Developments in the Current Medical Billing System

In the decades before software systems became mainstream, medical billing systems were not only hard to regulate, but were also carried out almost entirely on paper. The result was an unorganized medical billing system that was taking physicians' time and attention away from the care of their patients. Today, the increasing use of electronic health records (EHR) is helping organize health care documents, reduce errors and cut costs in the health care industry. It's also changing the medical billing process.

EHRs would be used for may purposes:

• To document individual patients' conditions
• To pass information among clinicians treating those patients
• Justify financial reimbursement from insurance companies
• Serve as a comprehensive legal record of medical events

The organization and centralization of the information stored in EHRs would improve more than the existing medical billing system.

The benefits of universal use of EHRs are unquestionable. Doctors will have access to not only their patients' complete medical histories, but databases that store disease information, medications and demographic information can be analyzed for new knowledge that will hopefully be used to improve the quality of American health care.

The focus on restructuring the current medical billing system and encouraging health care providers to adopt EHR technology is the result of recent developments in health care:

• In 2009, the Obama administration pledged $19 billion in American stimulus funds to health care information technology.
   
• In March of 2010, President Barack Obama signed legislation to overhaul America's health care system, promising health insurance to an additional 32 million Americans.

In order to accommodate an additional 32 million insured Americans, health care providers will not only need a more efficient medical billing system, but they will also need to hire additional qualified medical professionals.

Changes in the medical billing system also mean changes in medical billing training. Traditional medical billing and coding courses include medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, clinical classification and coding systems, and health care reimbursement methods.

With the adoption of EHR software, future health care professionals working in the medical billing system must feel comfortable using the new EHR software, be able to effectively analyze electronic health care data and maintain EHR security.They may also be asked to help develop and maintain health information networks.
_{Source: www.ScientificAmerican.com}