If you’re looking to start a service based business from home, are smart, eager to learn and can invest a bit of time in training, a medical coding business may be an option for you. Medical coders work with hospitals, doctor’s offices and more to code documents for insurance filing purposes.
Unlike what “opportunities” you may find listed on the web may tell you, a medical coding business will require you to be trained in medical coding (assuming you plan to do the coding yourself and not hire a staff of employees to code for you while you handle the marketing and obtain clients alone).
Medical coding is a booming field and one that is expected to grow larger over the coming years. The U.S. Department of labor predicts that the medical coding field will be growing much faster than average from now until the year 2014, due in part to the rapid growth of the medical industry as a whole due to medical advancements, longer life spans and more procedures and tests being available to the public.
With the median salary for a medical coder [http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos103.htm#earnings] being $25,590 in 2004 (with the top ten percent of medical coding specialists earning $41,760) and the possibilities of working from home, it’s no wonder that many women and men looking to work at home are exploring this career choice. By owning the medical coding business yourself, you can expect to earn higher profits with a successful business then you could as an employee of a medical coding firm or hospital setting.
But keep in mind that growing a medical coding business is not as simple as getting trained and throwing up your shingle. Running a medical coding business will require the same hard work, long hours and investment (both time wise and financial) that any other professional business with clientele will require.
In addition, medical coding is an acquired skill that will require training and certification to have success. Training can be acquired through college programs or specialty programs for medical coding. But, be wary. There are a ton of scam artists out there who would love to convince you that medical coding is an easy job that can gain you work from home just buy buying their equipment package. This simply isn’t true.
Before attempting to wade through all of the available information on medical coding, you may want to check out the Medical Coding Career Guide book which gives an excellent overview on the medical coding field, what the job entails, how to get training, all about certification and standards – as well as information about finding a job from home as a medical coder or starting your own business.
Once you know how to avoid the scams and whether or not you’re interested in pursuing a career in medical coding with gusto, you can take steps to get involved in the various communities and associations involved with medical coding, such as the American Academy of Professional Coders [http://www.aapc.com/index.html] and the AACCA.
Starting a medical coding career isn’t the easiest route, but it can be one of great satisfaction and terrific income opportunities for those who know what is involved in the medical coding career and business management aspects of owning a medical business and choose to go after it with all they have.
Audrey Hoffman is a successful entrepreneur who owns several online and offline businesses – including http://www.speedy-incorporation.com – a site that offers information about incorporating online as well about forming an LLC across the nation.
