There are countless medical brochures that promise a life of riches to medical billing students provided they sign up for a six weeks course. Promotional brochures take sensationalism to the next level by falsely promising lucrative incentives like short work hours, easy workload, and simple training, etc.

It goes without saying that these statements are senseless myths that don’t have a shred of truth attached to them. As such, we’ve decided to discuss and debunk a few of the most commonly heard myths about the noble profession of medical billing.

Myth #1 – Medical Coding And Billing Are The Same Profession:

The biggest misconception people have about medical billing is that it’s the same thing as medical coding. Given the fact that the aforementioned promotional brochures use the two terms interchangeably, it’s no surprise that this is one myth that just refuses to go away.

Make no mistake about it; medical coding and medical billing are two different (but complementary) professions. The former is about transforming medical records (such as prescriptions and test results, etc.) into alphanumeric codes so that they can be understood by the medical biller.

Similarly, a medical biller takes these alphanumeric codes and generates an easy-to-understand bill. However, prior to medical bill generation, the medical biller must also verify the validity of medical and insurance documents so that the patient is guaranteed a quicker and a smoother healthcare experience.

Myth #2 – Medical Billing Professionals Work From Home:

Although mobility may be the talk of the town in the healthcare industry, medical billing – as a job – isn’t necessarily performed from home.

Medical billing professionals, especially those who have less than 5 years of experience in their relative field, must work under the direct supervision of an industry veteran. This is done to ensure that a novice medical biller doesn’t make any errors in the process which may lead to processing delays.

However, once a billing expert has worked in their industry long enough, medical and dental practices are more than willing to let them work from home.

Myth #3 – Medical Billing Is Easy:

By far the worst thing we’ve heard about medical billing is that it’s easy. The general public (and even doctors to some extent) constantly undermine the importance of medical billing and the work done by medical billers by calling their work unimportant and simple.

Contrary to popular belief, medical billing is NOT an easy profession. First and foremost, the medical biller needs to acquaint themselves with standard medical code sets and subsets. Extensive knowledge about these domains makes it easier for the biller to convert codes into healthcare claims that must be submitted to the insurance company.

Once the claim has been processed by the insurance company, the returned claim is handed over to the medical biller for final verification. The medical biller must then draft a final bill that takes every detail into account and is in line with the claims of the insurance provider.

That being said, this doesn’t mean medical billing is rocket science as there are some simple steps you can take to improve your understanding of the noble profession. You could choose to enhance your understanding by enrolling in medical billing online classes offered by medical training institutes.

Allied Prep Technical Institute also offers comprehensive classes that will help you develop a better understanding of medical billing and give you a competitive edge over your peers. Enroll in our classes today to significantly increase your chances of succeeding in the billing industry!

Medical billing may have surged in popularity in recent years, but the profession has been around for decades.  Continue reading “4 Things about Medical Billing That You Need to Know”

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