How to Become a Medical Claims Processor From Home
The telecommute job market has grown since the advent of the Internet. Due to a higher demand for skilled home workers, jobs that were previously traditional in-office positions are increasingly located at home. Medical claims processor is one such job. Becoming a medical claims processor from home is a relatively straightforward process. You may be considering starting your own medical claims processing business, in which case you need to be aware of start-up costs and methods of billing and payment.
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Things You'll Need
- Computer with Internet access
- Fax machine
- Copier
- Printer
- Claims manuals, coding books and forms
Instructions
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Begin by learning about the medical claims industry before deciding to pursue a medical claims position. This is particularly important if you have never worked in the health care industry before. Familiarize yourself with important industry terminology and professional jargon. Make a list of terms that you are not familiar with as a reference point.
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Buy the necessary office equipment: a good telephone (preferably with a headset), a computer, fax machine, calculator, printer (preferably one with copying capabilities) and somewhere to store insurance manuals for your reference (most notably the ICD-10 and the HCPCS Expert 2000 coding books). Depending on whether or not you secure employment through a company or want to start your own business you will need to purchase a medical accounting program that can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000 depending on the level of sophistication and support package you desire.
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Search for telecommute job openings for a medical claims processor online. The most fruitful leads will come from freelance or work from home job listing websites such as http://www.flexjobs.com, which allows you to weed out scams for a small monthly fee. It's vital to ensure that you are applying for only reputable positions.
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Visit local doctors, dentists and other private practice medical facilities, as these businesses will typically have a greater chance of needing affordable medical claims processors. You will be at an advantage if you are local and can pick up considerable work through this method. This is particularly helpful if you want to consider yourself an entrepreneur or sole proprietor.
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Determine how you will charge for your services. Most medical claims processors charge by three primary methods, according to entrepreneur.com. The first is through percentage of claims processed, the second is per claim and the third is hourly. This is largely up to you as to how you want to receive payment. If you are fast, a per claim payment might be well suited for you. However if you are starting out, percentage of claims or hourly methods are a wiser choice.
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Tips & Warnings
Fully familiarize yourself with insurance manuals before applying for positions so you don't waste time once you begin working.
Do not pursue a home career in medical claims processing if you are not a self starter.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit work in office and home image by salimar6 from Fotolia.com
