How To Become A Billing Associate: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2024)

Key steps to become a billing associate

1. Explore billing associate education requirements

   If you're interested in becoming a billing associate, you must consider how much education you need. Based on real billing associate resumes, 42.9% of billing associates have a bachelor's degree. Regarding higher education levels, 4.8% of billing associates have master's degrees. Even though some billing associates have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

   Most common billing associate degrees

   Bachelor's

   42.9

   %

   Associate

   26.4

   %

   High School Diploma

   11.9

   %

2. Start to develop specific billing associate skills

   A billing associate's primary responsibilities include managing billing departments, researching insurance claims, keying in patient registration information, and correcting billing errors. They also handle payment postings, spreadsheet reconciliations, bank statement reconciliations, and patient account analysis. They may also field inquiries, perform medical coding, and assist with other office duties as needed.

   Skills	Percentages
   Patients	14.59%
   Customer Service	12.25%
   Data Entry	11.00%
   Medical Billing	5.13%
   Insurance Billing	3.35%

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   See Also

   Billing Specialist job descriptionSenior Billing Specialist (Federal Contracting Experience Required. This is not a medical billing role) in Remote United States of America | Finance at Magellan HealthWhat is a Medical Billing Specialist?Essential skills for success in medical coding and billing

3. Complete relevant billing associate training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New billing associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a billing associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real billing associate resumes.

4. Gain additional billing associate certifications

   Billing associate certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific billing associate certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

   The most common certifications for billing associates include Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) and Certified Coding Specialist (CCS).

   More About Certifications

5. Research billing associate duties and responsibilities

   A billing associate's responsibilities include retrieving electronic payments, managing billing departments, entering patient registration information, correcting billing options, and performing financial functions like cash balancing and reconciliations. They also research accounts, process refunds and credit card payments, and field billing inquiries/issues. They may also provide consultations to physicians and office staff, assist with scanning documents, and deliver quality analysis for contracts and customer accounts.

   • Manage the submission and reimbursem*nt of claims bill to insurance companies using ICD-9 coding.
   • Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
   • Verify correct ICD-9 and CPT codes for a variety of specialties submission of electronic claims to clearinghouse.
   • Ensure appropriate medical terminology and HIPAA compliance for all claims entry/online submissions, payment posting, insurance and patient aging.

6. Prepare your billing associate resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your billing associate resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a billing associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose From 10+ Customizable Billing Associate Resume templates

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   Billing Associate

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7. Apply for billing associate jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a billing associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   See Also

   Billing Specialist - Alternative Careers and Similar Jobs (Updated for 2024)

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams

How do billing associates rate their job?

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.