How do I become licensed in billing and coding in IL?

by Shelley
(IL)

I have earned a certificate in Medical billing & coding from a Jr. College, and I am very interested in starting my own home based business. I need to know where to go for information about Medical billing licensing and accreditation in IL. I can not seem to find anything on the internet. Please help me. Your advice that I have read is so very good and has given me a lot to think about. Thank you.

Response:

Shelley,

I’m not aware of any licensing requirements specifically for medical billers or coders other than a business license from your local municipality - city or county - if you are operating as a business. I briefly looked over the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and didn’t see any requirements for health care support type professions - but you might want to check it out too.

Of course there are a variety of certification credentials offered by professional organizations such as AAPC, AHIMA, AMBA, etc. which you are probably already familiar with. Here’s more discussion on Medical Billing and Coding Certification.

If you want to obtain a business license, you can start by searching for your county and/or city department of revenue. These are usually the entities that handle business licenses. In my case I'm in the city limits so we have to have a city and county license. Of course it varies depending on where you live. You typically have to renew every year. It may be a flat amount or depend on how much the business made the previous year. For us it's typically anywhere from $200 to $300 a year - and rising due to our local governments need for funds!

The business license application process is usually pretty easy - it typically involves filling out a simple form and submitting for review. You may need a federal tax ID also which is simple to do from the IRS web site. Just visit your local city or county web site and you'll usually find everything you need to apply there. It's not a very difficult process - most local governments encourage small business start-ups and want to help you succeed.


Thanks for visiting the site! - Gina