Career Development Outline Career Opportunities Medical Billing and Coding I. Introduction · The paper will look at the career opportunities medical billing and coding. · This career is very important in that it rests assures students that they are going to be contributing positively to the lives of parents. · I would choose the medical coding to be best choice for me II. The medical billing and coding being the same case or one position · Many institutions have continued holding it as a comprehensive position while others provide the option of working exclusively with one or the other · It is important to begin addressing which position is best for me by addressing their similarities and differences · The biller is tasked with coordinating payments between insurance providers and patients, keeping invoices organized, and reminding all parties the amount owed and when it is due III. Medical coders are not required to work with insurance companies at all · Coders are responsible for recording medical data and coding it; for every treatment, item, or procedure there is a corresponding code · Coders provide billers with a sense of security, supplying the correct code in order to streamline the billing process IV. The skills required for the job, as well as duties are different for both medical billing, and coding · Billers are expected to obtain necessary referrals, as well as pre-authorization from appropriate parties prior to specific procedures. · This also demands the biller is prepared to check patient eligibility for certain services and procedures regarding treatment, procedure, or hospitalization · They are essentially in charge of all financial aspects of services rendered. V. The duties of a medical coder are different than that of a biller · Coders must be prepared to review their work with an eye for detail and a comprehensive knowledge of codes as they equate to services rendered. · The primary responsibility of a coder is to use the correct code for each service rendered, allowing for appropriate charges to be stated on the patient’s account. · Coders must also maintain strict confidentiality regarding patient services, as well as to abide by HIPPA and other information security stipulations VI. The two departments are encouraged to work together in order to ensure the billing process is smooth and easy for all involved · To begin, I believe healthcare costs too much in this country, as of right now · Moreover, coders have more power over the overall work environment. · Finally, though coding seems superfluous to the healthcare process, I still feel I will be an important part of the VII. There are numerous differences and few similarities in these two positions. · Similarities include working in general the same facilities, as positions are offered in all manner of medical organizations from free clinics to neurological specialists. · . Promotions are minimal in either field, as there are not different levels of experti.

1. Career Development
Outline
Career Opportunities Medical Billing and Coding
I. Introduction
· The paper will look at the career opportunities medical billing
and coding.
· This career is very important in that it rests assures students
that they are going to be contributing positively to the lives of
parents.
· I would choose the medical coding to be best choice for me
II. The medical billing and coding being the same case or one
position
· Many institutions have continued holding it as a
comprehensive position while others provide the option of
working exclusively with one or the other
· It is important to begin addressing which position is best for
me by addressing their similarities and differences
· The biller is tasked with coordinating payments between
insurance providers and patients, keeping invoices organized,
and reminding all parties the amount owed and when it is due
III. Medical coders are not required to work with insurance
companies at all
· Coders are responsible for recording medical data and coding
it; for every treatment, item, or procedure there is a
corresponding code
· Coders provide billers with a sense of security, supplying the
correct code in order to streamline the billing process
IV. The skills required for the job, as well as duties are
different for both medical billing, and coding
· Billers are expected to obtain necessary referrals, as well as
pre-authorization from appropriate parties prior to specific
procedures.
· This also demands the biller is prepared to check patient
eligibility for certain services and procedures regarding

2. treatment, procedure, or hospitalization
· They are essentially in charge of all financial aspects of
services rendered.
V. The duties of a medical coder are different than that of a
biller
· Coders must be prepared to review their work with an eye for
detail and a comprehensive knowledge of codes as they equate
to services rendered.
· The primary responsibility of a coder is to use the correct code
for each service rendered, allowing for appropriate charges to
be stated on the patient’s account.
· Coders must also maintain strict confidentiality regarding
patient services, as well as to abide by HIPPA and other
information security stipulations
VI. The two departments are encouraged to work together in
order to ensure the billing process is smooth and easy for
all involved
· To begin, I believe healthcare costs too much in this country,
as of right now
· Moreover, coders have more power over the overall work
environment.
· Finally, though coding seems superfluous to the healthcare
process, I still feel I will be an important part of the
VII. There are numerous differences and few similarities in
these two positions.
· Similarities include working in general the same facilities, as
positions are offered in all manner of medical organizations
from free clinics to neurological specialists.
· . Promotions are minimal in either field, as there are not
different levels of expertise regarding either professional path.
Education for each position is also similar.
· These courses offer flexibility often desired in an adult
schedule, allowing for this part of the decision to be less
tedious.
VIII. Conclusion
· Medical billing and coding are both admirable jobs with a

