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Steps to Become a Certified Health Insurance Specialist:
Step 1:
To become a health insurance specialist, you will first want to decide that healthcare is the field for you. Many healthcare administrators are inspired to pursue this career when they see how helpful it can be. Though it’s not as hands-on as being a physician's assistant, nurse, or physician, the financial aspect of healthcare is undeniable. Thus, those with a business mind who may be squeamish around blood or surgical procedure should consider becoming a health insurance specialist.
The first step to becoming a health insurance specialist is thus to decide that you want a healthcare career that has an immediate positive impact on people's lives while also providing lots of growth opportunity and a good salary, too. Insurance specialists should have a good head for legal documents, medical terminology, and finance. One practical step to take toward being a healthcare administrator is to volunteer at a local hospital. There are also entry-level positions in healthcare administration, clinical work, and even a retail job inside a hospital can provide valuable exposure and insight into how hospitals work on a daily basis.
Step 2:
Once you've decided that you want to pursue a job as a health insurance specialist, you need to find a healthcare administration degree that will help propel you to success. Since this job does not require a bachelor’s degree, or any post-secondary degree at all, you might start off with an associate degree in healthcare administration or a certificate. It's recommended that you start with at least a two-year associate degree. If your local community college doesn't offer the specific healthcare courses you seek, you can investigate online degree programs.
Alternatively, you can pursue an associate degree that will provide the skills you need. For example, you may be able to take medical coding as an elective while studying accounting, finance, or business management. When you complete a two-year degree you not only will have the specific courses you need to get started in your field, but you'll have completed the core curriculum you need to move on to a bachelor’s degree health insurance specialist program.
Step 3:
After you've completed your degree and have the skills you need to succeed in healthcare administration as a health insurance specialist, you can begin applying for entry-level positions. You can seek a job with a small clinic, a hospital, or a long-term care facility, to name a few options. When you first start working as a health insurance specialist, there may be a significant learning curve before you're fully on-board with all of your duties. However, you'll soon master the position.
Once you're settled and are managing healthcare claims for numerous patients every day, you can consider more training. One first step might be to seek out a professional certification. One possible certification is the Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS). Once you attain this credential, your employer will find you more valuable and you will also be more desirable if you seek other employment.
Step 4:
When you're ready, you may want to return to school and complete a bachelor’s degree. If you already have an associate degree, you're basically halfway there. Your two-year degree should provide the credits you need to satisfy the core curriculum requirements of most four-year bachelor’s degree programs.
For your bachelor’s degree, you can choose any path you want, but if you still enjoy working in healthcare administration, you can seek out a health insurance specialist program that caters to that specific industry. There are many degree options out there including a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration, Bachelor of Healthcare Administration, and Bachelor of Healthcare Management, to name a few options. You can also work toward a standard management degree because your experience in healthcare should inform your academic work.
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Health Insurance Specialist Career & Salary
Where Might You Work?
Health insurance specialists can work in a number of healthcare environments. While they most often are thought of as hospital workers, your career can include work in small clinics, dentist offices, chiropractic clinics, and with any other healthcare provider that relies on insurance reimbursement as its primary revenue source.
If you work in a hospital, you might be assigned to work with special populations within a specific department. Some health insurance specialists work with cancer patients and their families. Others might work with maternity patients. No matter what your specialty area, you will need to gain a familiarity with the typical surgeries, therapies, and other sorts of health insurance claims that are germane to that medical specialty. Though there may be some overlap, each specialty area will have medical codes that you'll use all the time.
You will also have to adapt your communication for each area. If you work in a long-term healthcare facility you will likely be communicating more with family members than the actual patients. The same applies at the other end of the age spectrum if you work on a pediatric ward and must work with distraught parents regarding their child's healthcare picture.