Home based Medical Billing Business
What is a Medical Biller? A Medical Biller is someone that is experienced, versed, trained in the areas of medical insurance claims filing and processing either by manual means or electronically. Manual: The Medical Biller types into a software program the information necessary to process the claim, prints it out and manually submits it to the insurance carrier via the US Postal Service. Electronic claims are typed into your software program and submitted by way of the internet or through a hyperterminal connection (telephone) to a clearinghouse for faster submission and return to the provider i.e., doctor, clinic, etc. This is a brief synopsis of a Medical Biller's job description, there is much more involved.
Ok, you have purchased your software and now you are ready for that first doctor to sign your contract. You send out letters of your new business, print flyers, make calls to set up appointments, then you wait.
Unless you have a great set of leads and almost positive you will have providers signing up for your business PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT unless you have the financial means to support yourself and your family for several months.
There is much to speak about the business as a medical biller, but time and the length of this article would be quite substantial. Below are a few tips and lessons that may help you decide if this is something you would like to do.
(1) Make sure you have software that is user friendly, and that you will have a good technical support to help you get things up and running.
(2) Do not attempt to get a provider to signup until you know your software. Always submit test claims, most medical sotware packages have this included, that allows them to see if there are any bugs to fix and to see if you really know how to submit a claim properly.
(3) Do not attempt this type of business unless you have some formal experience or training in medical billing, coding and medical terminology. Again, most software packages come with a database of basic medical terminology, but I suggest going to your local library or ask someone that has experience to help you with training. You may ask your own physician's business office manager if he/she would allow you to sit in and observe all that is required, most usually will agree to do this because it shows their employer that they have the ability to train others!
(4) Do not invest monies in expensive advertising unless you know that you are hitting the ground running! Make your own ads, mail them to potential clients, announce your expertise, where you are located, phone number, name of your business, etc. You can make all of your advertising materials directly from your computer using your word processor and a software that allows you to use color to make images and graphics. Download some of the Free Business Card software programs and make your own business cards. You can purchase a package of ready to print cards on 8" X 11" sheets for about $4.00.
(5) Physicians do not like long detailed contracts, use the simplest contract available and have the option to modify the contract based on the services that you will provide.
(6) Check with your local city and find out if is necessary to have a license in your city to operate a home based business. If you are required to do so the cost is very minimal.
(7) You will need absolute concentration when beginning this business. Make sure you will not be disturbed while working. One mistake can cost your provider money and they do not like that. Remember this is a business and you must conduct it as one.
(8) Check with other medical billing services in your area, ask them what they charge, to make sure you do not over charge for your services.
(9) Have a plan when you do meet with your clients. Know what you are going to offer them, how you are going to better their business, most of all how they will save money and receive the best service possible.
(10) Do not give up! If you are discouraged and think you are not going to make it in this business you won't make it. It takes time and more time. Pursue your goals one step at a time. Get your name out there, not just once, but repeatedly.
Remember, Success Begins Within You!
Complete Medical Billing Opportunities
If you're looking for a home-based business that can help you pull in $35,000 to $55,000 a year using your computer, a work-at-home opportunity doing medical billing may sound like the perfect choice. But before you part with your money, consider this, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has brought charges against promoters of medical billing opportunities for misrepresenting the earnings potential of their businesses and for failing to provide key pre-investment information required by law.
Beware of Medical Billing Scams
You find many advertisements for medical billing business opportunities appear on the Internet and in the classified sections of local newspapers and "giveaway" shopper's guides. In the "Help-Wanted" classified sections, the ads may appear next to legitimate ads for hospital medical claims processors, leading consumers who respond to think they're applying for a job, not buying a business opportunity.
These ads attracts consumers with promises of substantial income working from home full- or part-time - "no experience required." They direct consumers to call a toll-free number for more information.
If you call, a sales representative will entice you to sign up by telling you that the processing of medical claims is a lucrative business, that doctors are eager for help with electronic claims processing, and that you - even without any experience - can do this work from the comfort of your home.
Medical billing scammers charge a fee of $300 to $500. In exchange, they claim to provide everything you supposedly need to launch your medical billing business: the software program to process the claims and a list of potential clients.
But the reality is that few consumers who pay for medical billing opportunities find clients or make any money, let alone earn the promised substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce, especially for those who are new to it. Many doctors' offices process their own medical claims. Doctors who contract out their medical billing often use established firms, not individuals working from home.
Promoters of fraudulent medical billing opportunities are not interested in helping consumers, either. They only want their money. Many times, the client lists they provide are based on out-of-date databases of doctors who haven't asked for medical billing services. The software they send may not work or may not have been properly authorized and so is useless. And the money-back "guarantees" often prove worthless. Even after making repeated calls to the promoter or complaining to their credit card companies, government agencies or consumer groups, only a few people actually get refunds.
How to Protect Yourself From Medical Billing Scams??
To avoid losing your money to a bogus medical billing business opportunity, the FTC advises you to:
- Ask the promoter to give you the names of many previous purchasers so that you can pick and choose who to call for references. Make sure you get many names from which to choose. If the promoter provides only one or two names, be careful: The contacts may be "shills" - people hired to give favorable testimonials. Interview the references, preferably where the business operates, to get a better sense of how the business works. Ask for the names of their clients and a description of their operation.
- Consult with organizations for medical claims processors or medical billing businesses and with doctors in your community. Ask them about the medical billing field: How much of a need is there for this type of work? How much work does medical billing entail? What kind of training is required? Do they know anything about the promotion or promoter you're interested in?
- Check with the state Attorney General's office, consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau in your area and the area where the promoter is based to learn whether there are any unresolved complaints about the business opportunity or the promoter. While complaints may alert you to problems, the absence of complaints does not necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to hide a history of complaints.
- If the medical billing opportunity sells another company's software, check with the software company to find out whether company representatives know of any problems with the medical billing promoter.
- Consult an attorney, accountant or other business advisor before you sign any agreement or make any payments up front. An attorney can review the promoter's contract and advise you on how best to proceed.
To Whom & Where to Complain About Medical Billing Scams
If you think you've been defrauded in a medical billing business opportunity scheme, contact the company and ask for your money back. Let the company representatives know that you plan to notify law enforcement and other officials about your experience. Keep a record of your conversations and correspondence. If you send documents to the company, send copies, not originals. Send correspondence by certified mail - and request a return receipt - to document what the company received.
If you can't resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with:
- the Federal Trade Commission. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to www.ftc.gov.
- the Attorney General's office in your state or in the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law to regulate work-at-home programs.
- your local consumer protection offices.
- your local Better Business Bureau.
- your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices.
- the advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
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Medical Billing at Home