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Physicians and billing - me

Posted: Feb 02, 2013

I see a lot of my clients as a patient. I have health insurance, which states that they accept a certain payment from that insurance as full payment. However, certain clients do balance billing, which is illegal. Balance billing is basically billing you personally for the amount over what they accepted as payment from that insurance company as an in-network physician.

If this were not my client, I would refuse to pay; however, since they are my clients, I have no choice. How would they feel if I charged them over the price what we agreed on? This second physician who now did it (just got the bill) is one I particularly warned about his broken phone, and I told him several times I would and could charge him a higher rate up to 35 cpl if he continued to dictate on this broken phone, which he does continue to do at least several times a week. I feel like charging him the extra charge, which I warned him about several times. He did not tell me in advance that he would balance bill me....

The last physician who did this that I reported to my insurance company threatened to remove him from their network..... but yet eventually paid the extra that physician was billing. They were pissed. Do I report this physician too? Not worth losing the client...

Why can they steal from us and yet not like it themselves.... I read a lot of posts on this board blaming MTSOs for being the greedy crooks, but take it from me, it is the cheap clients to blame for lower pay. I deal with them all the time.

me - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the "me" who keeps posting about how much money you make (despite your disabilities) and that you have to turn away clients because you can't find "good enough" MTs to help you? Clients or not, what they are doing is illegal, so why would you just pay them?

balance billing... sm - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Why I would pay them? Because this happens to be a client.... a client who is connected to my main client...And this is not the first time I have had to pay "balance billing" from seeing a client for treatment. I either pay or jeopardize my entire business.

They agreed to accept my insurance as payment in full per their contract with my insurance company and turn around and extract from me. That is like saying my contact with them stating I will provide services for x amount is payment and full, and then charging them extra without warning. That would be fraud and theft if I did it to them.

exactly - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
so don't pay them. Client or not, I pay what is legal and fair. I certainly don't overpay any entity for any reason at any time.

yes... - she is.

[ In Reply To ..]
telling tall tales again, obviously.

I have seen this in the past, too. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I guess they feel entitled. I receive remittance advice from my health insurance now that says what they were billed, what they paid, the contracted discount, and what I owe. If you can get a remittance advisory such as this, perhaps staple it with your bill, pay what the insurance company says to pay with a note that says "Oh my, there must be an oversight here and I have corrected my payment accordingly--please let know if I am making an error, blah, blah, blah. And then see what he says.

Perhaps on your bill, you could put an additional line that says, "additional service charge for level III dictation due to the auditory complexity." They should understand that--I am always transcribing "modifying factor requested due to surgical complexity."
Of course you have to have confidence to handle any disagreement. He may be delaying purchasing new equipment because he is planning a change to a MTSO or thinks he can do his own EMR.

thank you... sm - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, I think I will take your advice. When I saw him for treatment, I told him I am a headache patient, only obvious by my medical records. I spend 95% of my income treating my headaches only to have him dictate on an extremely bad-sounding phone that starts my headaches all over again. I am extremely explicit in my service contracts regarding phone usage, specifying a land line, especially due to the fact he is getting a huge discount already.

The fact is balance billing is illegal. My last pain management physician did this, and when I spoke with my insurance company, they were so mad that they threatened to cancel him from their network. They agree to accept a certain price as FULL payment, and then bill us on the side. For people unaware of this, they just pay the bill. It is illegal and is just as if we agree to charge a certain price for transcription services, and then charge them quite another. I think it is called "fraud/theft."

Headaches - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Have you tried chiropractic for your headaches at all? It's been a godsend for me. You have to find a really good one though.

headaches - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I cannot go to chiropractors anymore and now have different headaches (occipital neuralgia mostly but also migraines, supraorbital neuralgia, etc., requiring specialized injections every month, one of which I did not get this Friday because of an infection (funny, he had no qualms about injecting me the last 3 months I was sick until I told them I would not come in for 30 days versus every 2 weeks that I have been)... Severe headache since...

