Do I need to become a certified biller or coder to process medical claims?
The simple answer is "NO".
You are not required to have any certifications for billing or coding to create and process claims for physician "professional" billing. If you specifically want to be able to list the credentials after your name. (e.g. "CMRM"), you will be required to find a program that can provide you with a certification.
We are not saying there is no value in the certification...it is just that 90%+ of the situations you will ever encounter in physician billing will not require certifications to complete the work.
If I decide to get certified in billing and/or coding, where should I get the training?
We recommend you research online and decide on the one that best suits your needs. There are local and online options with technical and community colleges you may consider. In fact, there are literally too many options to research thoroughly. Be wary because the quality of these will vary widely and is completely dependent on the instructors who are teaching the material. For this reason, we suggest LOTS of research on any program you consider.
What resources are available if I choose not to get certified?
- We will tell you that the best "investment" we have found is a subscription to SuperCoder. It can be an invaluable resource and give you the tools needed to complete tasks with confidence. At about $400/year it is much less expensive than most of the courses that are available locally and online, plus it is updated in real-time.
- It is recommended that you find good billing "communities" online where ideas and expertise are shared. Personally, we feel these are potentially more valuable than a training course to an ABS licensee and much less expensive. You should start by checking out AAPC Billing and Coding Forum, it is one of the most respected resources to the billing and coding community. If you do decide to move ahead and become certified, they are also one of the most respected certification programs in the industry.
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