Billing Archive

Jane Tompsett asked:




The average medical coding salary can vary depending on the setting in which the coder works; whether it be in a small town or a big city, and whether is in a large organisation like a hospital or clinic, or a smaller, doctor’s practice. Some medical coders even work from home. The rates of pay for a coder will also vary, depending on qualifications and experience. If you work from home your earnings will reflect how efficient you are and how many clients you have, so are likely to be more variable than those of someone with a full-time, fixed salary position.

Medical coding specialists help hospitals and other facilities manage the financial aspect of their services using a set of codes for specific treatments. An average minimum for someone starting out would be in the region of $10-12 per hour, increasing to about $16-19 per hour after 5 years. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), suggests that medical records technicians earn an average of $16-18, which translates to about $33-35,000 per year.

Certification is worthwhile, and can be expected to increase earnings, may be as much as to $20 per hour or over $40,000 per year, according to the American Academy of Professional codes. An average, realistic figure is about $16 per hour in general as a medical coding salary. Some areas of specialisation seem to command higher than the average medical coding salary. For example, nephrology coders can earn about $50,000 per year, and rheumatology coders up to $57,000 per year. On average, coders with a specialty credential can earn about $10,000 per year more than coders who are certified at the general level.

Medical coders arguably require more skills than medical billers, as they need some knowledge of medical terminology in order to understand patients’ record cards and extract the relevant information pertaining to treatments and procedures carried out.

Healthcare is one of the fastest growing areas of business enterprise in most developed countries, and provides for many different niche occupations like medical coding, and also medical billing. In the US you can find a suitable course at a college or university, of which there are many in each state, or you even learn your skills online. Often a medical coding course can be completed in a year or less.

Employment as a medical coder usually brings with it all the standard employment benefits, such as paid vacations and health insurance, while some offer special concessions such as flexible working hours.

A medical coder’s salary can vary somewhat depending on market conditions, but in the last few years, demand for these skills has been increasing, and looks set to continue in the same fashion for the foreseeable future. This strongly suggests that the niche of a medical coder is a worthwhile and rewarding career choice for anyone with a reasonable educational background.

The job brings with it a certain amount of responsibility as mistakes can be costly, but can provide the satisfaction of being able to contribute in a practical way to helping people in their times of need. The ability of health resources to be able to meet peoples’ needs depends in no small way to adequate funding. A medical coding salary is good compared with other health jobs like a dental assistant and reflects the responsibility accuracy, and care which are all expected and necessary.

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John M Van asked:




If you need documentation to export goods from your country to another, one of the documents you will need will be a commercial invoice. There are many samples available for this business document on the Internet. A few minutes spent researching on this item on Google, will result in thousands of examples, many of which are free to download.

The invoice is a legally binding document and therefore must contain certain information to ensure that you do not experience problems with customs officials at the country of exit or port of reception of the shipment or air freighted package. Obviously the first piece of information required is the individual or company’s sender details – name, address and contact details. Most commercial invoice samples can be easily customized, so you can add your details easily, as well as your company logo.

As with any invoice, the goods being sent must be properly described and listed according to quantity, value and weight. Details such as tax rates should also appear. The country of origin and manufacturer details should be included. These invoices should also contain the legally binding statement which verifies that the document is a true and original one from the company detailed thereupon. An original signature is required.

Exporters using a downloaded commercial invoice sample must remember to add their own invoice reference number and the date of the invoice as well as the date of the physical shipment. If your shipment or air cargo is not a once off event, it would probably be best for you to enlist the services of a distribution company which will take care of all the legalities for you. They will also make sure that your invoice includes every necessary detail to avoid a hold up at any point of the export process.

Avoid loss of time and prevent late shipments by using a professionally drawn up invoice.

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Louis Zhang asked:




Like any profession, medical billing and coding salary ranges can vary depending on the location of the job. By location I not only mean the part of the country but also the facility itself. Depending on whether the job is in a big city or a small town can have an impact on salary for sure. Likewise if the job is in a large hospital with numerous patients versus a small doctor’s office again the salary can vary based on job responsibility.

Most data that can be found online says that an average medical coding salary hourly range can fall between $12.00-$17.00 an hour. The average annual salary falls somewhere in the upper $20,000′s or higher. Obviously, for a starting medical billing and coding job a person should expect to make in the lower hourly range. there is plenty of room for growth in this field and for that having experience matters greatly. It is definitely a growing field with new opportunities for employment everyday. The more efficient and experienced a person is with medical billing the more money they can potentially make.

