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Medical Coding and Billing Interview

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Our medical coding and billing analyst works for the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Illinois, and she has found that medical coding and billing is a great way to restart one’s career in a meaningful and stable field. She is also a member of the American Academy for Professional Coders (AAPC).

Medical Coding and Billing Career Path
After the economy took a turn for the worse, our analyst needed to find a stable career choice. She originally worked as a graphic designer, but budget cuts cost her a teaching job. She learned about work in the medical coding and billing field, and pursued that line of work.

Experiences of a Medical Coding and Billing Analyst
While training for the job, our analyst worked in an internship with the Office of Inspector General in Illinois to get hands-on experience in medical coding and billing.

“I learned so much during this free 180 hours of service,” she says. “I was able to collect $15,000 from healthcare providers who were over-coding and under-coding and returned that to the state of IL upon completion of 12 audits.”

Our analyst has a background in graphic design and used to work as a K-5 art teacher.


Medical Coding and Billing Degree Programs
“You need to take a 9-month education program, complete the certification test provided by the AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders), and keep up with the CEUs (Continuing Education Units),” our analyst explains. “You can obtain CEUs through the chapter meetings or the monthly magazine promotions.”

Medical Coding and Billing Job Description
Our analyst works as a coding and billing analyst at the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Illinois.

“I collaborate with physicians to correctly code all surgical procedures performed, among many other tasks in the hospital,” she says.

Medical Coding and Billing Daily Routine
“Currently, I analyze the billing coverage for the urology department on top of my regular duties,” our analyst explains. “My regular duties involve auditing 30 charts per physican and putting the data analysis behind the improvement or education needed to help physicians understand if they are over-coding, under-coding, incorrectly coding, submitting unbillable codes, or correctly coding.”

Medical Coding and Billing: Steps to Success
Experience is crucial in this field because there is so much that you need to learn in the healthcare field, and it only comes with time.

“Have as much experience as possible, even if you have to do it for free,” our analysts advises. “Internships or volunteer work are the best experiences that lead to a medical coding and billing positions.

“Also, networking at chapter meetings helps a person become involved and be familiar with others in the field,” she adds.

Medical Coding and Billing Job Opportunities
“Medical coding is not difficult to get into,” our analyst says. “I ended up landing a position one month after my certification. I also stayed very proactive in continuing education online after certification just in case I could not land something right away. I believe that hiring managers admire proactive attitudes.”

A Medical Billing and Coding Analyst’s Future Ambitions
Our analyst hopes to use the information that she has learned about this career and teach others about it at a higher level of education.

Advice for Prospective Medical Coding and Billing Analysts
Our analysts recommends taking every step in your education to ensure that you learn as much as possible, since knowledge and experience is absolutely necessary in this field.

“If you need a fast career change that will never be out of business and meet daily fulfillment in helping other people’s lives, medical coding is the way to go,” she adds.

  • Diana Sutherland

    Could a person in the medical coding and billing field work from home?

  • myFootpath Advisor

    It is possible for a medical billing and coding professional to work from home. If this is a path you wish to pursue, I would suggest getting the appropriate schooling first, and then working in an office for setting to get the necessary experience.

    Once you feel you have enough experience, you can strike out on your own and do freelance work for several independent physicians or offices, or seek larger health care firms as clients. In these instances, you can negotiate to work from home as part of your contract, providing your clients can give you the electronic and technical support you would need to work remotely.

    For additional career information, check out our medical coding and billing career profile.

  • Ethel

    I attended an online course for medical billing/coding.But I have a certificate how do I go about getting Associates?

  • myFootpath Advisor

    To get your Associate’s degree in medical billing and coding, you would need to enroll in a medical billing and coding program. You can enroll in either an online or campus program, and depending on the school, they may even count your certificate towards your credit hours. For a list of both campus and online schools that offer medical billing and coding programs, visit our medical billing and coding degree page to learn more and request information.

  • t billings

    is it best to get certified in medical coding and billing before pursuing an associates, im just looking for a career change and i believe this is the career for me, can you also suggest a certification program as well?

  • t billings

    I need to know if you have any suggestions of a certificate program and will i need to pursue an associates in the future for advancement

  • myFootpath Advisor

    To get started in the medical billing and coding field, you can earn a certificate to start your career quickly. As you advance your career, you can go back to earn your Associate’s degree or your Bachelor’s, which will allow you to seek managerial positions in the field. For a list of schools that offer medical billing and coding degree programs, and to find out more, visit our medical billing and coding degree page.

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