In a report by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, medical billing and coding specialists were cited as working in the second-fastest expanding occupation in the healthcare support field, just behind home health aides. Linked directly with the entire health care industry, medical billing and coding specialist positions in Oklahoma are expected to greatly expand in the near future as the demographics of the state experience a favorable shift and more residents become insured.
Sponsored School(s)
A recent report by the Oklahoma Health Care Workforce Center detailed the extent of projected demand for health care jobs, citing the severe shortage of these positions as such a looming threat that hospitals in the state are sponsoring over $30 million in training programs to meet projected future needs. Along with a scarcity in thousands of positions for nurses, lab technicians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists, medical and insurance billing specialists will be needed to handle the increasing patient services and resulting paperwork these generate. According to a report released by the AARP, by the year 2015 Oklahoma’s percentage of residents over the age of 65 will reach 15 percent, and by 2030 that number will be as high as 19 percent.
Oklahoma Medical Billing and Coding Accreditation and Certification
There are over 10 educational institutions in and around Oklahoma, both on-campus and online offering accreditation in the medical billing and coding field. These range from everything including a diploma and certificate that can be obtained in a matter of months to a two-year associate degree. Programs will give candidates the skills they need to successfully apply and qualify for careers in this rapidly-expanding field. Education includes:
- Medical terminology
- ICD-9 and ICD-10
- Oklahoma patient privacy laws
- Major organ systems of the human body and their ailments
- Anatomy and physiology
Oklahoma is a Great Place to Begin Working
While careers as medical billing and coding professionals continue to increase along with those of the rest of the state’s health care sector, the major cities in Oklahoma are a hot spot to find employment, although rural demand is also consistent. Some of the main employers in the state include:
- The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City
- Tulsa Regional Medical Center
- Cleveland County Mental Health Association of Oklahoma in Norman
- Oxford Home Health Care in Broken Arrow
- Southwestern Medical Center in Lawton
- Good Samaritan Health Clinic in Edmond
- Moore Medical Center
In addition to hospitals, and mental health agencies, medical billing and coding professionals can work with any agency to assist in insurance and government claims or reimbursements, including:
- Home health care agencies
- Dental clinics
- Physician centers
- Veteran centers
Those are just some of the agencies who take advantage of the services provided by professional medical billers and coders. As this field is in the process of a rapid expansion, a comprehensive list of all the employers in the state would be nearly impossible to create. Candidates who take advantage of the current shortage to obtain the right qualifying training will find themselves in an advantageous position.
Medical Billing and Coding in Oklahoma to offer top career in medical platform
There is a persistent flourishing in the medical sector, one that is presenting no indications of displaying anytime quickly. That has directed to a capital of novel job openings for medical billers and coders. Those jobs are available with a mass of perquisites, like competitive pay, many health benefits and job security. A prospect as a medical billing and coding expert can offer a stable and satisfying career in the healthcare segment.
Medical Billing and Coding Certification Requirements
Medical billing and coding certifications are not obligatory in Oklahoma, even though they are a system of viewing potential companies that applicants are skilled to work their precise job responsibilities. Oklahoma health care facilities seldom employ medical billers and coders who have no procedure of certification. Accordingly, there are medical billing and certificate programs offered all over the state of Oklahoma.
These certificate programs train applicants all about medical billing and coding. By the completion of those programs, which usually last 6-12 months, students are knowledgeable in medical language, structure and composition, health care certification and the medical coding coordination. These certifications gained from these attributed post-secondary institutes can be utilized to get the occupation.
Overview of Medical Billers and Coders
Medical billing and coding occupations are not the similar as each has its own group of responsibilities and jobs. Both are essential to the healthcare industry as they syndicate to offer a service which makes sure services are economically compensated for the services they provide. Perfect medical billers and coders find to it that a health care facility obtains the highest amount of financial reimbursement for its services.
Medical billers train and give off real patient bills, which are mentioned to as claims. Though, there is an ideal amount of work that paves the way that authentic part of the procedure. Claims should be equipped by applying the proper codes that signify all of the services achieved on a patient.
Oklahoma medical coders locate themselves working more with official procedure than people. It is up to medical coders to allocate particular codes to each service offered to patients by a healthcare facility. That comprises diagnoses, medications, procedures, and products. Medical reports encompass all the essential information that medical coders require. Oklahoma medical coders translate these reports and interpret them into a sequence of codes,
Education Requirements
To embark on a medical billing and coding education, a high school diploma or GED equivalency is usually a prerequisite. This is not only compulsory amongst most post-secondary institutes, but it also offers applicants with a basis for the assignments they will be showing to in a medical billing and coding curriculum.
State Licensing Requirements
Oklahoma has not recognized any type of licensing procedure for medical billers and coders. Some medical specialists should carry a valid license to work in the state, even though that does not use to medical billers and coders. Any Oklahoma hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home or insurance company will employ medical billers and coders without holding a license. Certifications are not categorized as licenses and have no state association in Oklahoma.
Job Prospects and Potential Pay
The average salary of medical billers and coders in Oklahoma checks starts with $34,240 every year. The top-end medical billing coding specialists in Oklahoma have stated annual incomes up to $51,500.
Find information about medical billing and coding in the following Oklahoma cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Enid, Stillwater.