3. variety of differences about them
· Certification for each profession even takes a similar amount
of time to earn, only adding to the difficulty of choosing
between one profession, and the other.
· The similarities between educations for each profession are
minimal, disallowing that to be a reason for one choice or the
other.
· . I look forward to a career in this field, as a medical coder.
World Civilization I
Professor Cieglo
Instructions and Questions for Take-Home Exam #3 (15 points)
Due Thursday, April 18th by 11:59 PM on Blackboard (Changed
from Syllabus)
You are REQUIRED to attach your Exam in a Word document
or PDF format
Instructions for Take-Home Exams (READ CAREFULLY!):
-home question should be typed in 12-pt font, double
spaced, with standard margins.
Attach your exam in Blackboard as a Word Document (.docx or
.doc) or PDF (.pdf)

4. should be cited using MLA format.
If you cite outside sources, you should only use reliable sources
written by experts on the subject
(no Wikipedia!) Not citing outside sources will be considered
plagiarism and academic
dishonesty.
s should be
paraphrased in the student’s own
words. Direct copying from the textbook or any other source
word for word or by only changing
minor wording will be considered plagiarism and academic
dishonesty.
in an “F” grade (0
points) for the entire exam.
CHECK your file and file name
before attaching. DO NOT open your file once it is attached in
Blackboard.
Question for Take-Home Exam #3:
Select TWO of the following religions and/or philosophies,
ONE from each of the TWO categories, and
answer the following question prompt in essay format with a
MINIMUM of 300 words (but you may
need to write more to fully answer the question.)

5. What factors contributed to the early spread of the religions
and/or philosophies you
selected? How were the spread of these two belief systems
similar and/or different?
Category 1: Select ONE of the following for your essay:
called Hinduism)
Category 2: Select ONE of the following for your essay:
REMEMBER: For essay format, include an introduction with a
clear thesis statement, body paragraphs
with topic sentences, evidence, and analysis, and a conclusion.
Be sure to use FULL SENTENCES. Be
sure to support your arguments with specific historical
examples, including dates if known.
Note for Academic Support Center and Writing Center Tutors:

6. Tutors may help students with understanding the class
readings and materials, understanding the essay questions, with
general tips on how to put together an essay, and point out
errors
in essay outlines or drafts. Tutors should not develop
arguments, give answers, or create an outline for the student.
9
Week 7.5
Oral Presentation
You will prepare and deliver a presentation of a minimum of 5
minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes on the findings of your
Career D Research paper. To record your presentation, you
should create a PowerPoint with a voice-over.
Specific directions on how to create a PowerPoint with
voiceover can be found in the Student Resources button on the
navigation panel.
· The PowerPoint should contain a minimum of eight (8) slides
including an introduction slide and a conclusion.
· Please include:
· A brief description of the two careers options you chose to
research.

7. · An explanation of the points you used to provide the
comparison. For example, job duties, growth trends and
opportunities, salary, etc.
· An analysis of the learning acquired through the phases of this
project leading you to identify one career choices as the one you
will pursue. Why did you choose one over the other? Will you
be qualified for this position when you graduate from Bryant &
Stratton College, or will there be additional steps you need to
take?
You should use your research from Career Development
Research Paper for this project; you also must use Microsoft
PowerPoint to complete this assignment.
Bryant & Stratton College Workplace Capabilities
Tolerance
Communication
Attitude
Interpersonal Skills
Perseverance
Enthusiasm
Problem Solving
Persuasion
Productivity
Dependability
Informational Literacy
Technological Literacy
Financial Literacy
For this reflection discuss one Workplace Capability as listed
above:
a) Explain your reasoning for choosing these Workplace
Capabilities. Analyze the importance of these Workplace