Thanks for the info though. I am fused anterior and posterior 2 levels with that Medtronic Infuse crap...you know, the stuff they were not to use in the neck.... My insurance also covers Botox, which I have authorization for, but my doctor will not give me because ...he knows better to balance bill me, and the price of Botox went up (although he still makes significant money injecting it), so guess I will have to go to my other client to get. I have been waiting for the Botox injections for over 2 years. He keeps promising me and never delivers.

One thing I am extremely grateful for with my career is knowing the in's and out's of what REALLY goes on at the doctors and how to deal with/win authorizations for treatment with my insurance company.... The problem is it is extremely difficult to get away for appointments and treatment let alone the costs.

Here is what it sounds like to me - and correct me if I am wrong

[ In Reply To ..]
But you seem to be one of those people that think the whole world revolves around them. He should dictate on better equipment becuase you get headaches? I would be very, very careful because if I were that doc, I would tell you where to stuff it. There are plenty of MTs willing and waiting to pounce that job.

dictation - me

[ In Reply To ..]
My service contract specifies a land line. Period. He is getting a pretty substantial discount to do so. Honestly, everybody posts on this board how they wish MTSOs would address horrible dictation. My headaches, by the way, cost several thousand dollars per month to treat as well as having 10 surgeries, including neurosurgery.

The post was in regard to balance billing, which is illegal. He agreed with my insurance company to accept a certain payment in full as his payment and yet is billing me the difference from what my insurance pays him and what he thinks he should get. I pay $1200 per month for my medical insurance. Also, I asked him specifically if he could perform an anterior approach, which he stated he could, but then turned around and did a posterior approach, so I had to get it done all over again. I also paid a driver to go all the way down to his office 1 hour away, lost a day's income, etc., which was quite substantial.

ewwww... omg - I seriously cant stand

[ In Reply To ..]
When MTs believe they know so much more than the MDs. You specifically asked him for an anterior approach and he turned around and did a posterior approach? What.. out of spite? To prove your wrong? To make you come back? Ya gotta be kiddin me!!!

Unacceptable sound quality - me

[ In Reply To ..]
No, the whole world does not evolve around me. Turn-around time to several facilities does. When he dictates on a broken phone, he interrupts TAT for numerous facilities, most of which are urgent care, which is unacceptable.

And there are plenty of MTs who appreciate somebody finally addressing unacceptable sound quality... This is how I run my business. I pay a lot of money each month on land lines and a great dictation system, so I can listen to clear dictation and transcribe accurately in a timely fashion.

If you want to transcribe his problem dictation and can turn in client-ready work at 99.9-100% accuracy at a discounted price, please DO email me. I would be more than happy to hire you for these reports. I have a very strict and fast TAT. Some of this dictation is due within minutes, as they are on the gurney ready for surgery.

The sound quality is specifically outlined in all my contracts, and he is given a discount for it. I am shorthanded on MTs and not clients. Unfortunately, because he is tied to my other clients, I had no choice. I also tried to get fired, but that did not even work. I will not work for peanuts and would not expect my transcriptionist to either. The fact that I spend a small fortune treating these headaches each month, money on equipment, and the fact that it disrupts the workflow of all facilities...that is unacceptable.

The above, however, has nothing to do with the original post, which is illegal billing. Would you stand for MTSOs not paying for your work or not paying you at the agreed price per contract? Of course not! You would be screaming all over the place.

Wait! Wait! - Lemme guess!

[ In Reply To ..]
You are close, but I think she believes the doctor is DELIBERATELY using a broken phone with the intent to give her headaches.

It is a conspiracy. All her clients are in on it. As well as their office staff. And the main client got his buddies in on it just so they could all torture her worse!

We are in on it now, too. Or will be as soon as someone notes that somebody might benefit from counseling. She'll have a reason that won't work.

Why are you assuming it is the physician who is - personally inflicting this on you?

[ In Reply To ..]
In most cases, physician billing is done by someone in the front office who has little to no formal training and who may be unaware that you are in-network or may not understand what that means. They just do the bills. If full payment is not received from the insurer, the software theh use just cranks out another bill.

