Those in search of a new career can look to the medical profession for a future that is filled
with job security and competitive pay. There continues to be an ongoing demand for professional medical billers and coders across the entire country. These separate job duties are integral to the healthcare industry and provide lots of opportunities for individuals looking to carve out a brand new career path.
Overview of a Medial Biller and Coder
Medical billing and coding are frequently mentioned together, but each has their own unique set of duties, responsibilities, and requirements. The two positions share some similarities and one individual can be trained to perform both job duties. However, there are plenty of health care facilities that assign one individual to each specific job.
New Hampshire medical billers are tasked with a variety of duties as they are required to perform a lot of clerical work, in addition to engaging in a fair amount of customer service. The clerical work begins with the actual medical billing process. Medical bills are referred to as claims and it is up to medical billers to ensure those claims are accurate. This is done by recording patient histories, verifying medical codes and putting together itemized lists of the medical services performed on patients.
The job duties do not end there as medical billers in New Hampshire are also well-versed in insurance company policies. Since many of these claims are paid through third-party billing, there are a lot of specifics to sort through. That leads to a lot of paperwork as well as a working knowledge of medical billing software. Medical billers are also expected to utilize proper health care documentation and possess strong organizational and communication skills. The nature of the job requires New Hampshire medical billers to interact with both patients and insurance companies.
Medical coders in New Hampshire do not experience as much personal interaction. The job of a medical coder is pretty straightforward as it involves the translation of medical services into the appropriate codes. Whenever a doctor or other health care professional meets with a patient, a record of those services is created. This is done through written reports and oral reports, the latter of which are eventually transcribed. Those reports are provided to New Hampshire medical coders, who review them and apply the appropriate codes to every service that has been provided to patients.
The coding system involves a vast amount of codes and can be very complicated to the untrained eye. Various forms of coding include subcodes, specialty coding, and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). It is extremely important for medical coders in New Hampshire to be precise, particularly since that is how healthcare facilities get paid for their services. Undercoding will cause a health care facility to give away free medical services while overcoding will actually cheat the patient. That is why a high level of accuracy and strict attention to detail is required of medical coders in New Hampshire.
State Licensing Requirements
There is no state license required of medical billers and coders in New Hampshire. That enables medical billers and coders to work in all kinds of health care facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, physicians’ offices and more.
New Hampshire Medical Billing and Coding Requirements
The journey to becoming a medical biller or coder in New Hampshire typically starts out with an education that will result in some kind of certification or degree from an accredited post-secondary school. The quickest way to find work as a New Hampshire medical biller or coder starts at a post-secondary school that offers a certification program. The duration of these programs usually lasts an average of nine months and covers the essentials in both medical billing and medical coding. A certification is awarded upon completion of all the program requirements and can be used as a credential when seeking out a job as a medical biller or coder in New Hampshire.
The path to becoming a medical biller and coder may take a little longer when choosing to earn an Associate’s Degrees in Medical Billing and Coding. These degrees take two years to complete and feature a comprehensive curriculum that covers both medical billing and coding. These Associate’s Degrees are considered to be a valid form of certification for medical billers and coders in New Hampshire.
Either one of those two previously mentioned options will serve as ample preparation for certification exams offered by the AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) and AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders).
In New Hampshire, health care facilities establish their own criteria for hiring medical billers and coders. That criteria differs according to each facility, although non-certified medical billers and coders face a more difficult challenge when attempting to gain employment. Certifications are not required but highly recommended.
Meeting Education Requirements
A high school diploma or GED equivalency is required to begin an education in mostly all post-secondary schools that offer medical billing and coding programs in New Hampshire. There are no college credits required as prerequisites to begin a medical billing and coding education.
Job Prospects and Potential Pay
The average salary for a medical biller and coder in New Hampshire is $39,010 per year. There is the potential for a higher annual income as the top medical billers and coders in New Hampshire have reported making a high of $57,500 per year. The pay rate for New Hampshire medical billers and coders fluctuates according to experience, location and number of certifications. One constant throughout the state is the ongoing need for new medical billers and coders. The state of New Hampshire is expected to increase its number of medical billers and coders by 11% over the next five years.
New Hampshire cities with medical billing and coding education institutions: Manchester, Concord, and Berlin.
Just a few employers of medical billers and coders in New Hampshire:
- Elliot Hospital
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
- Hampstead Hospital
- Southern New Hampshire Health
- Franklin Regional Hospital
- Portsmouth Regional Hospital
- Concord Hospital
- Speare Memorial Hospital
- Lakes Region General Hospital
Resources
Medical Billing Jobs in New Hampshire
Take a look at all of the medical billing jobs listed throughout the state of New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Health Information Management Association
This association provides a wealth of online resources to medical billers and coders.
New Hampshire Hospitals and Medical Centers
Browse through all of the hospitals and medical centers in New Hampshire, complete with direct links to each website.
Medical Coding Jobs in New Hampshire
There are plenty of medical coding jobs available in New Hampshire and this website features detailed information on those jobs.