What Do Billing Clerks Do?
Benefit administration jobs are another of the professions that require working with numbers. This billing clerk may work in an insurance company or for a private company. The benefits will be billed on a regular basis and are normally deducted from an employees pay. The amount deducted depends upon the plan that is chosen. If there are changes to be made the billing clerk must attend to this and they also double check to make sure the correct amount is being deducted.
Depending upon the company for which the billing clerk works, there may be a need for keeping different records, sales tickets, charge account slips, credit card invoices, purchase orders and many other types of items which are associated with billing. For example, a billing clerk in an accounting or law firm is responsible for the keeping track of the hours that attorneys spend on their clients cases, the type of work they do for their clients and the fees to charge for the services they have performed.
Billing jobs in administration in a hospital setting will require the clerks to check hospital records, contact insurance companies, and ascertain which items are eligible for compensation. This is a highly competitive position and the larger hospitals may have several billing clerks to handle the patient load.
When billing clerks examine all the information they compile for the billing procedure, they must make sure the correct amounts are being charged. Using the tools they have such as calculators, computers, and other office equipment they will prepare the statements for several purposes. Some will be for sending to the customer, some for record keeping, and others for the insurance company. These statements will have to list the services by type and date, the amount that is due.
When a billing clerk receives payments for the services for which they have billed, they will have to make sure the customer’s accounts are credited. They will take care of all incoming payments by sorting them according to the type and take care of any inconsistencies in this area. There may be complaints or certain charges that people do not understand. The patience to explain the billing to customers is one of the requirements that a billing clerk must have. Good customer service is an absolute necessity.
Where Do Billing Clerks Work?
When considering public administration jobs, there are several occupations which can include finance. This type of job can be found in public service or government. There are many non-profit organizations which will be included when considering this career. There are several international relief agencies as well as local and federal programs which are run by either the state or federal government.
Some billing clerks may work for trucking companies that will require even more expertise. They may have to use rate books to check prices for parts and services. The trucking industry is also subject to taxes and tariffs. The updating of rules and rates will be another aspect of the job, as they must keep up to date on all the changes and increases.
The computers and special billing software available today reduce the steps it used to take to figure charges and prepare bills. There is also the option of sending bills electronically which allows the elimination of paper bills and is quite convenient.
Billing clerks are employed in over 500,000 jobs in the work force today. There are numerous industries that employ billing clerks; however, the most are in the health care industry. The number of billing clerks employed in this type of industry is over a third of all the rest combined. There are also billing companies that do this type of work for companies although they do not actually work for the company. This is called third-party billing. In addition to providing billing they may also keep the books for the company as well as take care of their payroll.
Education for Billing Clerks
Although many billing clerks work in offices, there are beginning to be many of these types of jobs being done at home by people who prefer to work out of their home. The requirements for this job are at the very least a high school diploma. Many employers may prefer that you have a degree. Those with bachelor’s degrees and associate degrees will be offered more money when starting their careers and advancement will be more likely.
Earnings
The earnings of billing clerks vary depending upon the company for which they work. The middle wages for this position are from $24,000 and $35,000 although it can be more if certain circumstances apply. The highest percentage will make over $41,000 while the lowest may make about $28,000.
