There are many different employment options in the healthcare field. This industry offers room for advancement and requires varying levels of education. A medical biller is a rising occupation in the healthcare industry and is only becoming more popular among individuals seeking employment in the healthcare industry. You can continue reading for further information about medical billing including an in depth job description and salary information.
Job Description of a Medical Biller
A medical biller is also referred to as a medical records billing technician. This title is more professional and informative. However, the job description remains the same no matter what official title is given between the two options. A medical biller or medical records billing technician deal with all the intricate details that are associated with billing. This includes billing medical bills, outpatient bills and the reimbursement of medical facilities. A medical biller has many options when it comes to employment, because all medical facilities require an expert medical biller. This means that it is possible to be employed at hospitals and other medical clinics, but also at insurance companies and within doctor’s offices. Basically any facility that has patients and requires billing services is in need of the services of a medical biller.
Daily Tasks
A medical biller is required to complete various tasks each day. Many medical billers are skilled and trained to review patient records, give information to hospital administers, determine the medical expense balances for patients, submit insurance claims and answer any billing question from patients and insurance companies. It is also likely that a medical biller will be required to work with Medicaid, Medicare and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
What is the Average Salary?
When determining how favorable an employment position is, it is important to determine the average salary. A medical biller in the United States has an average hourly salary of $16.61. This equates to about an average annual salary of $34,540.00.
A more in depth analysis of the average salary for a medical biller is even more telling. The average hourly salary ranges from $10.94 to $18.47 per hour. This means that the lowest a medical biller in eth United States can expect to make is $10.94 and the highest is $18.47 per hour. This hourly salary can fluctuate with the addition of overtime. The overtime hourly rate increase that can be expected ranges from $1.50 to $27.01. This results in the lowest salary for a medical biller equaling $18,218 and the highest annual salary equaling 48,539. It should also be noted that a yearly salary bonus of an average of $1,177 should be added to the annual salary figures.
Work Experience and Salary
One of the biggest determining factors in salary is work experience. More experience usually results in a higher salary, this is especially true if employment is with one employer only for a long duration. This means that with less than one year of experience in the medical billing industry the hourly rate of salary can be expected to range from $9.84 to $15.46. This equals to a yearly salary range that is between $24,585 and $32,000. However, as more experience is accumulated the salary range does increase slightly. For example, a medical biller with one to four years of experience can expect to make about $9.96 to $16.95 per hour. The increase in salary seen is only small from one to four years, but the trend upward is more noticeable at about five years of experience. A medical biller with five to nine years of experience can expect an hourly salary that ranges between $11.86 and $18.08. This clearly shows that experience in the medical billing industry will result in an increased salary that is most relevant within 5 years.
Best Locations for Employment
Salary not only varies based on experience, but also based on location of employment. Some states offer higher compensation due to the higher cost of living. Due to the data of the BLS, the best paying state for a medical biller is California. This is due to the fact that in California the annual salary for this position is $47,470. However, there are plenty of other states that also offer competitively high salaries for this position. These states include Alaska, Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts, Arkansas, District of Columbia, New York, Washington and Connecticut. The annual salaries in these states ranges from $47,310 to $40,390.
How To Obtain Employment
Becoming a medical biller requires an entry level education through a GED or high school diploma. Many medical billers even complete accredited medical billing programs offered online to ensure that employment is found quickly.
