive as well. When we think about change, it’s normal for people to start rethinking about their life and the way they have been living. Perhaps you find yourself wanting to make a change in your life to better yourself or your future.
Recently, many people have embarked on the journey of making a career change. Some of these people have decided that they are ready to pursue a new path. Others want to switch fields, perhaps to something that will be more rewarding, fulfilling, or even stable. If you fall into this category, and you are considering a career change, you may want to consider the healthcare field.
Why Pursue a Career in Healthcare?
You may be wondering, why you should pursue a career in healthcare? Well, one main reason is the stability of this growing field. Notably, according to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 16% from 2020 to 2030. This projected growth is much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.6 million new jobs ¹. Healthcare is also a solid, stable field with many different careers within it that one could pursue.
The variety of career paths within healthcare is important to keep in mind if you are thinking about a career change. You may already be thinking that you don’t want to spend years in school to prepare for your new career. In addition, you may not want to work around blood and needles like nurses and doctors do in their roles. Luckily, the healthcare industry has career paths besides nurses and doctors. For example, being a medical billing specialist. This blog is going to talk about why becoming a medical billing specialist could be the career change you have been seeking!
Reason 1: You’re good with details, like talking to others, and are a natural problem solver
Some of the skills required for medical billing specialists can be learned through a training program. To avoid pursuing a job that doesn’t ‘fit’ with your personality, you should also review what a medical billing specialist does on the job. From there, you can determine if there is a match between your personality and the requirements to be successful as a medical billing specialist. Here are some of the traits you should have if you want to be a medical billing specialist:
Organized – Medical billing specialists do a good amount of filing. They also keep track of claims. Healthcare practices rely on insurance claims being paid, so it’s crucial claims are organized and tracked. Since medical billing specialists typically work in an office setting, being organized is important for that reason as well. We’ll elaborate on that more below.
Detail-Orientated – Precision is necessary when filing insurance claims. If claims are not filed correctly, they may be rejected. This can cause a lot of headaches for everyone involved in the medical billing process, including the patients.
Problem Solver – Hiccups can occur during the medical billing process. Medical billing specialists should be quick to pick up on potential problems and work on solving them. Being able solve problems like fixing claims and other mistakes is a must.
Communication Skills– Medical billing specialists do a lot of talking as part of their job. They talk to a variety of people such as patients, healthcare providers and insurance companies. Their communication may take place over the phone, through email, and in person. To ensure the billing function runs smoothly medical billing specialists should be comfortable with talking to people.
Reason 2: You’re flexible about your work environment
As a medical billing specialist, you may have a variety of potential workplaces to choose from in your new career. Every healthcare practice processes medical bills one way or another. Some may choose to have medical bills processed on-site, others outsource it. This means a medical billing specialist’s work environment will depend upon where they work and how they handle the medical billing function.
Medical billing specialists are often found working in offices within healthcare practices or facilities. These may include doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals. Medical billers may also work for health insurance companies or medical billing companies.
Some medical billing jobs may even be remote, “work-from-home” positions. Again, this will vary by employer and nature of the position. It means that there may be some flexibility in the work environment medical billing specialists.
Reason 3: You can complete your Medical Billing training quickly!
Becoming a medical billing specialist doesn’t mean you will be in school for years or even require you to earn a degree. There are training programs designed specifically for medical billing specialists. These programs can usually be completed in a year or less. Some programs may even be completed in a matter of weeks.
A medical billing training program can help you prepare for your career so you can finish quickly and begin pursuing employment. While formal medical billing training is not required in all cases, it can be preferred by employers. During medical billing training you can learn computer software skills and medical terminology. This knowledge can help give you a head start in the field and for more advanced topics you could learn.
Medical billing training programs can also help you become a more well-rounded professional. These programs can help you hone both technical skills and soft skills. They can also help you develop better communication skills as well as learn tips and tricks for being organized and efficient in your role. You might even find yourself becoming a better person overall as a result of your training.
A career change can be rewarding. Since we are all dealing with change in one way or another right now, this could be a perfect time to consider training for a new career. This blog talked about some of the benefits of choosing a new career in healthcare, specifically as a medical billing specialist. If becoming a medical billing specialist is of interest to you, be sure to read on below about possible next steps.
If you want to pursue a career in the growing field of healthcare, but don’t think medical billing is your thing, you can click here to explore some other healthcare career paths.
The Medical Billing and Coding Specialist program at Training Direct
The Medical Billing and Coding Specialist program at Training Direct is designed to teach real world skills that are used in the medical billing profession.
Students have the opportunity to learn about medical insurance billing and reimbursement, as well as billing and reimbursement for providers such as Medicare, Medicaid, and others. You may also learn about CPT, and ICD-10-CM, and coding compliance.
The program will also expose students to medical terminology, systems of the human body, keyboarding, and HIPAA.
The Medical Billing and Coding Specialist program is offered at Training Direct in both Bridgeport and Danbury, CT. The program can be completed in as little as 4-weeks!
Choosing Training Direct is a great way to start pursuing your career as a medical billing specialist. Learn more about our training program today!
Sources
¹“Healthcare Occupations : Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Sept. 2021, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.