8. Capabilities to your future career.
b) In your own words reflect on how this project meets the
Institutional outcomes as stated on the first page.
Upload and submit your final reflection in Blackboard.
Reflection Grading Criteria
Oral Presentation:
· Student’s voice should be clear and easy to understand
· Student should vary his/her tone of voice and use pauses
effectively to place emphasis on important points
· Student should provide additional insight to PowerPoint slides
in his/her own words. Student should not read verbatim from the
slides.
· Student should avoid non-words (“Um,” “Uh,” “You Know”)
and practice using professional language
Career Development Research Proposal: Medical Billing and
Coding
Introduction
The two career paths I have chosen to focus on is a Certified
Professional Coder (CPC) and charge entry specialist. The CPC
assists in maintenance, compliance, and profitability within the
medical field by providing accurate medical coding and
documentation. A charge entry specialist is responsible for
entering payments and insurance information, as well as
answering and returning calls from clients. I chose to focus on
these two main entry career levels after completing my degree
because based on the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
opportunities for certified medical coders is expected to rise to
22% by the year 2022. The data imply that industry demand is
high for these careers. Pursuing either of the careers would be
my step to a successful profession growth in business healthcare

9. and increase my chances of being hired in a competitive job
market.
Statement of Focus
There is a considerable challenge when it comes to making a
significant decision in balancing career growth with
satisfaction. Though some choices will affect main goals such
as positions, prestige, life-long learning opportunities, salary,
and opportunities for growth, making consideration between the
two jobs is tough. There are other factors such as cultural fit,
social life, and family impact and the type of interaction with
other colleagues that all affect the feeling of satisfaction at
work. To ease the comparison and decision-making process
between two levels of jobs, a career decision scorecard will help
me analyze the pros and cons of each position. The process will
involve a listing of all the factors I would consider and the
relative importance of each on a scale of 1-5. I will assign a
score to each choice based on how good it would be for each
factor rated on a scale of 1-5 for the Certified Professional
Coder and Charge Entry Specialist. I will then multiply the
rating by the equal importance and sum up each factor to
generate a weighted total score for the two jobs am focusing.
Methods
I will prefer using occupational outlook handbook from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics to help me find career information on
duties, education, salary, job outlook, the potential for growth,
working conditions, educational level, training among many
important factors. The research will utilize more secondary
sources to help me make a final choice.
Limitations
Obstacles I expect to face in researching my topic will be
finding these secondary sources from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS). Some of the information regarding each of the
factors I will be evaluating is not available or assessed by BLS
making it difficult to determine all variables. Sometimes
accessing such information can be time consuming because it
entails secondary sources. Additionally, I anticipate facing a big

10. challenge in deciding on a career job if at all I get the
scorecards for the two positions to be low.
Conclusion
From the comparison of two careers I will be researching on, I
will use a weighted score for each job; the one with a higher
score will be a good career choice to consider. The most criteria
that will be most important include leadership roles that will
provide rich career opportunities in the future.
Works Cited
Rimm Allison. “A scorecard to Help You Compare Two Jobs.”
Harvard Business Publishers, 27, April 2017,
https://hbr.org/2017/04/a-scorecard-to-help-you-compare-two-
jobs
1
Running head: CAREER DEVELOPMENT
8
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Career Opportunities Medical Billing and Coding
Shekella Thompkins
Bryant & Stratton College
ENGL202
April 12, 2019