Instead of paying up in some kind of victim mode, just send them a polite note reminding them that you are in-network and should not owe anything more. At the time of your visit, remind them of this saying "Since you are within the network, my copayment should be all thag I owe. You will not be sending me a bill for any balanceis that correct ?"

You might want to get your care from physicians who are not your clients. That way you need not fear alienating them.

Regarding the broken phone doctor, who did you tell about the phone? And how did you tell them? He might not have heard about it from his staff and they might not understand what you mean by "broken phone." To them, if a phone works, it is not broken. He may be dictating from several phones and not understanding why you are complaining. And the front office staff you complain to might just be sick of hearing about it or afraid to tell him. Address it or not, but don't mix it up with your complaints about his biller.

See message - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I spoke directly with the physician and his biller. They are fully aware balance billing is illegal.

Regarding the phone, I spoke directly with the physician in person as well as several emails. My contract states clear land line... He knows exactly what is wrong with his phone and the fact I am a headache patient, and I played back his dictation for him. He is also receiving a pretty good discount stating in writing for "good dictation etiquette and using a land line," yet he calls in on a cordless phone that malfunctions. He knows it is malfunctioning. He definitely calls in his longer reports on a clear phone, as he knows I have to subcontract this out, and told him specifically that if the dictation was that bad, nobody would type those. I especially do not allow bad dictation to my subcontractors.

Trust me, I know from experience, they know exactly what they are doing in terms of billing. I work directly with them and on some accounts even do the coding.

Illegal insurance billing - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
If they admit that they know what they are doing is illegal, I think you have enough evidence to report them to the insurance commission in your state. If you think they are so unethical, maybe you should quit. If you do the coding for them, you share in the liability.

If you even do the coding - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
and admit that you know it is wrong, that makes you an accessory. You need to speak to legal counsel.

Please read below. You missed the entire point - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for the advice. However, I do NOT code for his office whatsoever. I code for an entirely different office and physician in an entirely different city not related to him whatsoever, who is very honest. I also just code the procedures, and it is not my responsibility to submit the codes.
Billing goes over that.

I was just stating the coding because I am very familiar with what goes on as far as reimbursements. I am also very familiar with my benefits to the exact letter.

At this office visit I mentioned, they were also telling me I had to have new x-rays in order to receive the injection (this despite my imaging studies being recent)and was told the the costs were included in my visit. They were not and in fact we are responsible for 50% of the costs. If I were not so familiar with our benefits, I would have been stuck with several hundred dollars more on this bill. I have already been there and done that with another client.

I went around and around with this, then won when I - ex NICU mom

[ In Reply To ..]
advised them balance billing was illegal, and I could turn them into both the state insurance commissioner and insurance company themselves. I didn't work for these particular providers though. I provided written proof (copies of EOB statements).

Since when is "balance billing" - Illegal

[ In Reply To ..]
and can you direct me to a source that says so?? EVERY insurer I have had in the past worked this way. The doctor charges you for his services and the insurance company...the insurance company only has to pay a certain amount of the billing, as per the policy...the remainder of the billing goes to the patient as his/her share. That is where most insurers say an 80/20 % policy. As far as I know, they all do this. Why is this illegal? and again, can you direct me to a source that says this is illegal? thank you.

I'm not the OP, and this whole subject is actually new to me. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I found this (see link) on a quick Google search with: medical balance billing laws

And there's more on the subject if you do a search with those terms.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/a-medical-bill-you-may-not-have-to-pay/

wow! thanks for the article! - This is all news to me!

[ In Reply To ..]
but according to this article, there are so many "loopholes" that no body on the patient side would ever be able to figure out if they are actually being illegally charged due to balance billing or if the provider that did their "servicing" was truly in-network or not. What a scam! almost betting that the patient will automatically pay the balance and not even investigate if it is legal or not. Doctors get outragous salaries as it is...they don't need to nickle and dime the under privileged patient for EVERYTHING. I don't believe health care is "legitimate" any longer. I don't trust doctors at all, think they are overpaid gods, and avoid them at all costs! thank you again for the article...it was "enlightening."

