Insurance

The constant changes going on in healthcare and insurance are creating a very hot new career, one that can actually be ideal for single mothers who want to keep an eye on their children while they work. It's called Medical Coding.

Medical coding is an essential element of medical billing. Every procedure a doctor or other healthcare professional performs on a patient, from giving inoculations through therapy and everything in between now carries a code developed by the insurance industry. A coder deciphers a doctor's patient report, breaks down all that was done into code, and then submits the now coded invoice to an insurance carrier for compensation.

As one can imagine, it's a very detailed-oriented profession. Those in the medical community want to be compensated for just looking at a patient, and to omit even the most minor procedure costs them money. The job also involves a credible level of computer skills, as much of this work is now done through email or the Internet.

At the same time, access to this profession is comparatively easy. To start, a person needs a minimum high school degree and a steady disposition. Education usually involves going to an accredited community, vocational or online school that offers at maximum a two-year degree or vocational certificate in medical coding. From there, a graduate proceeds to a professional group such as the American Academy of Professional Coders for certification.

While many in this field do work for hospitals, clinics and related health institutions, many with a few years experience often go on their own, setting up offices at home. All that they need is the ability to hustle up some clients, a computer and some sort of Internet access. That's why the job is ideal for single parents. They can set their hours around billing deadlines, which usually are on a daily basis. What time they get the billing done before the deadline is up to them, thus they can work when their children are at school or sleeping.

On the average, an independent specialist makes about $30,000 a year, depending on whether they work for the government, a private institution or freelance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes the wages can go as high as $37,000 with benefits, depending on the job.

As it happens, the Bureau also reports they expect extreme growth in the occupation. It states there are slightly over 170,000 medical coders in the U.S. these days. The rapid changing of the healthcare industry, particularly when it comes to insurance, makes the federal agency anticipate the need for an additional 35,000 - or a 20% increase - by the end of the decade.