Is medical billing and coding a right field to go in to?

by Amanda
(Alabama)

I am fixing to start college and I am stuck on making the decision of either going for an EKG/Cardiovascular Technician or Medical Coding and Billing Technician. I'm hoping you can give me some advice in helping me make this decision.

I'm going through a program that's called WIA and its paying for all my college and I need to be sincere on what I choose because once its started I can not go back, they only pay for it once. Please help me make this decision in whats best for me. Thanks!

Amanda,

Sounds like you've got a great opportunity with WIA paying for your education.

As far as deciding what career path to take I guess it really depends on what you enjoy doing and your personality. I would think both choices would pay about the same. I think there will be a good demand for both professions in the future - so you shouldn't have to worry about job security.

An EKG/Cardiovascular Technician will have more interaction with patients. So if you like interacting with people that might be a good route. You would also have the satisfaction of helping people. But the downside is you have to deal with those who are sick or having health issues - and they can be difficult occasionally.

Of course some people prefer Coding and Billing because it's more solitary. I tried to describe what a biller does here. Coding is very similar work to billing and at many smaller practices the same person may do both. Both coding and billing are very detail oriented and tedious - and at times overwhelming. It involves working on the computer a lot - and a lot of documentation and paperwork. But it is a neat field to be in.

Of course this is just my humble opinion/viewpoint on these. Thanks for the question and good luck!

Gina

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