Medical Billing Software

Billing Management Medical Software graphic

Medical Insurance Billing Software graphic

Navigation:

Online Tools:

Discussion Forum
Privacy
Book Store
Press Release

"It's one of the very few newsletters I actually read every time."
- Arthur Mont, New York, NY

View Our Issues

SecureUn_sub_scribe® guarantees the permanent removal of a subscribers email address when they select the SecureUn_sub_scribe® link. Your email address is automatically removed from our list and can only be added again if you choose to opt-in at a later time.

Privacy guaranteed by

Submit your article

Solve our puzzle

Classified Ads

software medical billing graphic

Medical Billing is the Fastest Growing Opportunity in Health Care

by: Jay B Stockman

On February 16, 2006 the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was finalized, and enacted. This law is designed to establish national standards for all health care transactions, and to ensure the security and privacy of all health related information. The motivation behind this law is to improve the performance, and efficiency of our health care system. This type of reform has created a need for qualified individuals who can utilize the tools of this legislation, and assure full compliance, and maximum reimbursement. It would therefore be a prudent move for health care facilities to employ such individuals in order to avoid mistakes that could have dire consequences.

The proliferation of medical knowledge following World War II brought about an explosion of diagnostic, and treatment procedures. As a result, there became a need to organize, and standardize all these developing technologies. Here is where the foundations of medical coding were born. Medical coding met these challenges, and allowed for a more uniform way of communicating health information under a common language. By January 1979, standardized definitions, and codes were adopted, and used by health care providers, and insurance companies. Since improvements and refinements of medical procedures are constantly being developed, codes must be added and updated to reflect these changes. Today, the number of medical and surgical procedures have become enormous, so too have the codes to describe them. These overwhelming numbers of codes and protocols have made outsourcing medical billing the standard.

Medical Billing and related occupations continue to be the fastest growing opportunities in health care. Insurance institutions and government agencies are investing huge resources to control claims� fraud, abuse, and establish some degree of reimbursement parity. As a result, more insurance companies, and health care facilities are looking

Today, evolutions in the health care industry are happening at a very high pace. It is only with the assistance of sophisticated computer programs, and standardized coding procedures that medical coders are now able to describe and characterize the tremendous number and various kinds of medical and surgical procedures.

to medical billing experts for help. These companies and practices are looking for experienced and educated individuals; the legal consequences of incorrect billing could be devastating. There is a movement in the industry to make medical billers responsible for inaccuracies, much they way accountants are for tax returns.

At present, there are no standards for educational requirements for medical billers and coders. However, more employers are looking for some formal training at an accredited career training institution. These schools range in training time from nine months to two years, anything less would not be considered adequate. There is a move for certification, and several organizations are sponsoring certification examinations in medical billing and coding. Medical billers and coders earn as much as $8 to $10 per hour in the beginning, and could potentially realize $30 to $40 per hours with experience and additional responsibilities.

Today, evolutions in the health care industry are happening at a very high pace. It is only with the assistance of sophisticated computer programs, and standardized coding procedures that medical coders are now able to describe and characterize the tremendous number and various kinds of medical and surgical procedures. These realities coupled with government regulations, and health insurance guidelines have contributed to the strong demand for experienced medical coders and billers.

About the Author

Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Medical Billing Resource. Visit http://all-medical-billing-software.com/ for more information.

Dr. Jay B Stockman is an individual contributor to Google Health Co-op

Medical Billing News

Under Obama's Watch, NASA Shuttle Fleet To Retire
NASA's aging shuttle fleet is expected to be retired before the agency has a new space transportation system in place. The GAO has identified this spaceship gap as one of 13 urgent issues facing the new administration.

New Program Maps Virtual Rat Brain In 3D
The prototype BrainNavigator lets scientists travel through the rat brain — in three dimensions — and link the digital maps to pictures of real brain tissue.

220 Miles Up, A Galactic Celebration
The International Space Station turns 10 this week, and NASA is celebrating with an upgrade of the orbiter's bedrooms and bathrooms.

Farmers' Health Insurance: A Costly Row To Hoe
Many U.S. farmers struggle to meet their health care costs. A recent survey by the nonprofit Access Project says farmers pay twice as much as nonfarmers for insurance and out-of-pocket expenses. As small-business owners, they have few options and often buy insurance as individuals.

