Job Description, Salary, Career Path, and Trends
The role of a billing specialist is an administrator who manages billing processes, usually for an insurance or medical office. Their list of responsibilities includes managing medical billing for patients, updating patient information, generating invoices, and processing payments. They can also be responsible for coordinating payment schedules for self-pay customers, following up on insurance claims, consulting with patients’ families, posting payments in a timely manner, helping resolve client billing issues, and assisting patients with applying for healthcare credit programs.
Sample job description
[Your company name] is in the market for a skilled billing specialist that loves what they do. Our office is a fast-paced environment and requires a certain level of precision to ensure the highest level of accuracy possible. Our billing specialist will be required to work closely with our customers to assist them with all of their billing needs. An ideal candidate will have accounting experience, medical and insurance billing experience, medical coding experience, and two years of previous work as a billing specialist. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, apply today.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Entering bills into the computer in a timely manner
- Working with insurance in regards to customer billing
- Organize payment arrangements for self-pay customers
- Resolve client billing issues
- Assist patients with health care credit applications
- Submit reimbursement requests to insurance companies
- Handle patient records properly
- Updating patient information when needed
- Generating invoices and processing payments
Education and experience
- High school diploma
- Associate degree in accounting, healthcare administration, or health information management
- Applicable technical certificates a plus
Required skills and qualifications
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Excellent active listening skills
- Above average customer service skills
- Good problem solving and critical thinking skills
- In-depth knowledge of industry practices
- Superb math, bookkeeping, and accounting skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- Ability to remain discreet and keep patient information confidential
- Effective computer skills
- Comprehension of industry-specific policies
Preferred qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, or a similar field preferred
- Minimum of 5 years in a billing department role
- Comprehension of accounting software like Quickbooks
- Possess excellent attention to detail
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Average salary and compensation
The average salary for a billing specialist is $43,800 per year in the United States. Salary may vary depending on where you are located, the size of the company you’re working for, and how experienced you are.
| Location | Salary Low | Salary High |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, Arizona | $46,100 | $56,350 |
| Los Angeles, California | $52,000 | $63,550 |
| Denver, Colorado | $43,350 | $52,950 |
| Washington, DC | $52,800 | $64,550 |
| Miami, Florida | $43,100 | $52,750 |
| Orlando, Florida | $39,800 | $48,650 |
| Tampa, Florida | $40,200 | $49,150 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $42,150 | $51,550 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $48,450 | $59,250 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $52,400 | $64,050 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota | $41,750 | $51,050 |
| New York City, New York | $55,150 | $67,450 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $44,900 | $54,900 |
| Dallas, Texas | $43,750 | $53,450 |
| Houston, Texas | $43,550 | $53,200 |
| Seattle, Washington | $50,450 | $61,650 |
| National Average | $39,400 | $48,150 |
Typical work environment
The typical work environment for a billing specialist is usually a medical or insurance office setting. Both of which are usually fast-paced environments but require the utmost attention to detail. Billing specialists spend a lot of time seated behind a desk using office equipment such as computers, printers, fax machines, and office telephones.
Typical hours
Typical billing specialist hours are the usual 9 AM to 5 PM office hours, Monday through Friday. Occasionally, they may have to work weekends or holidays depending on their company policies, but this is fairly uncommon.
Available certifications
Billing specialists have a wide variety of relevant certifications to choose from:
- Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS). The CBCS is offered by the National Healthcare Association (NHA). This certification requires one of two options. The first is a high school diploma or equivalent plus completion of a medical billing and code training or education program within the previous five years. The second is a high school diploma or equivalent plus one year of supervised work in the medical billing and coding field within the last three years. Continuing education is required every 10 years and a recertification fee is required every two years.
- Certified Coding Associate (CCA). Offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the CCA is for entry-level coders. This certification requires a high school diploma, a minimum of six months of professional coding experience, and completion of an AHIMA-approved coding program, completion of a coding training program covering anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural and basic Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding. Candidates have two hours to complete the comprehensive exam. Every two years, candidates must complete 20 hours of CEUs and pay a recertification fee.
- Certified Coding Specialist (CCS). The CCS is also offered by the AHIMA and requires a degree from a medical coding training program. Candidates need one of the following criteria: at least two years of medical coding experience, an existing medical coding certification, plus one year of coding experience. Candidates must pass an oral or written exam, along with taking 20 CEUs and paying a recertification fee every two years.
- Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P). The CCS-P requires one of the following: a diploma or degree from a medical coding training program plus a year of coding experience, at least two years of medical coding experience, hold a CCA credential plus a year of coding experience, an existing medical coding certification plus one year of coding experience, or hold a CCS, RHIT, or RHIA credential. Candidates have a total of four hours to pass the written or oral exam. This certification requires 20 hours of CEUs and a recertification fee every two years.
Career path
Aspiring billing specialists can start their career path by gaining experience as a medical records specialist and go on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in health information management to set them apart. Candidates could then gain experience in a supervisory role like a medical records coordinator, billing supervisor, or coding supervisor.
US, Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook
SOC Code: 29-2098
| 2020 Employment | 335,000 |
| Projected Employment in 2030 | 363,600 |
| Projected 2020-2030 Percentage Shift | 9% increase |
| Projected 2020-2030 Numeric Shift | 28,600 increase |
Position trends
The number of billing specialists is expected to increase by 9% by the year 2030. While it is not an astronomical increase in jobs, that percentage is still a comfortable increase for those interested in the medical billing field. There will always be a need for medical billing. Marketability should be a huge priority for billing specialists. The best way to accomplish this is to earn certifications.
Sample interview questions
- Are you familiar with accounting software? Which applications?
- How would you handle collecting payment on a delinquent account?
- Do you think accuracy or efficiency is a more important skill for a billing specialist to possess? Is there a way to balance the two? How?
- Walk me through the kinds of transactions that take place in your typical billing process.
- Do you have experience with Microsoft Excel or other billing software?
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a hostile customer when attempting to collect payment. How did you resolve it?
- Have you ever had to prepare a company you worked with for the audit process?
- How long have you worked in the medical billing field?
- Are you familiar with ICD or IPT?
- What is the average daily number of invoices you deal with?
- Do you think customer service is important for a billing specialist?
- How do you ensure minimal errors in your work?
- Are you bilingual or multilingual?
- Which billing specialist certifications do you have?
- How do you stay organized?
- What data analyst skills do you possess?
- How do you feel about working with others? Do you prefer to work alone?
- Why should we hire you as a billing specialist?
- What will you do to stay motivated in such a repetitive job?
- What are your long-term career goals?
Are You Interested in Becoming a Billing Specialist?
If you are interested in becoming a billing specialist, we are ready to connect you to one of our headhunters or recruiters to see if you are a perfect fit for one of our available job openings. If a job does not suit you, we will always keep you in mind as new positions open up. We have vast experience connecting professionals with some of the most well-known organizations in the country. Your next job or career path could be right around the corner. Take a look at our latest job openings and our blog for career advice.
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