Follow the Paper Trail into a Medical Billing & Coding Career
Keeping the paperwork in order is essential for every doctor's office. Read on to see if a career in medical billing and coding is in your future.

A career in medical billing and coding places you at the center of paperwork and documentation. Medical billers and coders are critical in helping to free up doctors' and nurses' time so that they can focus on patients. Medical billers and coders also help ensure that patients' documents and insurance company claims are properly processed. With experience, you can rise to administration levels and oversee the work of other staff members.

Checking Out Your New Work Environment
You'll predominantly be working in an office setting. Many individuals work in hospitals, but quite a few also work in outpatient centers, home health care centers, and nursing care facilities. You can expect to spend a good deal of time sitting and typing on a computer inputting information.

Learning About the Perks of a Health Care Career
One of the benefits of working in the health care industry is that it's expected to be particularly strong for many years. Even as unemployment rose to 5.5% in May 2008, the health care industry continued to add jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Geriatric care specialties look to be particularly promising given that the average life expectancy continues to climb; Americans are now living to approximately 78 years of age. Plus, the BLS reports an expected 18% increase in medical information jobs from 2006 to 2016. The demand for people in this career should help you obtain a job and foster favorable circumstances for your career advancement.

Discovering Your Health Education Options
A two-year associate's degree is often all that's required to get a job in medical billing and coding. Advancement in an organization is generally furthered by obtaining certifications and by specialization. For instance, you may consider certification by the Board of Medical Specialty Coding or the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists (PAHCS). Certification from the PAHCS means that you have committed to continuing education in health care coding and that you are proficiently knowledgeable in an ambulatory health care delivery environment.

Health care professionals are in high demand and you should be able to find jobs in many locations in the U.S.

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Employment Situation Summary
• Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
The Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists, Certification Overview