How Much Money Does Someone Make Having a Career in Medical Billing and Coding?

The medical billing clerk is an important part of the medical team.

A career in medical billing and coding requires specialized education. The medical coder translates the doctor’s notes of patient care into alphanumeric billing codes for the insurance company. This requires knowledge of medical terminology, pharmacology, disease, injuries and anatomy. It takes between one and two years to complete the basic course of study. The salary of a medical coder varies according to whether he has basic or advanced certification.

Significance

Medical billing codes are identical worldwide. This streamlined system enables health organizations around the world to notice epidemic trends and to track the cost of medical care in different countries, according to All Allied Health Schools.

Types

There are different types of medical coders. Someone with basic certification can work in a doctor’s office. Those with advanced certification can work in a nursing home or hospital setting. Some doctors hire medical coders without certification, but they do not earn as much money as someone with the advanced education and testing.

Salary

The low end of the pay scale for medical billing and coding is less than $25,304 per year. Only 10 percent of medical billing clerks earn in the lowest pay range. The next lowest group, comprising 15 percent of medical billing clerks, is paid between $25,304 and $28,422 per year. The largest group of medical coders, one-half of the people working in the field, earns between $28,422 and $34,503 per year. The next highest paid clerks are those who work in hospitals and nursing homes with additional education in biology and patient care. They earn between $34,503 and $36,922, according to Salary.com as of November 2010. The top 10 percent of the profession earns more than $36,922 per year.

Geography

The above salaries are the national average. Cities with a higher cost of living, such as New York or Boston, pay more to compensate for the difference. You can go to the Salary.com website and type in your zip code to find out how much money medical coders earn in your region.

Function

Medical billing clerks do more than code documents and submit them for payment. They learn office procedures as part of their training. They prepare correspondence, research missing payments, explain billing procedures to patients, collect payments and enter data on the computer. The medical billing clerk is one of the most important positions in the doctor’s office. If he codes the bills incorrectly, then the insurance company does not pay the doctor. This can cause cash flow problems for the medical practice.

References

• All Allied Health Schools: Medical Coding Career