A medical coder’s wage range can vary based also on the responsibilities of the job itself. Larger medical practices and hospitals have a lot more volume of patients and the job of a medical biller is much more demanding then it would be in a smaller office or venue. Working as a medical biller from home is also an option but for many that can mean an hourly wage based on experience. The convenience of working from home and not having to drive to a job can be a money saver and therefore allow the hourly wage to be a bit less.

As the demand for medical billers grows the average pay for medical billing and coding jobs will grow as well. The experienced billers will be in high demand so it is important to build up a good working resume so you can ask for the top of the salary range as opposed to the newcomer inexperienced range.

You can expect yearly wage increases as you become a more proficient medical biller and build your experience. A starting medical billing and coding salary may not be what you were hoping for but with time that $12.00 or $13.00 and hour can really grow as you establish yourself in this growing industry. Louis Zhang, Accrmedicalbillingtraining dot com

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Eric Dean asked:




Medical billing and coding refers to the process of making claims on insurance companies and following up such claims to cover the medical expenses of the policyholder. Most medical coders are employed by hospitals, private healthcare organizations, and other agencies that offer healthcare services. Medical coders typically earn a lot, which is why a lot of people want to explore this kind of career path. Those seeking employment as a medical coder has to acquire a medical billing and coding certification first before being qualified for the job. While there are some people who manage to secure employment as a medical coder without a certificate, having one will give you an edge over others, as most health institutions prioritize those with certificates.

To qualify for a medical billing and coding certification, you will first need to pass the coding certification examination. The test will cover everything you need to know as a medical coder, these include codes, HCPCS procedures, as well as ICD-9-CM so that you can properly accomplish your duties. Most medical coders are required to undergo formal training and education in the field of medical billing and coding. You can opt to get your education online if you don’t have the time to attend formal classes, as a lot of educational institutions offer programs online.

There are a lot of employment opportunities for those with a medical billing and coding certification, especially since the demand for medical coders both employed by public and private institutions are expected to experience a steady growth over the next decade. While you can’t expect to earn so much when you are just starting out, you can opt for positions with higher salaries once you have enough experience. It is also a lot more likely that you would be paid more if you had proper medical billing and coding certification by an authorized educational institution.

Since there is a lot of technicality involved in medical coding, it is better to acquire formal education to get a good grasp of protocols and procedures. It is worth noting, however, that you can choose to get your medical billing and coding certification from different agencies, which includes; American Health Information Management Association or AHIMA, Registered Health Information Association or RHIA, and Registered Health Information Technician or RHIT. Medical billing and coding certification from AHIMA is typically acquired by those who are relatively new to the industry, as acquiring certification from this agency does not require much experience. If you have enough experience as a medical coder, then getting certification from the Professional Association of Healthcare coding specialists will be a great asset to you, as they issue certification for those who have experience with specialty coding. Professional medical coders who have high levels of expertise when it comes to specialty coding are highly in demand, as they are not as abundant as those with AHIMA certification.

There is a wider range of career options for someone who has a medical billing and coding certification, as this certification means that they have pursued their education in this field and have passed all qualifying exams to prove that they are eligible to practice as medical coders.

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Jane Tompsett asked:




Many people just starting to consider an administrative career in the healthcare industry are attracted by the fact that medical billing and coding is one of the fastest growing sectors over the past ten years. But once their research gets under way, it soon becomes obvious that aiming to earn a medical billing and coding salary isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

The thing is, medical billing and coding, although closely linked, are in fact entirely separate disciplines. And once this fact becomes apparent, the inevitable question arises as to whether a medical billing salary is on a par with a medical coding salary, or whether one pays better than the other.

Comparison of a Medical Billing and Coding Salary

Firstly, we need to be clear as to what are the differences between the two areas. After all, if you are more comfortable dealing with numbers than people, then maybe you should aim to qualify as a medical coder.

Whereas, if you would rather pull your fingernails out than spend your working life manipulating numerical data, then you would be more comfortable with the duties of a medical biller.

Duties and Responsibilities

A medical biller is more akin to being a practice manager than a practice accountant. Whilst the task of compiling and submitting the required invoices to medical insurance companies or direct to patients, your job will involve patient liaison to a large degree.

From making appointments, greeting patients and their families to dealing with doctors, physicians and healthcare specialists, the job of a medical biller requires a far higher degree of people skills than maybe a medical coder does.

