5 Essential Employer Expectations in the Field of Medical Billing and Coding
You wanted to be a Medical Biller and Coder, with dreams of working in this industry and now you’ve landed the position! You even had dreams of working from home. One or all of these have become a reality. You are about to begin working and want to know what is expected of you in order to keep your employer happy and keep your job.
A smooth medical billing and coding process is essential to the healthcare revenue cycle, ensuring payers and patients reimburse providers for services delivered. When there are problems with revenue, you are going to be looked at. So what can you do to meet employer expectations and keep your job? Let’s look at just a few things.
Employer Expectations:
Have answers to questions
You are responsible for bringing in the money and that means dealing with patients who owe money as well as third-party payers. When the money is not coming in like it should, you need to have the answers to those questions. This means knowing what is going on and being able to show your employer you are working on the situation to resolve the problem.
Be timely with your work
Billing and coding is a job based on time, which means all claims must be submitted in a timely manner to meet employer expectations. Most claims have set time limits that need to be adhered to. As a result, this is where you as a medical biller and coder need to be on top of what is going on by displaying good organizational skills, having a routine in place, and following up on the many claims received. If there are claims that have not been filed or paid, you need to problem solve in order to remedy the situation.
Display professional communication skills
You know you are going to have to communicate with patients, third-party payers and your coworkers. You need to have professional communication skills and be able to speak to your coworkers, even if it is a difficult conversation. Speaking to third-party payers can be frustrating at times as well. There are calls where you wait on hold for long periods of time before you’re able to connect with someone and receive answers.
It is natural to want to lose your patience, but employer expectations are that you must maintain composure and understanding for the individuals assisting you. There are also times when you have to interact with an angry or frustrated patient. Remembering to communicate in a professional manner in all of these situations by remaining calm, patient, and understanding is vital for performing satisfactory service for everyone.
Be organized
Another employer expectation can include organization and tidiness. There is nothing worse than not knowing what is going on, which can happen if organization is not a priority. Find a system once you start working and stick with it. Developing a system will help you stay organized and avoid losing important information.
Pay attention to detail
With coding and billing, it is the little things that can cause mistakes. This is why it is important to pay attention to detail. Double check your work and look for those simple mistakes. When a mistake is made, make note of it so as not to make it again. In addition, make sure you understand what happened. Knowing the why behind a mistake will help ensure it’s not repeated. Being on top of any changes with codes will also help so incorrect information is not used.
These are just a few things to help when beginning work in the field of Medical Billing and Coding. Do not be surprised when questions arise that need answers and understand that you have to be prepared to handle many different situations. You want patients to hold your office in high regards and recommend it to others for their care needs. Therefore, ensuring you are doing your job well and meeting employer expectations are essential to the field.
Written by Kara Silvers CPC, CPC-I
Kara Silvers has been in the field of medical billing and coding for 15+ years. She started out working in a small practice and has worked for a larger scale practice with 6 physicians from different specialties. She currently works from home as an instructor in Medical Billing and Coding. She is certified through the AAPC with CPC, CPB and CPC-I certifications and through the CCMA with an NHA certification.
