The Pros and Cons of an Insurance Biller Career
Working as an insurance biller involves calculating charges and sending bills to insurance companies on behalf of various clients. To learn a bit more about the pros and cons of a career as an insurance biller, just keep reading.
| Pros of an Insurance Biller Career |
|---|
| Above-average job growth (18% from 2012-2022)* |
| Average salary around $35,000* |
| Little education required (high school diploma typically needed)* |
| Potential for full- or part-time work* |
| Cons of an Insurance Biller Career |
|---|
| Up to a month of training may be necessary for new hires* |
| Potential for high levels of stress** |
| Eyestrain from repetitive computer usage** |
| Resolving disputes between insurance companies and customers may be necessary** |
Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **ONet Online
Essential Career Information
Common Job Duties
As an insurance biller, you'll be responsible for verifying billing data and correcting errors, preparing itemized bills or invoices for insurance companies and keeping records of patient or customer data. You may also be called upon to resolve discrepancies and resolve complaints from customers or insurance companies. Insurance billers must also sometimes contact customers to obtain or update account information.
In order to ensure proper billing, you'll need to analyze medical records and other data closely while working as an insurance biller. Your work as an insurance biller may also require you to type and mail billing documents.
Salary and Career Outlook Information
The BLS projected solid job growth for billing and posting clerks, with overall employment expected to increase by 18% from 2012-2022. A strong outlook of 8% growth is projected for insurance claims and policy processing clerks, but future growth will be largely determined by the performance of the entire insurance industry. As of May 2014, the BLS reported an average annual salary of about $35,000 for billing and posting clerks.
Education Requirements
A high school diploma is enough for most insurance biller positions, although some employers may prefer candidates with an associate's degree. Earning an associate's degree in medical billing and coding might be especially useful if you want to work in the healthcare industry. You'll typically learn many of your responsibilities as an insurance biller through on-the-job training.
You'll need good analytical skills and a keen eye for detail to succeed as an insurance biller. Reviewing highly detailed documents of various types will occupy much of your time as an insurance biller, so visual acuity is also an important attribute. Organizational skills will also come in very handy when dealing with multiple cases and documents.
What Are Employers Looking For?
If you are interested in an insurance biller career, the following listings of jobs that were open as of December 2012 might give you an idea of the current job market.
- A pathologist association in Tennessee is looking for a client billing representative to process and verify monthly billing statements. The position also requires communicating with clients regarding billing corrections. A high school diploma is required and knowledge of medical billing is preferred.
- A California healthcare firm seeks an insurance and government biller with excellent communication and organizational skills. The position involves communicating with payers to ensure timely resolutions of various insurance accounts. A high school diploma and knowledge of medical terminology is required.
- A healthcare management organization in Massachusetts is looking for an insurance biller to work with Medicaid transactions. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring continuous coverage of patients.
Standing Out in the Field
While a high school diploma is typically adequate to work as an insurance biller, earning an associate's degree can be a good way to stand out in a rapidly growing field. An associate's degree program in medical billing could give you all the knowledge and skills you need to work as an insurance biller in the healthcare industry. A good understanding of medical terminology can also make you more attractive to many employers in the healthcare field. Being familiar with patient privacy regulations can also help to enhance your qualifications.
Alternate Career Options
If you'd prefer to manage the financial records of a single organization, you might want to consider a career as a bookkeeping clerk. Working as a bookkeeping clerk involves recording all financial transactions for an organization and producing statements and other reports for supervisors. A high school diploma is generally sufficient to become a bookkeeping clerk, but an associate's degree in accounting can improve your chances of being hired. From 2010-2020, the BLS projected 14% employment growth for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks. As of May 2011, the BLS reported an average annual salary of about $36,000 for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks.
Working as an information clerk might be a good option if you'd prefer to collect data and maintain records outside of the financial sector. Information clerks might work in law offices, government agencies, private businesses or medical offices. A high school diploma is required to become an information clerk, but an associate's degree can make you a more attractive candidate for many employers. Employment of information clerks is expected to increase by only 7% from 2010-2020 (www.bls.gov). The BLS reported an average annual salary of about $38,000 for information clerks as of May 2011.
