What Does a Medical Biller Do? (With Salary and Job Duties)

If you want to pursue a role in health care but want the flexibility of being able to work from home, you may want to consider a career as a medical biller. Medical billers play an important role in ensuring patients and insurance companies handle medical fees so individuals can continue to receive care. Learning more about the role and its responsibilities can help you determine if the job is a good fit for your skills, lifestyle and professional goals.

In this article, we explain what medical billers do, review how much they earn, describe the difference between a medical biller and a coder and share how to pursue this role.

What does a medical biller do?

Medical billers are health information technicians who manage payments on patient balances and oversee insurance claims for a health care provider. Medical billers can work for a variety of health care practices, including primary care facilities, clinics, hospitals and specialists. Some common medical biller job responsibilities include:

• Creating invoices based on filing codes assigned to medical procedures

• Submitting claims to insurance companies electronically and via mail

• Sending invoices to patients for remaining balances after insurance payouts

• Communicating with insurance company representatives to track payments and confirm patient coverage information

• Investigating denied claims and outstanding patient invoices to ensure the provider receives payment

• Managing patient payments and updating information over the phone and in person

• Balancing sent claims and payments received to record the provider's monthly and quarterly earnings accurately

Medical biller salary

Medical biller salaries depend on the employee's level of education and experience, as well as their employer's practice and location. In the United States, the average medical biller salary is $34,340 per year. Often, medical billers can increase their earning potential by pursuing continuing education and gaining experience in the field.

For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the link provided.

Medical biller job requirements

Many health information specialist employers have specific job requirements for candidates. Meeting these requirements can help you gain employment and pursue advancement opportunities. Here are some common medical biller job requirements:

Education

Many employers require medical biller candidates to have a post-secondary education, such as completed coursework or certification in medical billing. Many community colleges and vocational schools offer medical billing courses. Some employers may prefer an associate degree in health information technology, health care administration or a related field. Medical billers may also choose to pursue a bachelor's degree in health care administration, business or another related field to gain a more well-rounded education and possibly increase their earning potential and advancement opportunities.

Related: How To Get a Bachelor's Degree in Medical Billing  and Coding

Training

Postsecondary programs and associate degrees in health information technology and other related fields provide medical billers with knowledge of medical codes, terminology, insurance policies, health care information regulations and other foundational concepts. Some programs may offer training in using medical billing software, creating documentation and invoices, organizing and analyzing data with spreadsheet software and other computer literacy tasks related to the role.

Medical billers can also often apply their education in the workplace where more training occurs, often under the supervision of a current medical biller or office manager. Newly hired medical billers may learn to use the medical billing software their employer prefers and the specific billing processes their practice uses. During their initial training, they may also become acquainted with the common needs of their employer's patients and better understand the current status of outstanding claims and invoices.

Certifications

Some employers may require certification to prove the skills and knowledge needed to become a professional medical biller, and candidates may choose to pursue certifications to further their education and document their expertise. The following certifications can help you secure employment, advance your career and possibly increase your earning potential:

Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

Endorsed by the American Health Information Management Association, the RHIT  certification assesses a specialist's ability to document patient claims accurately and contribute productively to a practice's financial organization.

This certification requires candidates to have an associate degree in health information management and complete a 3.5-hour multiple-choice exam covering topics such as patient data analysis, health care record-keeping and compliance. It's important to earn a score of 300 or higher to pass the exam.

Related: 10 Jobs  That You Can Do With a Medical Billing and Coding Certificate

Certified Professional Biller (CPB)

Offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders, the CPB certification proves a biller's proficiency in submitting claims within national health care regulations and an in-depth understanding of a variety of insurance plans, including government-funded and privately funded programs. The CPB also tests a biller's familiarity with nationally recognized numerical codes assigned to a variety of medical procedures. The certification requires candidates to pass a 200-question multiple-choice exam that covers coding, billing policies and compliance.

Related: Differences Between Medical Billing and Coding (With Salary)

Skills

Here are some common skills and qualities that help medical billers in their roles:

• Customer service: Medical billers use exceptional customer service skills to discuss patient accounts and payments, often addressing challenging or sensitive situations. They practice empathy and active listening to fully understand patients' needs and answer questions regarding claims.