11. Career Development
Regardless of the route one chooses in the medical field,
the student can rest assured they are going to be contributing
positively to the lives of patients, and society in general.
Whether a physician or a CNA, a coder or a health manager, all
elements of the medical work force are necessary to ensure
positive patient outcomes and a satisfactory healthcare system.
Though all elements of the field are justifiably good, honorable
positions, it is still important to assess each position in order to
assess whether it is the best fit for the individual. It is after
exhaustive research that I have begun to understand I would
either want to work in medical billing or coding. Though one
can do both, I feel it would be best to put forth all of my effort
into one position; ultimately, I have found medical coding
would be the best choice for me.
We often hear medical billing and coding stated as one
position and in many cases it is. Many institutions have
continued holding it as a comprehensive position, while others
provide the option of working exclusively with one or the other.
It is important to begin addressing which position is best for me
by addressing their similarities and differences. Medical billing,
to begin, is responsible for billing patients, insurance
companies, and all other parties appropriately (Everything you
need to get started in Medical Billing & Coding, 2018). There is
a great deal of care and detail that goes into this position, as
amounts need to be correct and itemized, as well as sent out in a
timely manner and readdressed until payment is made or sent to
collections. The job requires communication with patients,

12. sometimes on a regular basis regarding their health expenses. It
requires regular contact with insurance companies, as well. The
biller is tasked with coordinating payments between insurance
providers and patients, keeping invoices organized, and
reminding all parties the amount owed and when it is due (What
is Medical Billing?, 2019). Billers also have the capacity to
work out payment plans with patients who cannot afford to pay
in full at that time. While maintaining regular contact and
keeping involved party’s finances in check, billers are
additionally responsible for medical coding language; this will
facilitate faster and more accurate billing when assessing and
interpreting invoices.
In contrast, medical coders are not required to work with
insurance companies at all. They are also not expected to work
with patients directly. Rather a coder does just that, code.
Coders are responsible for recording medical data and coding it;
for every treatment, item, or procedure there is a corresponding
code (What is Medical Coding, 2018). As the hub of the medical
office, coders are tasked with providing appropriate codes to all
aspects of actions within the hospital, and they are relied upon
so heavily because to get a code wrong could be the difference
between failure and success throughout the entire hospital.
Though it sounds like an almost insurmountable amount of
pressure, simple memorization procedures can be used to ensure
the elimination of potential mistakes (Medical Coder, 2018).
Coders provide billers with a sense of security, supplying the
correct code in order to streamline the billing process. Though
billers, as mentioned, are required to have a working knowledge
of the codes, it is up to the coder to provide the correct one for
interpretation.
In addition, the skills required for the job, as well as duties
are different for both medical billing, and coding. Billers are
expected to obtain necessary referrals, as well as pre-
authorization from appropriate parties prior to specific
procedures. For example, if an individual is admitted with
severe chest pain, leading to potential heart surgery, medical

13. billers will first gain authorization from the patient’s insurance
company, and begin the billing process (What is Medical
Billing?, 2019). This also demands the biller is prepared to
check patient eligibility for certain services and procedures
regarding treatment, procedure, or hospitalization. Billers must
also be meticulous in their review of billing statements,
ensuring accuracy while providing itemized statements to
patients and insurance companies. It is the biller’s unfortunate
duty to follow up with patients on unpaid claims based on the
billing cycle provided. Among a myriad of other duties, billers
are expected to act as a third party between patients, facilities,
and insurance companies regarding discrepancies in payments
or services. They are essentially in charge of all financial
aspects of services rendered. The average salary of a medical
biller in the United States is roughly $37,000 depending on
region and location of facility, as well as serves it offers and
insurance available in that area (Everything you need to get
started in Medical Billing & Coding, 2018).
Unsurprisingly, the duties of a medical coder are different
than that of a biller, albeit they are all related and work in
conjunction with one another. Coders must be prepared to
review their work with an eye for detail and a comprehensive
knowledge of codes as they equate to services rendered. As
such, they must review and analyze all patient records,
documenting services and their corresponding codes in order to
ultimately calculate admission and treatment costs (Everything
you need to get started in Medical Billing & Coding, 2018). The
primary responsibility of a coder is to use the correct code for
each service rendered, allowing for appropriate charges to be
stated on the patient’s account. These codes are used to bill
insurance companies, further requiring accuracy. While the
coder does not interact with patients or insurance companies
directly, they are expected to interact with assistants,
physicians, and billers. Patient data must be accounted for
especially if the patient experiences multiple visits and different
services within those visits (Medical Coder, 2018). Coders must

