Did you know that every year in the United States alone that healthcare insurers process over 5 billion claims for payment?  Right now, healthcare in America is an explosive industry – and with the upcoming Presidential elections, once again, healthcare is on everyone’s minds.  There has never been a better time for individuals who are looking for terrific employment opportunities to enter the workforce with specialized skills in the medical field.

Right now, within the health care sector known as Health Information Management (HIM), health information technicians (which are the coders who are involved with medical billing) are projected to be one of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the United States.

In addition to that, four million jobs within the healthcare industry will open – and medical billing is one area that is going to remain in very high demand.

This course is designed for those people who have little or no knowledge about medical billing.  You will be walked through every step of the process and it will be presented in layman’s terms.  In other words, you don’t need a medical degree to understand what this course will teach you – just a desire to expand your knowledge. 

There has never been a better time to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that are available – and this course will provide an ideal preparation environment for anyone interested in this booming area in the health and medical administration industry.  This is a perfect first step for someone looking to find a new employment opportunity that is both rewarding and exciting.

The student who takes this course will gain an understanding of the healthcare industry and what it takes to be involved with medical billing.  With both online forums and with email support from the instructor, students will be able to expand their knowledge and expertise.  This is an ideal way for someone involved in fields such as insurance to expand their knowledge of the billing process and take that knowledge further in their own company.

Students will be exposed to such areas as:

·        Overview of healthcare system and career opportunities in medical billing:  Students will be given the employment statistics for the healthcare industry, as well as understand the importance of education and training and discover where those opportunities exist.  In addition, they will see how medical billers are on the rise and learn the difference between medical billers and medical coders.

·        Provider and patient information:  The student will learn more about what it means to be a medical biller, as well as gain some medical terminology, and explore what third party payers are and how they fit into the overall picture of medical billing.

·        Hospital billing:  Students will learn about the ways that hospitals handle their billing procedures and will explore such aspects as the hospital chargemaster and examine the Healthcare Price Transparency Act of 2006.

·        Billing the visit:  The student will learn about the billing process as it relates to medical treatment and will explore how to deal with establishing rates, what to do in the event of a billing discrepancy, as well as examine how billing is submitted and what a post-payment audit is.

·        Different types of health insurance:  Students will examine the four basic types of plans, and will investigate the differences between them, as well as understanding which plan a client possesses.

·        Medicare overview:  The student will learn what Medicare is, as well as the history of Medicare and how it currently works.  Enrollment in Medicare will be addressed, as well as how the billing process works – also taking a close look at the appeals process and what is new in the Medicare program.

·        Legal issues:  As with anything involving the medical community, emphasis should be paid to such aspect as legal issues.  Students will examine the current healthcare climate and learn what protections are given to consumers today.  Compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will be addressed, as well as the difference between a billing oversight and outright fraud.  Students will also examine the insurance company reimbursement process.

·        Certification information:  Students will learn what it takes to make the grade as a medical biller, as well as the requirements for becoming a certified medical reimbursement specialist (CMRS) and what is in the CMRS exam and where students can get more information on studying for it.

Although it might appear to be complex, this course is actually very easy to understand and there is always a wealth of information that can be shared through either online forums or with the instructor.