Can I really do this?

Can I really do this? 
This is by far the most common question I am asked, and my answer is always the same.  Yes! 
Will it be easy?  Probably not.
Does it cost money? Some.
The good news is that this is a field that is open to anyone and everyone.  There is no degree required, and a business can be opened relatively cheaply.  You can spend as little or as much on start up costs as you can afford, or desire to.  There are some basics that you will need to have, and need to know.  In the next few blog posts we will cover those requrirements.  To start with, we will begin with the biggest burning question:

What do I need to know?
To start with you need to have a good strong understanding of what this field is, what it does, and exactly what your function in it will be.  As a billing expert, your job will be to coordinate between your patient, your client (the medical professional), and the insurance companies to submit the proper paperwork and collect the payments.  There are two forms for this.  They are the HCFA-1500, and the UB-04.  Some other forms will be required, but these are the main two.  One is for professional fees (the doctor's portion) and the other is for facility fees (the hospital or clinic portion).  Examples of both are posted below:

Hopefully these forms will come across for the Kindle readers.  If not, I will post links on my web site at:
http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/forms
There will also be directions on how to fill each of them out.  The directions are far too lengthy to post here.  The HCFA-1500 contains 33 boxes for information, and the UB-04 86.  Now before you start to become intimidated, let me tell you that it is not that difficult.  We will go through all of the information that you will need to know in the next few posts.  Also, realize that most, if not all, of this information will come from either the patient, the doctor,  or the insurance company.  You just need to have a good understanding what what it is, and where to put it.  We will cover all of that.  For now, just take a few moments to review the forms, and the web site. 

In the next post we will dig a little deeper into the processes and begin to cover the specific information you will need to know.

Happy new year to my new subscribers!  I hope that 2011 will be the year that all your dreams come true.  Send your questions and comments to:  lori@sinclairinkspot.  I will do my best to answer them within my next few posts.

Thanks,
Lori

http://www.sinclairinkspot.com/

Author, Medical Billing, Coding and Reimbursement
How to Run Your Own Home Medical Billing Service
Annotation Press, 2007, 2008
Available in print and on Kindle

Medical Billing, Coding, and Reimbursement
Supplemental Workbook
Sinclair Publications
copyright 2009

http://www.medicalbillingservice.blogspot.com/
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