Certainly, a working knowledge of medical codes is essential for compiling patient records and accounts, but a specialist medical coder will be far more focused on data and numerical work than in dealing with doctors and patients.

So what is the implication for a difference in a medical billing and coding salary?

Initially, new employees in their first job after gaining their qualifications, be that in billing or coding, can expect to earn roughly the same amount. An hourly rate of between $10 – $14 is usual and is only influenced by whether the position is with a large or small organization and whether that organization is situated within a major city or rural town.

Once an amount of experience has been gained, the two disciplines begin to pull away from each other slightly. Certified medical coders with commensurate experience enjoy more satisfying salary levels than their unregistered and inexperienced counterparts. An average medical coder could reasonably hope to earn anywhere between $35000 – $45000 per annum.

A similarly qualified and experienced medical biller may find that their earning capacity is slightly lower at around $32000 – $43000 pa. However, those with specialization and experience encompass both areas are best placed to reach a salary level of up to $50000 pa or even higher. The inevitable conclusion to be drawn is that is you wish to earn a good medical billing and coding salary, then your best course of action is to qualify for both disciplines.

So before you make your choice whether to pursue a career as a medical biller or coder, you need to ask yourself whether you will be more comfortable dealing with people, number or both!

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Kent Pinkerton asked:




A career in the medical profession is a challenge, adventure and competition. One can belong to any of the fields of medical science. One can be a doctor, medical officer, pharmaceutical manager, administrator of a hospital, nurse, medical transcriptor, medical biller, medical coder and much more. However, medical careers are particularly related to the manufacturing, business administrative and management fields of medicine. Among all the careers, one of the most intriguing and interesting fields is that of medical coding.

Medical coding requires a great deal of analyzing and understanding. The average salary for a medical coder is not at all bad. This can be understood through the application of straight and simple economics. There is a considerable rise in the price for those products and services whose supply diminishes, or whose demand increases. In case of the profession of medical coders, the demand has considerably risen over the last few years. As more health tests are performed and there is closer scrutiny of healthcare, the role and importance of this profession is also on the rise, as is the salary.

Medical coders work in a variety of healthcare offices, 37 percent in hospitals. The average salary ranges from about twenty to twenty five thousand dollars, but this amount varies from organization to organization and from time to time.

However, the upper limit sometimes touches and even crosses over thirty-eight to forty thousand dollars, but the lower limit also falls below sixteen thousand dollars. But with the advancement of one’s career, this amount seldom dips.

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Jack Cross asked:




There are plenty of source code snippets and samples on free blogs and other resources online. Very few of them provide you with source code that constitutes of code that covers entire apps. However, there are some amazing source code bundles that cover entire apps that are published on the App store. These are great if you want to get under the hood and see exactly how these apps are made from start-to-finish. Here they are…

1. ABC 123 – Sequence memorization game, that utilizes Cocos2D.

2. Colloquy – A conversion of the most popular Mac IRC client to iPhone.

3. Diceshaker – Dice rolling simulator designed for role-playing-game lovers.

4. Doom Classic – The classic 3D first person shooter game now open sourced on the iPhone! [ itunes link | source code | build instructions ]

5. Freshbooks – An iPhone App that allows of Freshbooks web invoicing software from your iPhone.

6. Gorillas – Classic Worms/iShoot turn based shooter type game converted to iPhone from basic. Utilizes Cocos2D.

7. Last.fm – Software that enables usage of the Last.fm platform for personal radio stations.

8. Mobilesynth – A monophonic synthesizer designed for live performance.

9. Molecules – Allows you to view 3D models of molecules and manipulate them through touch.

10. Mover – Allows you to transfer stuff from one iPhone to another by “flicking” it to the other device.

11. Natsulion – A basic twitter client converted from mac.

12. NowPlaying – Allows you to check local theater listings, and check rotten tomato ratings.

13. Packlog – Backpack journal client.

14. PocketFlix – Find movies, and manage your Netflix information.

15. reMail – E-mail client featuring ultra-fast search. Removed from app store, but source made available.

16. RobotFindsKitten – Port of a very silly “classic” ASCII game.

17. Sci-15 HPCalc – Calculator app based on classic scientific HP-Calculator.

18. Task Coach – Personal to-do list and task manager.

19. Tubestatus – London train schedule tracker.

20. Tweejump – Platform jumping game inspired by Icy Tower. Utilizes Cocos2D.

21. Tweetero – Basic twitter client with image uploading.

22. Twitterfon – Super-fast intuitive twitter client.

23. Wikihow – A reader app for the popular how to wiki site.

24. WordPress – Client for managing WordPress blogs.

25. YourRights – Pocket database containing a summary of your legal rights.

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Michele James Smith asked:




Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are numbers assigned to tasks and services that a medical practitioner provides to a patient. They are then put to use by insurers to determine the amount of payments that the practitioner stands to get.

