How to Become a Medical Insurance Specialist
If you enjoy clerical and administrative responsibilities within the health care industry, then becoming a medical insurance specialist could be a rewarding and enriching experience. Demand will continue to grow for medical insurance specialists, making this an attractive career to pursue for achieving financial security. It takes time and effort to become a medical insurance specialist.
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Instructions
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How to Become a Medical Insurance Specialist
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Take science and math courses in high school. Taking rigorous math and science courses in high school gives you an edge in being accepted into a competitive post-secondary college, and makes it more likely that you will succeed in demanding courses in college.
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Obtain relevant work and volunteer experience before college. Being a medical insurance specialist covers a wide range of skills and background, including clerical support, customer service, medical knowledge and finance. Work in clerical support, customer service and/or finance. Volunteer in a doctor's office, hospital or nursing home to gain further understanding of your future work environment.
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Gain basic knowledge of medical coding and medical terminology. Before entering college, take a medical coding and medical terminology course at a local community college or online. For independent study, purchase or check out a book such as "Workbook for Step-By-Step Medical Coding" or "Medical Terminology: A Short Course."
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Apply to college to earn an associate's degree in Medical Insurance Billing and Coding or a related field. According to the "Occupational Outlook Handbook," " An individual must graduate from a two-year associate degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education." Once you are accepted into college, enroll in a certificate program specifically to become a medical insurance specialist. You can help your chances of advancing professionally if you take finance and business courses in addition to the medical coding and billing courses.
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Prepare for the AHIMA-administered written examination. Go to the American Health Information Management Association online at www.ahima.org for exam preparation resources. Study for the exam using books such as the "CCS Review Guide," "ICD-9-CM Coding Handbook with Answers" and "Clinical Coding Workout:Practice Exercises for Skill Development." Get a tutor if necessary.
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Pass the appropriate certification exam. The "Occupation Outlook Handbook" states, "The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) offers coding credentials. The Board of Medical Specialty Coding (BMSC) and Professional Association of Health Care Coding Specialists (PAHCS) both offer credentialing in specialty coding." Register for the certification exam at your medical insurance specialist certificate program or online.
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