14. also maintain strict confidentiality regarding patient services, as
well as to abide by HIPPA and other information security
stipulations. Medical coders also make, on average, nearly
$2,000 more annually than medical billers.
While billing and coding can be separate jobs, they two
departments are encouraged to work together in order to ensure
the billing process is smooth and easy for all involved. As such,
if it is still a job wherein all parties are required to interact, it
makes little sense to choose one over the other. Be that as it
may, I have still chosen coding as a better career path for
myself for several reasons. To begin, I believe healthcare costs
too much in this country, as of right now. While this is
hopefully subject to change, during this trying period I would
like to spare myself what would undoubtedly be a negative
experience in interacting directly with patience and insurance
companies on behalf of ensuring the hospital is paid for its
trouble (Everything you need to get started in Medical Billing &
Coding, 2018). I understand the concept of paying for services
rendered, but only to a point. One should not be able to afford
to survive. I am not forced into a position where I must explain
to patients why simple procedures cost hundreds, possibly
thousands of dollars, and so am not choosing that option.
Moreover, coders have more power over the overall work
environment. If I am a biller, I am forced to trust the coder
understands the corresponding codes. Despite encouraging these
departments to interact to avoid distrust or suspicion, it would
make me more comfortable to be a part of what is essentially
the hub of the medical office. I am fully trusting of my own
abilities and am happy to answer questions for anybody who
may be confused or distrusting of my ability to code. I am less
comfortable with hoping the person who gave me the invoice
was correct. Finally, though coding seems superfluous to the
healthcare process, I still feel I will be an important part of the
healthcare industry.
There are numerous differences and few similarities in
these two positions. Similarities include working in general the

15. same facilities, as positions are offered in all manner of medical
organizations from free clinics to neurological specialists.
These two positions are a permanent fixture in healthcare.
Whether performing them together or separately, it is essential
they are on the premises. As a result, the increasing desire for
medical technology and easier access to healthcare makes each
position more important, increasing the demand for them.
Promotions are minimal in either field, as there are not different
levels of expertise regarding either professional path. Education
for each position is also similar. One can receive a certification
in one or both professions. Certification is available typically
via intense seminars and classes held on the weekend, a longer
semester of night classes two to three nights per week, or
online. These courses offer flexibility often desired in an adult
schedule, allowing for this part of the decision to be less
tedious. These, however, are where similarities end. The two
positions ask for the same amount of education, and positions
are offered in all medical facilities. Primarily, however, these
two professions are completely different.
In conclusion, medical billing and coding are both
admirable jobs with a variety of differences about them.
Receiving relatively the same pay and working the same number
of days each year on average, there are few things that separate
these two in the average mind. Certification for each profession
even takes a similar amount of time to earn, only adding to the
difficulty of choosing between one profession, or the other. The
similarities between education for each profession are minimal,
disallowing that to be a reason for one choice or the other.
Similarly, the meager difference in salary is also not enough to
sway me toward one career path or the other. It is the
differences that make the decision easy. Ultimately, I choose
coding as a career path based on the option to not speak with
patients or insurance companies directly, as well as the fact that
I trust my own abilities and would prefer to be the foundation of
the medical office. The fact that I can enter the field doing
something that will make me feel comfortable and as though I

16. am contributing is important to me and I feel I can be of great
service to the medical industry in this capacity. Though I do not
know if this is where my career will stop, I am happy for the
opportunity to look more deeply into my options, assessing
what is right for me. I look forward to a career in this field, as a
medical coder.
References
Everything you need to get started in Medical Billing & Coding.
(2018). Retrieved from MB&CC:
https://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/introduction-to-
billing/
Medical Coder. (2018). Retrieved from EHC:
https://explorehealthcareers.org/career/allied-health-
professions/medical-coder/
What is Medical Billing? (2019). Retrieved from AAPC:
https://www.aapc.com/medical-billing/medical-billing.aspx
What is Medical Coding. (2018). Retrieved from AAPC:
https://www.aapc.com/medical-coding/medical-coding.aspx