Underinsured Struggle To Afford Health Care
Improved medicines and treatments are increasing life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis. But insurance doesn't pay for enough of those medical costs, leaving families affected by the disease to struggle with the financial consequences.

Scientists Decode The DNA Of A Woolly Mammoth
The woolly mammoth is the first extinct mammal to have its DNA sequence deciphered. Scientists used hair that was found frozen in the Siberian permafrost, some for tens of thousands of years.

Stem Cells Used In Woman's Windpipe Transplant
The pioneering operation used a section of windpipe engineered in a laboratory with adult human stem cells. Engineering new tissues and organs from stem cells has long been sought as a solution to overcome a chronic shortage of donor organs.

Medical Billing Articles (updated Frequently)

Health Insurance 101 For Individuals And Families

By: Michael Ertel

The changing healthcare and health insurance landscape in the United States has resulted in more individuals and families purchasing health insurance coverage on their own. Rather than touch on the number of reasons why this is the case, I would like to provide individuals and families finding themselves in this position with ten basic ideas to assist them with getting the best health insurance policy for their specific situation. Below is a combination of ten questions and suggestions that will provide the tools necessary to get a medical insurance policy that will best work for you and your family.

1)What are your typical health and medical care expenses in a calendar year? Most people are surprised when they go through this exercise to learn that they would be financially better off in most years to purchase a high deductible health insurance plan and use the premium savings to directly offset heath care expenses throughout the year.

2)How long do you anticipate needing the health insurance coverage? For example, many companies sell temporary policies that can be put in force for 1-6 months and they are relatively inexpensive. If you are in between jobs or in a waiting period for employer coverage, this may be your best option.

3)What is your budget? If your budget is tight, having a $1000, $2500 or even $5000 deductible is better than having no coverage at all. The ability of doctors and hospitals to save and prolong life in the United States is in many cases extraordinary. However, their treatment is not free and going without health insurance coverage can in some cases result in you and/or your family losing an entire life�s worth of savings and assets.

4)Be careful to choose a plan that covers the �big stuff�. It is nice to have a policy that covers items such as: physician office visits, routine physicals, outpatient testing, and blood work. However, it is essential to have coverage for major services such as cancer treatment, transplants, critical illness, traumatic accidents, and infectious diseases. Find out the lifetime maximum amount as well as if the policy contains �internal� dollar limits.

5)Always carefully read and understand the pre-existing condition clause and policy exclusions so that you will not be surprised down the road if a claim is denied. This is important whether you are purchasing a standard medical, temporary, or student health insurance policy.

6)Does the insurance company you are considering have a substantial network of preferred doctors and hospitals in your area? In addition to family doctors, what type of access will you have to specialists and the best hospitals in the event you or a family member is diagnosed with an illness that requires specialized care? Also, what are your options for preferred health care providers when traveling?

7)If you need to go �out of network�, will you still have coverage? Most insurance policies will have coverage in the event you need to go outside of their network for care. However, review how these out of network claims will be paid. Will there be an additional deductible? How are reimbursement levels determined for out of network claims? What is your maximum out of pocket for out of network claims?

8)Are you looking for an opportunity to reduce your taxable income? If so, make sure your plan qualifies as a high deductible health plan and look into all of the aspects of a Health Savings Account. In the right situation, HSAs can be an excellent way to pay for eligible health care expenses, reduce your taxable income and save for retirement.

9)What are the financial ratings of the insurance company you are considering? A.M. Best, Standard & Poor�s, and Moody�s are organizations that rate the financial stability of insurance companies.

10)What type of customer service will you get from your insurance agent? Do they specialize in health insurance? Do they have a staff that is willing and able to assist you in the event you have a claim, billing, or other customer service problem?

If you do not have the time or patience to look into all of the items mentioned above, develop a relationship with an independent insurance agent that specializes in evaluating and servicing health insurance policies. A good independent insurance agent will be able to save you time, money, and be an excellent resource for evaluating all of the items mentioned above.

About the Author:

About the Author: Michael Ertel is the founder of http://www.MedicalInsuranceNow.com . This is a website that assists individuals and small business owners by providing side by side comparisons of health insurance alternatives. He can be reached at MErtel@medicalinsurancenow.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

Keywords: Medical Claim medical insurance policy, Medical Claim, get a medical, claim, insurance coverage, claims, network claims, medical, health insurance, health and medical