Billing over the agreed-to fee schedule or contracted rate with the insurance carrier is - FBL

[ In Reply To ..]
balance billing, and it is in violation of the doc's contract with the insurance carrier....if the carrier is a Medicare or Medicaid fiduciary, it is most definitely illegal as well. Has nothing to do with coding (though many of the same providers upcode as well), so "me" is not an accessory.

All you need to do is notify the carrier of the overcharge. They will advise you further. It could boil down to a contract issue between provider and carrier, maybe a contract clause that the carrier's system can't automatically handle. Or it could be that there is no back-billing-prohited clause in the contract...common with the old style major medical/fee for service only plans. Either way, let them handle it and/or advise you.

Thank you.... I actually am going to - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks. You are correct.

I had a really bad headache when I posted this, but let me clarify I am not coding any of his reports but for another physician.

I unfortunately have a lot of experience dealing with insurance companies, mostly due to fighting for authorizations. I have some rare medical conditions and because of the fields of medicine I work in am experienced with some of the latest treatment methods. I was one of the first people in my state to win my appeal for Botox to treat migraines, having paid for over years out of my own pocket.

The entire reason for the post is to vent and let everybody know this is illegal, just as would be if my service contract with him states a certain exact price for transcription and I turn around and charge him more, which would be unethical and illegal. Most people are not aware of this or even that they can appeal for treatment necessary and win.

Yes, the patient pays a percentage of the bill, but only up to - FBL

[ In Reply To ..]
what will make the total paid by both the insurer and the patient equal to the maximum amount allowed by the contract between the provider and the insurer for the particular services rendered. If there is no contract, there is no preset limit, but the insurer will likely still base their percentage on an established fee schedule, such as some percentage of Medicare's schedule (usually about 120% of Medicare allowable for a commercial plan). This would fall under the "usual and customary" provision of the insurer/patient contract. Then the consumer is on his own to negotiate the same discount/writeoff with the provider.

It can get complicated! That is why the 1st thing to do is contact the insurer.

balance billing... I already have on another physician and won - me

[ In Reply To ..]
They already confirmed it. According to my plan, once I meet the yearly deductible, I only pay my copay for office visits and in-office procedure, which is what this visit was. According to my plan/contract, I pay nothing more.

I work directly for numerous physicians and facilities as well as being a patient at others, and you have no idea how dishonest how some physicians can be. In general, my clients are pretty honest. Others are not. One doctor was charging me for each office visit (up to 5 per day for several months despite my insurance company stating in writing I was covered during the postop period up to 3 months. When one of his staff told me, she was fired that day. That doctor was eventually kicked out of the practice by his partner, who told me in person he was open to too many lawsuits by him. Another was collecting for procedures up front, promising to reimburse me when the insurance did. I received statements from the insurance company they paid him, and I never got a dime back.

You are absolutely right - ex NICU mom

[ In Reply To ..]
when stating that there are many dishonest providers. Sometimes the unethical conduct is only on the part of their billing agency/staff (as in our case), however it still looks bad on the part of the provider.

I had a billing agency sic a collection agency on me because my insurance company refused to pay a claim. The date of service was 2 years' prior, so of course I thought everything was taken care of. Upon further research, the billing agency did not file the claim within the 45-day filing limit. Once that was established, they had no choice but to admit their mistake and eat the charge. I bet a days' pay they KNEW they were in the wrong but figured I would just fork it over anyway when confronted with a collection agency. Nope.

Same with the other provider's billing agency, threatening me with collection action when my daughter was covered by secondary Medicaid.

Ethical, my foot.

When the covered provider is IN network - ex NICU mom

[ In Reply To ..]
and accepts a set (contracted) fee from the insurance company for services rendered, then turns around and charges the patient or patient's family even more. Also, it's illegal when your child is covered by (primary or secondary) Medicaid, as in my child's case. She was under 2 pounds at birth so automatically qualified.

