Explore Healthcare Salaries
The average pay for professionally certified medical billing and coding specialists hit an all-time high in 2022. As coding and billing procedures become more complicated, the demand for certified billing and coding specialists has skyrocketed.
Nationwide, salaries hit $61,450 annually. For billing & coding specialists in California, the annual salary now tops $70,000!
Northern California has the top pay in the state, with Bay Area medical coders and billers are reporting average salaries in the $75,000-$82,000 range. City and county employees now receive an annual salary of $84,400.
In Central California, salaries range anywhere from $53,200 to $67,400 per year. Bakersfield billing and coding specialists average $61,530, while Fresno boasts an average salary of just under $70,000.
The biggest factor in determining a medical & coder salary is CERTIFICATION! Students who complete a program which is accredited by the American Association of Professional Coders(AAPC). AAPC certifications have been the gold standard for certifications for over 30 years.
An aging demographic and the ensuing increased demand for healthcare services means this is a job in which you will have some long term security – something that is a bit hard to come by these days.
The greatest opportunities for employment lie in the largest urban centers like Long Beach, San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, Anaheim and Santa Anna.
However, once you obtain your degree in mediucal coding and billing, your expertise will be in demand by potentially every healthcare provider anywhere in the country, regardless whether they are located in rural or urban centers.
Most of California's 116 community colleges offer training in medical billing and coding. One of the main differences between a community college program and a private program is the length of time needed to complete the program.
Most of the programs at the community colleges are degree-based. So, the average billing and coding program is 2 years long. The graduate of community college program is awarded an associate degree, in addition to professional certification. Although some of the community colleges have gone completely online for their billing & coding program, most still have at least some in-person classroom work.
Most private programs in California are between 8-10 months in length. There are SOME associate degree programs, but most offer professional certification, not a degree. When employers are hiring, they have certification as a requirement, not a degree. But for those looking into a management position, a degree is usually preferred.
The majority of accredited private programs now offer completely online options. The material is the same as campus-based programs, and usually take the same amount of time to complete. They lead to the same professional certification as campus-based accredited programs.
Should you choose a traditional campus based school, or should you choose a home study course taken online?
Largely, the choice is one that’s best determined by you. Some things to consider…
At this point, you probably are starting to get an idea what’s best suited to you. If you’re currently employed, for example, and want to train for a new career while you continue to work, you’ll want to investigate online medical billing and coding schools. If you learn best in a classroom setting, than a home study course is not the best option for you.
In an accredited medical billing and coding course you will learn the skills necessary to help you earn your certification and prepare you to be a medical billing and coding professional.
One portion of the course that you will have to pay close attention to is the medical terminology portion. This portion of the course will help you to apply the proper terms and spelling. This 2 part article will introduce you to some of the medical billing terms and acronyms that are frequently use medical coding terms.
This means that the insurance company will ONLY pay ‘X’ amount for a particular service or procedure.
AOB or Assignment of Benefits is a form that will allow for the insurance provider to pay benefits directly to the doctor, physician or the health care facility and not to the patient.
This form is signed by a patient that authorizes the healthcare provider to bill the insurance company be paid for their services.
No this is not in reference to the physical age of the patient but to the length of time that an invoice has been unpaid. Specifically this refers balances that have not been paid within at least 30 days.
If an insurance plan will not pay for the treatment that the treatment that the patient received then either the provider or the patient can object and submit and appeal with the insurance company. Further documents may be required before a final judgment is made.
This term is generally seen on the patients invoice or billing statement. This states that X amount has been applied to the deductible through the patient’s insurance plan.
This term refers to the person that is covered under the health plan.
You will see this term quite a bit once both throughout the medical billing and coding course and even on the job. Once a claim is submitted it will go through the clearinghouse and be checked over for errors or information that might be missing and may result in the claim being denied. These Clearinghouses will submit the claim electronically and comply with the strict rules set down by HIPPA.
This is a medical claim form established by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). While much of the claims forms can be submitted electronically, there are still many commercial insurance companies that paper claim filing via the CMS 1500 form. CMS is the federal agency that administers the health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and HIPPA.
Aside from being a payment request, a claim is also a notice that outlines the services performed.
The patient must pay X amount defined by the insurance plan at the end or the beginning of their visit to the medical office.
Term used for patients that are covered by more than one health plan for whatever reason.
This is the amount the patient will have to pay the medical office out of pocket prior to their insurance company paying the rest of the amount.
For the purpose of billing this is when the patient’s illness will be matched with the treatment they received.
Also known as DOS, this is the date that the patient received services.
The Day Sheet is a summary of any treatments given to the patient, payments received and charges.
The patient’s physical demographics include their age, sexuality, address, and any other personal information needed to file a claim.
Wheelchairs, oxygen, walkers, crutches, catheters, etc. are all examples of DME.
This is a term for medical records that are in electronic or digital format.
This is a statement sent to the provider from the insurance company that details payments, charges they cover and deductibles and other patient responsibilities.