When you are looking for work that gives you more flexibility than going to an office every day, why don't you consider a medical bill review telecommute position?
Medical Bill Review
Medical bills may not be accurate when they are presented to the patient or the patient's family for payment. Many of them contain errors which mean that patients (and their insurance companies) end up overpaying for medical services. These costs are passed along to the consumer as higher premiums for health insurance.
A medical bill review company provides services to individuals and healthcare providers. In the case of an individual, the medical bill review company can go over a bill received from a doctor, hospital, or nursing home to look for errors. You can ask one of these companies for help whether you have paid the bill or not. If you have paid the bill, the company will be paid a portion of the amount it recovers for you. In a situation where you haven't paid the bill yet, the company will charge you a set hourly rate.
Healthcare providers want to be paid fairly for the services they provide to their patients, and issues around incorrect codes or insurance company denials mean that they must wait longer to be compensated for their work. Their own staff may not have the time or the expertise to review each bill that was submitted to ensure that the correct codes were used. This is another situation where a medical bill review company can provide assistance.
Medical Coding Training
If you are interested in this type of work, you will first need to take a training course in medical coding. There are many options available to you, including home study courses. You may want to consider training that will help you get certified by one of the following organizations:
AHIMA - American Health Information Management Association
AAPC - American Association of Professional Coders
Getting this designation means that you will be paid more than a person who does not have it. According to MedicalCodingTraining.com, certified medical coders can command rates up to 17 percent higher than those who do not have this designation.
Job Outlook for Medical Bill Reviewers
Healthcare is a growing field that is expected to create a number of jobs over the next 10 years, and the job outlook for medical coders and medical bill reviewers is very good. Many opportunities are available to people trained to do this kind of work.
In this type of work, a first-year employee can expect to earn an average of $25,000-$30,000. After seven years on the job, wages increase to $35,000-$40,000. Employees with 18 years of service averaged $45,000-$50,000 per year. (Salary information from the American Academy of Professional Coders web site.)
Where to Find Medical Bill Review Telecommute Jobs
There are a number of places where you can find available medical bill review telecommute jobs. One place to see job openings is to check online job boards.
You can also conduct an online search for companies that provide medical bill review services. Once you have a list of employers you would be interested in working with, send each one a resume and a cover letter explaining that you are interested in working offsite.
If you are already working for a medical bill review company and are interested in working from home, approach your employer with a plan. Start by asking whether you could start by working from home one or two days per week. If that arrangement works out well, you can work up to a full-time medical bill review telecommute position.