Links on balance billing: http://patients.about.com/od/glossary/g/balancebilling.htm

It is illegal in California per several insurance companies - me

[ In Reply To ..]
It is illegal in California per several insurance companies. I am in an HMO/PPO plan. They have set prices they pay out to the physicians in network and are not allowed to bill the patients the difference. This is in plain English in our enrollment papers and the representatives from the insurance company telling me verbally as well. My insurance company almost canceled my last physician's contract for doing this. Also, my main physicians have reiterated this. Call Blue Cross or HealthNet.

Good for you! - me

[ In Reply To ..]
You are correct.

I am just wondering if it is worth the battle and potential harm it could cause for sticking up for myself....

Over-stepping your bounds - you are an MT - period

[ In Reply To ..]
Your job is to transcribe not to decide if you like how they run their practice.

Are you doing the billing and not MT, did I misunderstand?

Not all insurance companies have the agreement that they cannot bill the patient the remaining amount over what the insurance company pays. (I'm actually studying this right now.)

I think you need to be an MT and leave the judge and jury job up to someone who is qualified.

She is not overstepping as the patient being billed and expected to pay - FBL

[ In Reply To ..]
I would recommend she keep the two relationships (patient/doc and vendor/client) separate, however, and address the 2 issues...overbilling and using faulty equipment....separately.

Did you miss this statement in her post...? - Des

[ In Reply To ..]
"Balance billing is basically billing you personally for the amount over what they accepted as payment from that insurance company as an in-network physician."

Clearly, she KNOWS what can and cannot be charged to the patient. If that physician is in-network with her insurance company, then the physician CANNOT bill her for the amount that's to be written off (you know, the difference between the allowable amount and the actual billed amount) per the contract with that physician and her insurance company. Since you're "studying this right now," you should know that that's what "in-network" means.

You're post was so off the mark it's absurd. The OP has EVERY RIGHT to complain about being billed for charges that are to be written off per the contract with her physician and her insurance company. It's a blatant violation of that contract, and he had better hope Medicare doesn't find out about it.

Her point was that she's afraid that a physician who's already demonstrated unethical behavior by charging her money she doesn't owe, will turn around and terminate her MT services simply because she complained about being charged money she doesn't owe.

The reality is that YOU are the one who needs to "leave the judge and jury job to someone who is qualified."

Thank you!!! - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Correct, although I am not a Medicare patient but purchase my insurance through my business. If they are doing this to me, they are probably doing it to other people.

doesn't matter which insurance you have... - Des

[ In Reply To ..]
if Medicare gets wind of ANY kind of unethical, illegal insurance/patient billing, they'll stop THEIR payments and initiate a full investigation, because if this doc is doing this with private insurances, he's probably doing it with Medicare, too.

Not overstepping my bounds. I know my rights - me

[ In Reply To ..]
My insurance company, HealthNet, specifically states balance billing is illegal, both in writing and verbally. Blue Cross and all others also state this for in-network providers. Again, they agree to a certain payment from the insurance company as payment in full and MUST NOT bill the patient for the remainder of the bill. It is in their contract. This is the entire reason for network physicians. Who better qualified to know when you have such an extensive medical history and deal with the insurance companies all the time. Trust me, you have to be proactive in your medical care and billing/insurance. My health insurance is also as an employer, so it IS MY BUSINESS literally. I own my own company. I am HR.

If the doctor were out-of-network, this would be different, but he is not. Again, it states my benefits and rights directly in my member services as well as confirmation verbally directly from HealthNet (and prior Blue Shield, and other major insurance companies).

Excuse me if I do not want to bend over backwards and take it there.

I do not code for his office but another.

send an anonymous tip to Medicare about this, and - Des

[ In Reply To ..]
when he gets audited by Medicare, he'll be sore for a very long time.

EOB - patient responsibility

[ In Reply To ..]
Your whole post would make more sense if a patient didnt get an EOB which clearly states on it whether or not you can be billed for the balance.

I think you needed some attention today.

Read the other posts... in-network physician... - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I seriously think your post was rude and without any intelligence whatsoever. My explanation of benefits is clear: I AM ONLY TO PAY THE COPY AND NOTHING MORE. As the owner of a company and therefore head of the Human Resources Department, I am familiar with every single letter of benefits. I cannot be billed for the balance. Period. Are you unable to comprehend English?

