Medical billers process bills and cross reference patient data; however because of their variety, medical billing salary varies. It takes an understanding of the medical field to get ahead in billing. Medical billers are expected to be familiar with ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, practice specific billing and code compliance. Medical billers make 20k to 60k, depending on their experience, profession field, location and certification. In order to get the best salary, consider these following things.
Experience, experience is the first and foremost way to increase a medical biller’s salary. Organizations pride themselves on efficiency, so will often opt towards older professionals who are capable of driving cash back into the organization. Jobs like these are traditionally in smaller offices; however, many people will find that insurance companies are equally considerable. Experience on the inside reduces the likelihood of claim denials and puts medical billers in an advantageous position.
Certification is one of the most common ways to increase a medical billing salary. For example, the AACP offers the CPMA (certified professional medical auditor) and CPC (certified professional coder) certifications. This is usually completed by passing the organizations five hour test; which tests applicants on basic medical billing concepts. Certification proves an individual is capable of accomplishing the task they are assigned. These two certifications however are not the only ones to consider. There is also the SCP (special coding professional,) the ACS (advanced coding specialist) and a plethora more that relate to office specific fields. On average, according to the organizations, members earn 10-20% more than non-certified members.
Location is also valuable to a medical billing salary consideration, since area pay reflects regions expenses. For instance, a medical biller working in the west may earn $11-15 an hour while the same qualified individual may earn $15-20 an hour in the east. It may be higher, but the expenses will more than break the difference.
Lastly, a medical billing salary varies on the profession field. Neuropsychiatry for instance, will net a medical biller somewhere in the 60k range, whereas someone in the plastic surgery or radiology field would net around 40-50k. Then there is also the consideration of a business based model that can make anywhere 10k-100k and so on. So fields matter if a medical biller wants to maximize their salary.