Medical Billing Continuing Education Programs

Medical billing continuing education programs, like those offered by Kaplan Continuing Education, offer courses which prepare students to work in the healthcare field including hospitals, doctors’ offices and insurance companies. Thanks to widespread use of the internet, many medical billers are also able to work from home.

The medical billing field is projected to grow through 2018 and salaries for medical billers average around $25,000 a year.

Different Types of Careers for Pharmacy Technicians

The number of jobs for pharmacy technicians is expected to double or even triple in the coming years. There are many different settings in which a pharmacy tech can work, including drug stores, health clinics, hospitals and laboratories.

Pharmacy techs that work in local drug stores or health clinics are referred to as community pharmacy technicians, those who work in hospitals are known as hospital pharmacy technicians, and those who work in laboratories are called pharmaceutical industry pharmacy technicians.

Medical Billing Errors Cost Patients

Errors made by medical billers can create undue costs for patients. This is why it is of the utmost importance for medical billers to be highly qualified and thoroughly trained.

Kaplan Continuing Education offers a medical billing certificate which can help you to further your education and prepare yourself for a career in the medical field. Students who have earned a medical billing certificate at Kaplan Continuing Education may find themselves prepared for the challenges they will face in a career in the medical field.

Let’s take a look at what happened when one medical biller made an error:

A pair of transposed digits in a medical identification number created unnecessary medical costs of over $100,000 for Mike Dziedzic, a husband caring for his dying wife.

This type of error is not uncommon.

Medical Billing Advocates of America estimate that 8 out of 10 bills audited from hospitals health care providers contain errors. Approximately 3% of all health care spending, or $68 billion, is lost to billing errors annually.

This is why it is so important that medical billers are well trained; to save money for patients, hospitals and health care providers. With a medical billing certificate from Kaplan Continuing Education, students will better understand the claims and reimbursement processes associated with commercial and government health insurance.

5 Tips to Increase Your Medical Coding and Billing Salary

Medical Billing and Coding are two of the most sought after professions in the medical industry, likely to increase in demand by at least 3% each year until 2016. The typical salary for a medical biller or coder is generally between $26,000 and $33,000 per year. However, this salary can be influenced in a variety of ways. Here are 5 tips to increase your medical coding or medical billing salary:

1. Location, Location, Location: Geographic location plays a part in your salary. Medical billing and coding salaries are higher in cities, where the cost of living is higher.
2. Institution: Medical billers and coders who work at large government hospitals or nursing homes make more than those who work for a private specialist center or small insurance corporation.
3. Education: The higher your education and certification, the higher your salary. Amount of training and work experience also play a role.
4. Specialization: Those who specialize in cancer registry, physiological registry, mental sickness registration may reach a higher salary range.
5. Industry: Pharmaceutical; Professional, Labor or Political Organizations; Federal Government; and Business Support Services professionals earn more than your average medical biller and coder. Pursuing a career in any of these industries could result in a higher salary.