Medical Coding and Billing in Oregon
Oregon is one example of the major successes accomplished by the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Oregon residents have obtained health insurance and started to use it, leading to the treatment and management of conditions that have gone ignored for years. Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other care providers have done a lot to make this happen—health care outcomes continue to improve year after year (Biz Journal, 2015).
How else can Oregon improve health care outcomes throughout the state? Medical care is all about teamwork, and it is up to administrative staff members to help care practitioners spend as much time with patients as they can. Those who specialize in medical coding and billing can use their expertise to ensure proper payment, give insurance companies the information they need, and collect payments from insurance companies and individuals.
If you have been looking for the perfect health care career for your skills, you may want to find out what medical coding and billing is all about. Keep reading to discover more about medical coding and billing programs in Oregon, then contact those that interest you to request program details.
What to Expect in Oregon Medical Coding and Billing Training
As you begin evaluating different medical coding and billing programs in Oregon, you may wonder which type of degree best suits your needs. To put it simply, you must weigh your options, talk with advisors at each school, and consider what you can learn in each program. Programs range from one semester to four semesters, and each type of program has its advantages.
These programs have more things in common than they do differences. In every case, they want to make you a skilled professional with a strong understanding of how diseases are diagnosed and treated, how to use written and oral information to create a thorough billing report, and collect on bills. To that end, you may take courses like CPT Coding Principles, Medical and Health Care Terminology, Health Care Concepts, Health Care Practices, and Pharmacology in Health Care Information.
The information you gain from your classes should prepare you for an internship or practicum, during which you gain relevant work experience.
Financial aid varies a bit from school to school, but some associations fund scholarships all over the state. The Oregon Eldercare Support Foundation awards funds to those who want to work in a long-term care setting.
Working as a Medical Billing and Coding Professional in Oregon
Oregon’s many health care and medical care facilities need trained professionals at every part of the process, from those who check in patients to those who provide care, accept payment, and answer billing questions. Because of this, you may explore job options at insurance companies, community care centers, specialty clinics, hospitals, and private clinics.
Overall, Oregon offers a strong job outlook to medical records technicians throughout the state. O*Net claims that job openings in this field may jump 20% by the year 2022 (2015). Their statistics indicate an average salary of $40,500 per year for medical records technicians (O*Net, 2015).
Though you do not have to be licensed to work in medical coding and billing, you may find that certification gives you a little boost that helps you during your job search and your ongoing career options. You can apply at AAPC to take your certification exam, at which point you receive your license and can call yourself a certified medical billing specialist.
The work you do in billing and coding helps patients and allows care providers to focus on patient care, where their training is most needed. Make care accessible—start by contacting medical coding and billing programs in Oregon.