If you plan on working on the medical field, one of the careers to consider is billing and coding.
These 2 professions in the same branch are administrative, which means you can work from home.
But, before you can get hired, you need to train and get a certification.
Read more about the steps required to get certified.
Article Table of Contents
What is Medical Billing?
Medical billing is the process through which a healthcare worker gets paid.
When medical products or services are offered, an invoice is issued to the client and insurance company.
In order to know how to bill, you need to know how the insurance and reimbursement process works.
You will also need to know some specific terminology regarding billing.
What is Medical Coding?
Medical coding is a bunch of data that is transformed into shortcodes.
These shortcodes represent the name of medical services that are being offered, as well as ailments.
If you plan to work in medical coding in New York, you will need to know CPT, ICD-10-CMN, and HCPCS Level II coding.
You will need to be familiar with these codes and be able to use them.
You will also be required to know how to organize these codes, and which of the codes need to be used when.
Specific terminology knowledge is one of the other requirements.
Getting the Appropriate Education and Certification
In order to get hired as a coder or a biller in New York, you should get a certification.
While getting one is not required, you can have a salary of up to 20% higher with a certification than without.
You will also find a job a lot easier.
The licenses are issued by The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
This is the biggest medical entity in the country.
In order to get certified, you will need a minimum of 80 hours of schooling and a year of job experience.
You can also seek certification if you already worked in coding or billing for 2 years.
The certifications are issued following a 150-question exam.
For coding, you need to get the CPC certification, while for billing you need the CPB certification.
Some students choose to get both certifications for an increased salary and work duties.
Before receiving either of these licenses, you have to enroll in a trade school and complete an 8-month long program.
These schools include the ones below.
School Name | Address |
---|---|
ACCESS CAREERS | 474 Fulton Avenue, Suite 201 Hempstead, NY |
BRANFORD HALL CAREER INSTITUTE | 500 New Karner Rd Albany, NY |
BRANFORD HALL CAREER INSTITUTE | 1100 North Broadway Amityville, NY |
BRANFORD HALL CAREER INSTITUTE | 565 Johnson Avenue Bohemia, NY |
BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE | 3650 Millersport Highway Getzville, NY |
BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE-ONLINE | 180 Redtail Rd Orchard Park, NY |
BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE | Sterling Park - 200 Redtail Rd. Orchard Park, NY |
EDP SCHOOL OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING | 1601 Voorhies Ave 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY |
ELMIRA BUSINESS INSTITUTE | 303 North Main Street Elmira, NY |
HUNTER BUSINESS SCHOOL | 3601 Hempstead Tpk Levittown, NY |
MANHATTAN INSTITUTE | 45 West 34th Street New York, NY |
MILDRED ELLEY SCHOOL | 855 Central Ave Albany, NY |
NEW LIFE BUSINESS INSTITUTE | 161-10 Jamaica Ave Ste 404 Jamaica, NY |
NEW YORK CAREER INSTITUTE | 11 Park Place 4th Floor New York, NY |
OSWEGO COUNTY BOCES | 179 County Route 64 Mexico, NY |
RIDLEY-LOWELL BUSINESS & TECHNICAL INSTITUTE | 26 South Hamilton St Poughkeepsie, NY |
SCHENECTADY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE | 78 Washington Avenue Schenectady, NY |
THE COLLEGE OF WESTCHESTER | 325 Central Ave White Plains, NY |
TOURO COLLEGE | 27-33 W 23rd St New York, NY |
TROCAIRE COLLEGE | 360 Choate Ave Buffalo, NY |
The training programs for billing and coding last for a shorter time compared to other jobs.
Still, you will need to think of what type of program you want to attend.
You can easily enroll in an online program instead of attending one physically.
Some schools also offer employment options right after you finish the program.
This will help you with getting job security right after passing your certification exam.
In New York, there are several schools that provide certification training in medical billing and coding.
Salary Expectations in New York
If you want to know the wages in this industry, you should know the vary based on location and experience.
If you get hired and work in a bigger area like New York City, Yonkers, Kingston, or Rochester you will be able to earn more.
You will also earn more money after you worked for some years in the field.
Annual Salary Range:Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
New York | $46,435 |
Hempstead | $41,975 |
Brookhaven | $41,473 |
Islip | $41,550 |
Oyster Bay | $43,772 |
Buffalo | $36,700 |
Babylon | $41,550 |
Rochester | $37,831 |
Huntington | $43,772 |
Yonkers | $44,235 |
Regional Salary in New York
Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 510 | $56,930 | $27.37 | $79,430 | $38,520 |
Binghamton, NY | 70 | $54,370 | $26.14 | $80,280 | $34,580 |
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 740 | $55,490 | $26.68 | $81,310 | $37,120 |
Elmira, NY | 60 | - NA - | - NA - | - NA - | - NA - |
Glens Falls, NY | 50 | $52,470 | $25.23 | $73,890 | $37,790 |
Ithaca, NY | 70 | $55,050 | $26.46 | $71,750 | $39,630 |
Kingston, NY | 50 | $58,320 | $28.04 | $94,010 | $40,250 |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 6,590 | $64,790 | $31.15 | $94,440 | $41,170 |
Rochester, NY | 440 | $53,910 | $25.92 | $71,710 | $39,270 |
Syracuse, NY | 370 | $53,140 | $25.55 | $69,890 | $38,060 |
Utica-Rome, NY | 170 | $47,190 | $22.69 | $63,150 | $32,260 |
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 40 | $48,370 | $23.25 | $58,470 | $32,720 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Generally, the BLS expects an increase of 13% in jobs related to medical billing and coding over the next 10 years.
Once you get your license from the AAPC, you may want to know some facilities that hire.
In New York, some of these include Albany Medical Center, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, and Helen Hayes Hospital, though these are not the only ones.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Medical Biller and Coder