I was simply venting and refuse to be ripped off, just as every other MT does on this board. I respect the posters who are familiar with these laws. Other posts I truly have to wonder. Again, this was an in-network physician, who contracted with my insurance company to accept a certain price per contract as PAYMENT IN FULL.

If you contract for a specific payment, that is ALL YOU CAN BILL. Same as transcriptionist. If you sign a contract stating you will provide services for x amount, you CANNOT bill y amount unless specifically stated otherwise prior to. Otherwise, you are committing fraud/theft. On the flip side, if you promise to pay x amount to a transcriptionist, you cannot turn around and pay w (a lower price) to a transcriptionist when your contract states you will pay x amount. GET IT? If you go to a store and pick out an item marked "$2.00," the store cannot charge you $4.00 for that same item marked $2.00. If you hire somebody who quotes one price for their services and you sign a contract stating that, they cannot charge you any more than what is stated on that contract.

No, I cannot be billed for any balance they think they are owed. They contract with my insurance company to accept a certain payment for services and nothing else. Not only can I read and perfectly understand my member services contract, but the insurance company has verified this verbally. My main treating physician and I also discuss this, as is is illegal. Again, this physician is IN-NETWORK. My office visits and in-office procedures are FULLY COVERED for the copay of $40. NOTHING MORE.

As an employer, I am fully required to be familiar with and fully understand member benefits. As a patient with complex medical problems and extensive treatment, I understand it even more than you can comprehend. I deal with it every day.

I actually do read every single word in that contract, just as I did when we were briefly with Kaiser. I was more familiar with that contract than the physicians themselves and as such won over 300 appeals, finally getting reimbursed $20,000 paid out in cash despite 2 premiums I paid in full prior to going to Kaiser (they conveniently lost us in the system for over 30 days). That was just in 2 months. I advise anybody not to go on Kaiser unless you are completely healthy, independently wealthy, and do not have to work.

I also advise anybody to be completely proactive in their care and treatment when needed. We all know how many mistakes doctors make. We correct them every day.

Exactly. And here is something else. - Two things, in fact

[ In Reply To ..]
Look at the EOB. If it says you are responsible, you need to pay. Otherwise report it to your carrier.

You would not have a problem doing that if you were not mixing business with your own healthcare. It really doesn't matter who is right or wrong, or why they are doing it. The problem is that you have a conflict of interest. You cannot be both contractor and client.

That puts you in an awkward position where you cannot deal with the doctor as either client or as the provider of your care. If you were a healthcare professional, you would recognize this as an ethical conflict.

You should not see your clients for medical care. Period.

If you separate the two, you will have less reason to embroil yourself in all this attention-getting drama and turmoil.

That would be great if other physicians could perform procedure I needed - me

[ In Reply To ..]
But they cannot. My only other choice was pay an extra $750 to get it done at the hospital, the last of which took them 7 hours to perform, which is why I saw him in the first place. Not all physicians are capable of performing all procedures.

I was simply venting at getting ripped off and not seeking attention, as you stated. There is no ethical conflict when I see that physician for treatment, especially when there are few doctors who can treat certain conditions in my area.

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Has anyone out there pursued their medical billing degree along with their MT degree? I am currently studying for my RMT exam and am seriously considering getting my Medical Billing credentials, as well. I thought it might be a good back-up plan in case I had difficulty obtaining work in the MT field. I also thought it might make me look more versatile, overall, if I had an education in billing. I am not planning on taking any coding courses. I would greatly appreciate all feedback. Thanks. ...

Sep 21, 2012

Hello, can you tell me if anyone here just does Medical Billing and not Coding, and if so is there a good online school for that and does it pay well? ...

Apr 20, 2010

has anyone thought about or actually made the swith from mt to billing/coding? ...

Jan 11, 2011

Anyone know if MedQuist has coding/billing jobs and would hire a new grad from CareerStep? Thanks! ...

