Practice Management Alert

Question: I'm interested in boosting my marketability as a medical biller. Are there well-known certifications for medical billing that could give me an edge in the job market?
   
Nevada Subscriber
 
Answer: Yes, there are certifications out there for medical billing. "As far as being 'well-known,' that's another story," says Chris Felthauser, CMBS, CPC, office manager for Maple Grove Eye Clinic in Boise, ID.
 
Although billing certification isn't as prominent as coding certification, "I don't think it hurts at all to have a certification through a reputable organization," Felthauser says. For example, the American Association of Allied Health Professionals has a good medical billing certification program. You can check it out at www.aaahp.com.
 
Getting certified certainly will give you an edge over the competition in the job market, Felthauser confirms. "If I was to hire a new biller in my office, and one of the resumes had listed that they were a certified medical billing specialist ... that would definitely go to the top of the pile," he says. Of course, experience also is important, so be sure to highlight that on your resume as well, he advises.
 
When thinking about certification, keep in mind that while billing and coding go hand in hand, they're not exactly the same. "Just because you have billing experience does not necessarily mean you have coding experience," Felthauser reminds professionals. Ideally, billers should be certified in both coding and billing.