Tom NathanielMedical billing is a popular at-home job that requires a little experience and can pay decently. It’s an industry that’s growing fast, and there’s currently a shortage, making for a great long-term career choice.
If you’re looking for ways to make money from home, perhaps a part- or full-time job, then at-home medical billing may be something to consider.
In today’s guide, I will talk about what you can make, how you can train to become an at-home medical biller as well as who’s hiring. As always, I’m 100% honest and always straight to the point, so let’s being.
What Is a Medical Biller?
In short, as a medical biller, it will be your responsibility to bill insurance providers for any healthcare services rendered as well as patients directly. Depending on the scope of the work, you may also be responsible for sending claims to the insurance companies and/or appealing any denials that may come through. Most of the time, you will be dealing with a lot of insurance companies.
To work, you will need to know basic medical terminology as well as the medical coding system. It also helps to know various insurance rules and regulations. Most companies will also ask that you can type at a decent speed, usually, 40+ WPM as well as have great customer service skills. But, this can be said about any job that involves mingling with others via email or over the phone, which this job entails.
Is Medical Billing Hard to Learn?
To become an at-home medical biller, some training is required and most companies will look for this. If you search for any sort of at-home medical billing training options, you will find a variety of certification options, including both online and in-person options, such as your local community college/vocational schools. AAPC, for example, is a very popular program that allows you to work at your own pace. There are many other options as well. In fact, there are too many to list. If you do decide to follow through and consider this career, just make sure you’re dealing with an accredited program.
While people have been hired without any experience and training, certifications will open up more doors down the road. Consider it more like a resume builder of sorts. Like anything, education always puts your resume near the top of the list.
On average, training can take up to nine months to complete, and in some cases, the program you’re part of may offer you a guaranteed job upon graduation. While it may not be online, it’s a great way to get started in this industry, if it’s what you’re looking for.
And, even after you initially train, you will still want to continue to learn as the industry changes, from new software to insurance rules.
How Much Do Medical Billers Make Working From Home?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical billers earnings greatly depend on who you’re working with, your education, your experience as well as any certifications you may have. This can be said about any online or in-person job, however.
On average, at-home billers can earn more than $61,000 annually, but as for the median, the average full-time biller tends to average $42,000 a year or so, about $20 per hour.
According to the bureau, the job outlook for the next 10 years, from 2019 to 2029 is 8% growth, which is much faster than average, so this isn’t a dying industry by any means.
Where Can I Find at Home Medical Billing Jobs?
FlexJobs
It’s hard to list every company as they constantly add/delete job listings, and it’s impossible for me to keep up. For that reason, I highly recommend you invest in a FlexJobs membership. It’s only a few dollars a month and they screen their jobs so that you only see legitimate opportunities. For example, check out this dashboard:
As you can see, you can sort by remote work, your experience as well as where you live. And, with that information, they can let you know who’s hiring right now. The great thing about this site is that it’s 100% remote work and they offer a satisfaction guarantee in case you’re unhappy with the results.
Check Out Indeed as Well
Indeed is another option, and it’s free. Just use terms such as “at home medical billing” as well as use your zip code to see what’s around. With these results, you will want to make sure you look for the “remote” term, as seen here:
The nice thing about Indeed is that they offer the qualifications right on the main page and most companies make it very easy for you to apply. Many companies may want experience, but this isn’t always the case. Like any job posting, just make sure you read the job qualifications so that you’re not wasting the employer’s time.
Popular Companies Almost Always Hiring
Aside from the two options mentioned above, the companies mentioned below are almost always hiring, so you may want to check out their career page to see if they have any openings.
Keep in mind that some are staffing agencies so they may be able to find you an at-home medical billing gig you’re looking for.
Rookies May Need to Start in House
If you start searching for at-home medical billing jobs, you may find that many ask you to work inside of an office. This is normal. What you’re going to find out is that many offices will want you to prove your worth before they let you work from home, which can take anywhere from six to 12 months. Consider it as an investment of sorts. Once you gain experience and prove yourself, then it may not be hard to find an at-home job.
Let it be known that some companies never allow you to work from home, so if you’re willing to work in house for a short while, ask then during the interview if it’s ever possible to work from home in the future. If not, you may want to look elsewhere.
Beware of the Scams
One last thing that I want to point out are the at-home medical billing scams. Unfortunately, in this industry, these scams run rampant, much like other make-money ventures. So, if you see an “opportunity” that seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
What you’re going to find out with these scams is that they will sell you information, much like this post, letting you know who’s hiring. 99% of the time, you can find this information for free, which means you don’t have to fork over $5, $10 or $20 for this data.
Trust me, these advertisements sound tempting, but I can promise you it’s not worth a penny nor your time. While you can make money as an at-home medical biller, you will just need to know where to look. Hopefully, the information I provided in this blog post can help you.
Final Thoughts
In all of my research, medical billing is one of the highest-paying at-home jobs if you have limited experience. As long as you like numbers and don’t mind interacting with patients and insurance companies, then it can be one to consider. Even with training, you could be on your way to making $20+ per hour after nine months or so. That’s not a bad investment at all.
Whether it’s a full-time, part-time, or contract gig, there’s something out there for you. Just make sure you’re working with a reputable company, of course.
As always, I leave the comments open to you.
Are you an at-home medical biller?
Are you looking for a job?
If you have any tips to share, feel free to sound off.
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