Welcome to the Medical Billing / Medical Coding Industry Dictionary

This medical billing wiki is a member edited dictionary for all things related to the medical billing and coding industry.

Medical billing is the process of submitting and following up on claims with health insurance companies in order to receive payment for services rendered by a healthcare provider. The same process is used for most insurance companies, whether they are private companies or government sponsored programs. Medical billers are encouraged, but not required by law, to become certified by taking an exam such as the CMRS Exam, RHIA Exam and others. Certification schools are intended to provide a theoretical grounding for students entering the medical billing field.

The medical billing process is an interaction between a health care provider and the insurance company (payer). The entirety of this interaction is known as the billing cycle sometimes referred to as Revenue Cycle Management. This can take anywhere from several days to several months to complete, and require several interactions before a resolution is reached. The relationship between a health care provider and insurance company is that of a vendor to a subcontractor. Health care providers are contracted with insurance companies to provide health care services. The interaction begins with the office visit: a physician or their staff will typically create or update the patient's medical record... Read more: Medical Billing

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