Tag Archives: USA

Becoming a Dental Biller

Dental Billers work with the patients and insurance companies while processing insurance claims and medical bills incurred by patients for all services rendered.  They ensure proper electronic attachment submission as well as accurate posting of all medical bills and claims with daily progress reports through the phone call or email. They also request all the stake holders for other additional information, required from the office in order to send out claims for payment. These professionals maintain an appropriate compliance with company policies and the regulatory bodies.

Dental Billers are employed in variety of settings such as hospitals, clinics, dentists’ offices, long-term care facilities etc. They may act as the link between patients and the insurance companies. They usually work full time.

Educational Requirements

To become a Dental Biller, the aspiring candidates need to hold at least a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Additionally, the students can earn medical billing certificate program. The aspirants may also pursue higher studies with the major coursework in mathematics, accounting, business administration or other related subjects for better job prospects in this field. The common course work includes dental terminologies, mathematics, numerical calculations, dental coding, medical ethics etc.

However, most of the employers prefer job aspirants with some experience in medical billing, collections or financial analysis.

Certification

Though certification is not required to become a Dental Biller, many employers in USA prefer certified job aspirants. The candidates can obtain certification from the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management or the Medical-Dental-Hospital Business Associates for this profession.

Skill Set

Dental Billers possess various traits such as organizational skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to perform multi-task activities in a setting, high level of attention to detail, empathy towards patient, high medical ethics, ability to work in a team spirit, competent in computer operations etc.

Job Outlook and Salary

The job outlook for a Dental Biller remains excellent in USA. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth rate for job opportunities in this profession may rise 16% from 2012 to 2022. The average annual salary of a Dental Biller was $35,621 in May 2014.

Becoming a Certified Coding Specialist

Certified Coding Specialists maintain patients’ medical records through numerical codes in health care settings. They provide appropriate coding on the patient’s medical history, diagnosis and treatment records. They ensure accuracy and confidentiality while coding the records. In addition, they act as a communication link between patients and the service providers including health care officials and the insurance companies.

Certified Coding Specialists work at different types of settings such as hospitals, private practices or other health-related facilities, government organizations, insurance companies, research institutions, independent billing and coding services so on and so forth. They depend heavily on the use of computer software. These professionals may have to work on day or night shifts as well as in the weekends.

Educational Requirements

To qualify for the position of a Certified Coding Specialist, aspiring candidates need to earn a two-year associate’s degree program in medical coding and billing. The students can also go for a 4-year degree program in this field for better job prospects. However, some employers in USA prefer candidates with previous experience for these professionals.

Certified Coding Specialists study the course work of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology ethics etc. Besides, they need to acquire the knowledge of medical billing and coding, health record maintenance and computer science.

Certification and Licensure

Since many states of USA require a Certified Coding Specialist to be licensed, the aspiring candidates need to earn an exam-based License. The candidates can also obtain certification from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Skill set

Certified Coding Specialists possess variety of traits such as a great deal of knowledge in Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and the International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) for proper coding, high medical ethics, maintaining patients’ privacy and confidentiality,   understanding of insurance reimbursement process , ability to work with accuracy in stressed condition, tolerance to spend long hours sitting on computer desk, pleasant communications and interpersonal skills, computer data entry skills etc.

Job Outlook and Salary

The job outlook for a Certified Coding Specialist remains excellent in USA. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth rate for job opportunities in this profession may rise 22% from 2012 to 2022. The average annual salary of a Certified Coding Specialist was around $36,000 in 2014.