Jun 13, 2011

I'm now transcribing directly into the EMR for my client now, and therefore, cannot charge by the lines anymore. The only thing I can think of to do is charge by the megabyte. I would put the whole billing period of voice files in one folder, click properties, and there would be my total megabytes for the billing period. I played 8 voice files that added up to 27.81 minutes and 2.95 mg of voice files so it seems safe to assume 1 mg = 1 min of dictation. At $1.85 per me ...

Apr 05, 2011

Quick question - medical billing and medical coding are two totally separate entities, right? Meaning, you have schools for billing and schools for coding or schools that teach coding OR billing.. Just had a discussion with someone regarding this and I would like to have my facts straight ... thanks everyone!!! There are billing jobs and coding jobs, but the two shall never "meet", right? ...

Apr 11, 2011

I have a stupid question. When I finished my MT course with Allied Medical School, I then found out they are NOT (federally) accredited, they do not assist you in finding positions, and they do not assist in helping you become certified. In other words, I felt that I wasted all of that money. As a newbe I was unable to find a job. I started apprenticing with a company, paid their $500 fee for software, and after 8-9 months, found they had changed their name. Apparently, they were getti ...

Sep 30, 2011

I have been an MT for 20+ years and now looking into coding and billing... Would you recommend it? I am considering this, but looking for some words of wisdom prior to making a decision. I see Career Step offers the program, but not familiar enough with Career Step to know if they are a reputable. I have been told that coding is on its way out like transcription and not to waste my time, but only heard that from one person so far. Anything you can share with me would be great! Thanks :) ...

Nov 03, 2011

MEDICAL BILLING JOB Medical Billing is now world’s fastest growing demand in medical field. Medical carrer is right career for those job seekers who are willing to work in medical field. Our site will provide lot information about medical billing and coding to start successful medical career Medical billing is very responsible career for this professional because life of patient related with this. The Professional must have sound knowledge in medical terminology and medical coding a ...

Jan 24, 2012

I just hung up with an acquaintance in CA who is a professional placement consultant. I explained to her that after 25 or so years in MT, the writing is on the wall and I need to get OUT. She had some good suggestions for me and asked me if I knew MEDICAL BILLING, i.e. insurance stuff. She said that she knows a few people doing it from home and that they are "making a killing." Knowing that Andrews has a good reputation, I did an online search but it appears that Andrews only ...

Oct 30, 2014

It has been almost 8 months since I passed my CPC on first try. I have been in MT field for more than 14 years, and yet nobody is ready to give me a job based on that. Everyone says u dont have a coing xperience. Is anybody else suffering like me out there? I am slowly losing hope that I will ever be able to leave this field. ...

Mar 26, 2010

im 48 and need to get out of MT altogether, i cant afford to make it in this economy. Im going to be moving in with a friend for a while to rebuild and want to take some classes. I do not have a degree of any kind. What do you think would be the fastest route to at least make above 40 grand a year? The medical coding or the a rad tech of some sort? Even thought about occupational therapy but that program may take more than 2 years. I need something within about 18 ...

Apr 14, 2010

Can anyone explain the difference between coding and billing? Do coding credentials apply to billing too? ...

Jun 15, 2010

I have a background in medical transcription however I am unable to sit in the same position (foot pedal - headset - typing) for any length of time. I broke my neck many years ago and didn't know when I was in school that this was going to prevent me from doing this career on even a part time basis and after graduating with high honors and having great employee/employer relationships. I am wondering if it is feasible to do billing and coding with medical transcription in a home offic ...

Aug 30, 2010

I had a friend suggest I access this webiste for possible information on Medical Billing/Coding training. Do you have any suggestions on where to obtain training and certification for Medical Billing/Coding. There are 2 of us that would be interested in this and then to move onto the Medical Transcriptions. We would both like to work from home and spend time with our children. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your assistance. ...

Nov 09, 2010

In looking for a change - does anyone know of a Medical Billing Certification class you can take on line. Since, being gone from MQ I was able to get a job as an ROI Specialist, but I found out medical billers - make pretty good money. Yes coders even more. But for me I just think I want the medical billing certification. ...