The failure of a kidney results in renal treatment, and this can be a very costly treatment. Dialysis sessions can cost the patient a lot of money that they may not have. However, most of dialysis clinics have social workers who are there to advise the patients on matters to do with payment options for the treatment and life dealing with kidney disease.
Patient Eligibility
There is a Medicare program that is run by the federal government which has subsidized the dialysis treatment for patients with kidney diseases. There is a criteria that is used to select eligible people for the Medicare program, and this is determined by use of “work credit.” Works credits are accrued under a person’s Social Security, and a single work credit is equivalent to a total of three months of employment. This is what qualifies patients for the Medicare program, which is the end-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Program. Children who suffer from the kidney disease can qualify for the ESRD program through parental or guardian work credits. Making sure that eligible patients are properly billed is often done by medical billing personnel with special training.
Just like any profession, a medical career has some requirements for anyone entering that profession. These involve the kind of training required and certification. Since a person can venture into many fields in the medical billing career path, research for a particular field is the first step. The next thing is getting a degree level education on certain courses, such as medical practices.
The training helps the individual learn the skills required to perform the medical billing duties if they land the particular job. There are many institutions that offer these courses and they require astute understanding of numbers, healthcare procedures, rules and regulations. The courses have to be accredited by the relevant bodies in the industry for the individual to obtain the necessary certifications required.
Experience in the medical industry, often as a medical secretary, can come in handy in meeting the requirements for this career. The first-hand skills attained can help potential workers gain an advantage over the competition to the post. Knowledge of other relevant things such as the medical industry in general, insurance claim processing, appeals, International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9-CM, current procedural technology and others is essential and an added advantage. After gaining all these training requirements, a certificate of certification is mandatory. This is acquired after completing an examination for Certified Medical Billing Specialists, which is conducted by the Medical Association of Medical Billers.