Usually, the salary of medical coding specialists is slightly higher than that of medical billing specialists. But this can be solved by:
(1) Completing medical billing training courses (including a degree) at your local community college or billing schools online
~OR~
(2) Passing nationally accredited certification exams like AAPC's Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or AHIMA's Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Option #2 is a better choice as both credentials are recognized and valued by billing companies across the United States. It is also far cheaper (and quicker to get) than Option #1 as having just ONE of these certifications will make a significant difference in your candidate profile. This is important to get a medical billing job.
Another factor that affects how much medical billing salary you draw is the matter of location. That is, the place where you are working (or worked) as a biller, or the location of the company where you intend to apply.
Large cities like NYC, Miami, FL and Los Angeles, CA pay higher per hour (and per year) to billers & coders than cities like Knoxville, Boise, Springfield or Albuquerque.
Based on per-hour rates, medical billing positions pay between $17 to $20 per hour in Los Angeles, California while for the same (or equivalent) positions elsewhere, you can expect your earnings to be in the following ranges:
- $9 to $11 per hour in El Paso, TX
- $11.40 to $13.20 per hour in Akron, OH
- $10.00 to $12.00 per hour in Hershey, PA
- $11.00 to $12.00 per hour in Chicago, IL
- $11.50 to $13.25 per hour in Boise, ID
- $14 to $16 per hour in Indianapolis, IN
- $16.25 to $18.25 per hour in New Rochelle, NY
Medical billing jobs for certified specialists revolve around hospitals, insurance companies and medical claims. A medical biller generates and submits these claims to the health insurance company so that the hospital, physician or medical facility is suitably reimbursed for services and treatment rendered to patients.
To do this competently requires knowledge of and experience in hosptal billing along with ICD-9 guidelines and CPT coding procedures. On an average, billers work for 40 hours/week, Monday through Friday.
As a career option, medical billing and coding is one of the very few health care professions where the annual salary even at the entry level is comparatively high. Once you gain experience and certifications, you can also work from home.
And while the future of billing jobs remains positive for the long term, your prospects of a higher medical billing salary (irrespective of the economy) increase manifold with a certification like CPC.
So if you aren't already certified, please make it a point to do so as you can easily complete it in a few months' time. To get certified, you need to prepare for and pass the CPC exam. You are free to study independently but your preparation needs to be "top notch" as less than 50% of the candidates pass it in the first attempt.
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The fastest way to get a higher medical billing salary
