Even though formal training is not mandatory to be a medical transcriptionist, having a certified degree or associate degree is very ideal to get a job. There are plenty of courses available to train people in medical transcription. They are available in both the forms; web based training and classroom based courses. However online training courses are more popular because of the convenience and flexibility. It is ideal for those who already have another job, because online training institutes let them learn transcription in their own pace.

Medical transcriptionists convert the verbal medical record dictated by the doctor into text document, which will be included in the patient's permanent medical record. So a thorough understanding of the medical terms, procedures, human anatomy, physiology and abbreviations are very essential. Lack of knowledge in these subjects will interfere with accuracy and interpretation.

Medical transcription courses help students to be fast and accurate. They provide the students with 'real life situations', which helps to work them in a stressful, noisy and busy environment. As learning medical terminology is very important, it is equally important to learn to listen regardless of what is happening in the surroundings, because accuracy and efficiency mainly depends on the importance given to the details.

Medical transcriptionists have to deal with the doctors, surgeons or any other health care professional from all over the world. Hence, it is very essential to understand their dictation no matter what accent and tone they talk. Training courses train the students in this regard, so that they can transcribe in the real life very accurately.

A good knowledge of English grammar, punctuation and spelling is required for a successful transcriptionist. Along with these fast typing, data entry, word processing and computer knowledge are prerequisite for a transcriptionist. Medical transcription courses train these linguistic skills to their students. Transcriptionists should also know about legal and ethical issues surrounding the medical records. Since transcriptionists handle patient's personal and medical records, maintaining patient confidentiality is very essential. Even though medical transcription is a stressful job, it helps to earn a lucrative income.



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Electronic medical billing has made the billing procedure much easier and more efficient. The software helps in fast and accurate billing while reducing denials or rejection. It is a cost effective way of increasing cash flow in the medical office.

The improved productivity is directly related to the software used in electronic filing. That means, if well programmed software is used to process the billing, the cash flow is more in the medical facility. As per the government all the electronic medical billing should comply with HIPAA, health insurance portability and accountability act.

Some of the software may provide only partial HIPAA compliance. Any flaw in following HIPAA could lead to complications and penalty. In built compliance prevents any fraud in coding and billing. So before buying any electronic medical billing software, it is better to evaluate the complete HIPAA compliance and other security measures.

This type of software provides a wide range of benefits. While paper claims take around 1-2 months to get paid, electronic claims are paid in 10-15 days. This is possible because any error in the claim can be fixed in few hours, unlike paper claims; where it takes days to notify the error in the claiming.

Patient and customer satisfaction is guaranteed in electronic medical billing. The software is well designed so that it is more user friendly, yet very secure. This gives the flexibility in scheduling appointment and updating any personal information.

With the usage of electronic medical billing, the staff productivity is highly increased. When compared to paper filing, E-billing doesn't require much of man power as it is automated. This software is so easy to use; it helps to process the billing very fast and accurate. E-Billing saves time and money for health care professional by eliminating printing, folding, sealing and mailing the statements. Since electronic medical billing software produces reports and statements by automation, it saves a great deal of time.

One of the disadvantages of electronic medical billing is the cost involved in purchasing the software. Software is available in two forms. First one is completely installed in the health care facility's computer and the other one is a part of the software is in Software Company's data base. Productivity wise both work the same. Technology becomes outdated every few years. So physicians are compelled to buy the new ones in the market.



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Medical billing is a complex procedure of billing and collecting payments for the health care service provided to the patient. To run a profitable medical business, hospitals and other health care facilities should follow an effective way of collecting reimbursement. Electronic medical billing is vital to run a successful practice.

The cash flow in any health care facility depends on fast and accurate billing. This is a tedious process which requires attention to minute details. Accuracy and efficiency are very essential for medical billing. Any error occurred in the data entry will finally end up in denial of the claim. This not only causes loss but also waste of time and energy of the health care professionals. In paper claiming denial is as high as 30%. Electronic medical billing has reduced denials to a greater extent. However electronic billing cannot prevent rejections if not performed by a skilled professional.

HIPAA, health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires most of the claims to be done via electronic filing. As soon as a patient enters a health care facility, office personnel takes the personal details such as name, age, sex, address and insurance company of the patient. Before giving any service, the health care processional checks the eligibility of the patient electronically for the planned treatment with the insurance company. This is known as "health care eligibility and benefit response" transaction. Upon treating the patient, medical billers submit a claim form that is customized for each patient to the insurance company and insurance company acknowledges that the claim has been received and will be processed. Once the claim is processed, the payer responds which all claims can be reimbursed or denied with reasoning. With the help of electronic billing, all these procedures are done very fast. So, the doctors will be reimbursed in 10-15 days, where as paper claiming takes months together to get the payment. Electronic medical billing has made the back office job almost paperless and also helps to reduce the number of employees needed in the non-clinical department.

Paper filing requires inventory, postage, phone calls and employee expenses. Since electronic billing is much faster and efficient, the staff requirement is greatly reduced. Electronic billing needs software and computer. When the advantages are considered, spending on computer and software is really worth.

One of the drawbacks of electronic claiming is technical problems. Medical office personnel may not be able to fix the glitches in the software. Electronic medical billing is a good option for those who have already established and have a great number of patients, so that they can afford the electronic medical billing software. Otherwise, the cost of the software itself can make this an unprofitable business.


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Medical billing is the process of submitting the claims to insurance companies in order to receive money for the service rendered by a healthcare professional. Before treating and billing a patient, healthcare providers check the eligibility of the intended service with the insurance company electronically. The insurance company has medical directors, who review the claim to check the validity of the payment based on the credentials of the care provider and the necessity of the treatment. A response to the eligibility request is returned by the insurance company through electronic means or more commonly from their website. Proved claims are reimbursed up to certain percentage of the billed amount. Failed claims will be rejected and the healthcare provider will be notified.

Since 1997, all practices which involve patient interaction should pass HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Under HIPAA, most of the billing claims for the service are required to file via electronic means. HIPAA was enforced in order to prevent fraud and abuse in healthcare delivery and health insurance. While manual filing is time consuming, electronic billing is fast and accurate. With the usage of electronic billing, the rejection and denial has reduced drastically and the percentage of reimbursement has improved.

Electronic medical billing is nothing but the combination of IT and health care sector. Medical practices have been using software to manage their finances for several years. However, the present electronic medical billing programs are well known as medical management practice software. Electronic medical billing software covers a wide range of functions including tracking patient demographics, scheduling appointment, tracking billing information and insurance payments, patient's visits, diagnosis and generating records.

Electronic billing is easy to use, thus helps the staff to improve their productivity. They have also made entire billing much faster .With the electronic billing, any error in the claims are notified to the billing center in minutes, so corrections can be made immediately. Healthcare providers are also satisfied with this system, because electronic billing makes the reimbursement very quick. This software is very friendly to the patients and customers as they give flexibility in scheduling appointment and easy access to the personal information. The cost of electronic claiming is less when compared to the claim submitted on paper. So, insurance carriers encourage electronic medical billing. Electronic billing also helps to eliminate the hassle of posting, printing and sorting the mail.

So, in total, electronic medical billing was a result of combined effort of software companies and healthcare departments to invent a new technology to simplify the process of medical billing.



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