• Organization: It's important for billers to accurately and thoroughly document patient procedures as claims and invoices using their attention to detail and organizational skills. They often send documents electronically and via mail, so being able to receive, sort and file information is necessary to ensure efficiency.

• Computer literacy: Medical billers often use various software programs to create and submit claims as well as to organize patient data. It's important for them to be comfortable completing tasks on a computer and learning new software and electronic documentation processes that are increasingly common in the health care industry.

• Data analysis: Medical billers often navigate complex data and use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to find potential errors, understand claims and review patients' financial histories.

• Math skills: Medical billers may perform basic calculations when balancing a patient's account. Math skills can help these specialists quickly provide financial updates to patients and providers.

• Discretion: Due to the sensitivity of the information they work with, medical billers require a high level of discretion and must comply with federally mandated security protocols on health care information as designated by the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Medical biller work environment

Medical billers typically work in an office environment, often in a department of a practice, clinic or another health care facility. Some medical billers work for health care information management companies that provide contractors to handle their clients' accounts. Depending on the needs of the practice or their employer, some medical billers may work in separate locations or remotely.

These settings often include the following characteristics:

• Sitting for extended periods

• Using computers, printers and other office equipment

• Communicating over the phone and in person with patients, practitioners and fellow billing specialists

Related: 18 Examples of Career Goals for a Medical Biller and Coder

Medical biller vs. medical coder

Some might refer to a medical billing specialist as a "medical biller and coder," but, in reality, these are two separate occupations. A medical coder interprets the type of care a patient receives and uses medical coding to assign a special designation for their services. Medical coders sit for a different examination for their certification, called CPC. Billers can use these designations to bill patients for services accurately. While some billers might perform medical coding responsibilities, typically these are two separate occupations.

Related: How To Get a Medical Coding Job From Home With No Experience

How to become a medical biller

If you're interested in becoming a medical biller, here are the steps you can take:

1. Pursue medical coding courses

Those interested in becoming medical billers can earn a high school diploma or GED diploma and complete medical billing coursework at a community college or vocational school, which often results in a postsecondary certification. Others choose to earn an associate degree in health information technology or a related field or earn a bachelor's degree. Consider your career goals and the type of employer you want to work for when selecting which type of education to pursue.

Related: How Long Does It Take To Become a Medical Biller?

2. Consider certifications

Some employers may prefer certifications like the RHIT or CPB to prove your experience and knowledge of HIPAA regulations, accepted medical billing processes and other necessary skills. Consider browsing job openings that interest you to learn if employers seek specific certification courses. If you're already working as a medical biller, a certification can help you increase your earning potential and qualify for advancement opportunities. Consider speaking with your employer about helpful continuing education opportunities. Some employers may offer financial support or reimbursement for certification programs. 

Related: What Is Medical Billing  Certification? Definition, Importance and How To Get Certified

3. Gain entry-level experience

While pursuing your education or certification, consider seeking an entry-level position in a medical office, such as a receptionist role, to build your professional network, familiarize yourself with medical terminology and practice your customer service skills when interacting with patients. After pursuing education and earning certification, apply for entry-level medical biller positions to start gaining on-the-job experience. Working in health care can help you learn the skills required for the role and build your resume.

Related: 20 Medical Biller  Interview Questions (Plus Example Answers)

4. Consider furthering your education

Medical billers with a certification or an associate degree can pursue a bachelor's degree to expand their education and possibly advance to a senior medical biller or other leadership position within their department. Some medical billers also choose to complete coursework and certify in medical coding to open their career to new responsibilities. Doing this can increase earning potential and help billers develop worthwhile skills.

Related: How To Become a Medical Biller and Coder in 5 Steps

5. Update your resume

Include your highest level of education, relevant work experience, skills and achievements on your resume. Search for open medical biller positions in your area, and apply with a cover letter tailored to each position by using keywords from the job description. Editing your resume to match the requirements of each role can increase your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.

Related: Companies That Hire Work From Home Medical Billers

Medical biller job description example

Here's an example of a medical biller job description:

Hartford Community Clinic is seeking an exceptional medical biller to join the billing and accounts department. The candidate must have an associate degree in health information technology or a degree in a related field in addition to medical billing certification. A qualified candidate has three years of experience handling patient accounts and is comfortable interacting with patients daily, can communicate with insurance companies to track unpaid claims and is able to handle patient data discreetly per HIPAA requirements.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.