The Importance of Professional Organizations in Medical Billing
As you launch your career as a Medical Biller, it is important that you make contacts within a professional organization. The best-known professional organizations for medical billing and health informatics are:
- American Medical Billing Association (AMBA)
- American Academy of Professional Coder’s (AAPC)
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
An educated biller is usually credentialled through at lease one of these organizations and it is important to keep up your contacts within the group.
These are national organizations, however, they have state chapters that often have local roundtable discussions regarding the latest billing and coding issues. As the mainline for a doctor’s income, it is important that the biller remains up-to-date on billing and coding guidelines. By attending these roundtable discussions, it is easier to keep track of the often-changing billing guidelines. These include CPT, HCPCS and ICD-10 coding as well as local and national coding guidelines put out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
As well as having these less formal meetings, there are also annual conventions held on both the state and national levels. These are excellent opportunities to meet with your peers and network. There are many workshops that are held that provide the opportunity for CEs (Continuing Education credits). These are necessary to keep your credentials current.
Not only that, many vendors attend these events to make their products known to billers and coders and they almost always have great swag! There are also raffles held for product that might help you with your company. This is a great opportunity to see new software, hardware and educational resources.
The most important part of all of these gatherings is the fact that you get to meet your peers in a concentrated area. These are great chances to make contact with others in your industry who can help you further build your business.
So, check with your professional organization and see what is going on in your area. Think about attending your state-level convention to meet others in your area that have similar business interests to you. . . . . and, don’t forget your business cards!