CPT codes are developed and maintained by American Medical Association (AMA). There are specific procedures within the AMA to evaluate recommendations to changes in the CPT codes set.

What you should consider before applying for a new CPT code?

If you think that a new CPT coder is needed or changes are needed to an existing code, there are various questions that should be considered before putting forward your request. Here’s what you need to consider: Is the suggestion a fragmentation or variation of an existing procedure or service, can the recommended procedure or service be reported by using two or more existing codes, is it a new procedure or technology, among a host of other questions.

The current year is coming to a close and as you prepare to welcome the new year, your coding career will encounter a sea of 2010 CPT coding changes. But keeping pace with these changes is not easy. However, there are various sources of access for CPT codes, both online and offline, thus making your task easier.

If you are looking for free CPT codes online, you can go for one-stop medical coding websites, which offer free online trials. If you are satisfied with the trial you can get yourself registered. Such websites are an easy way to get more insight on the latest CPT coding changes and boost the accuracy of your claims.

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Chris Cornell asked:




Every business, whether small or big needs a customized invoice that reflects their status and professionalism. An invoice is a proof that can benefit the seller and buyer at all times. An invoice in reality is a proof that is made for the transactions between the seller and the buyer for the products sold or the services rendered. Therefore, it is an inevitable part of any business. There are many ways to create a good invoice as it can be created both manually and by downloading invoice templates from the different websites and software programs.

The irony of invoices is that though they serve the same purpose, each of them differs according to the business transactions and the nature of the dealings. There are different types and forms, therefore the business men should first decide on what form they need their invoice and customize it accordingly.

There are some essential details that have to be included in every form of invoice. Some of them are the name and address of the business concern or the manufacturers, the date that the invoice has been created, the official phone number used for the business and of course the name of the person dealing the business. The other important details that should be incorporated are the exact description about the services rendered or about the goods sold.

The credit memo and the debit memo especially deal with issues related with the refund matters. The credit memo is issued when the buyer returns back the goods that he has bought and gets the repayment for it. In the same manner, when a company is not able to keep up its promise on the delivery time or has related issues, the debit memo is issued as a proof for the amount to be paid along with the penalty.

The importance of a good invoice in all business dealings and transactions is an undisputable fact. It is a solid proof which is upheld in any court in case the project or the sale is contested. Therefore, care should be taken to incorporate all the necessary details that can help a buyer as well as the seller in case of any untoward incidents or disputes.

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Helen Hecker asked:




If you’re thinking about entering the medical billing and coding field there are a number of things you’ll want to check out. Of course you’re interested in the kind of salary or hourly rate you can expect and that will depend a lot on a few factors.

First of all it’ll depend on where you live. Are you living in a big city where there is a lot of competition among billing services or do many other doctor’s offices and health care facilities hire their own medical billers, coders, assistants and specialists? If you live in an area where the economy is good and the cost of living is higher you would get a higher entry level salary.

Medical billers, medical coders and medical insurance specialists (who usually know how to bill and code) will find that salaries will vary depending on whether you work in a private clinic, doctor’s office, hospital, healthcare facility, dental office or for a billing service or insurance company. Salaries can vary quite a bit actually so this will take a little research in your own community to see where the salaries run higher.

Also any education you have that relates to medical billing and coding will give you a big boost. Whether it’s in the medical billing and coding area or related areas. Medical terminology can be very useful as can other types of jobs.

In the recent past medical billers and coders have made between $35,000 and $45,000 and up. This will depend on how much education or training, related job experience, and how long you’ve been with your employer if in the same field.

So you can see there are many factors to consider when determining the salary or hourly rate for medical billers and coders.

The best thing to do is make a few phone calls to medical billing services in your hometown or closest city and see what kind of salaries they offer to medical billers or coders. You can usually find out a lot by contacting the human resources departments. Try calling some of the larger doctors’ offices too and talk to the office manager. They’re usually quite willing to tell you starting salaries and also the potential for getting a job there in the future. Continue to research online if you need medical billing or medical coding training (you can study these separately) or education and focus on one or the other or both.

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