The medical field offers a wide variety of careers with endless possibilities. With so many options, it can be difficult to decide which path to pursue. One popular choice among our students is becoming a Healthcare Administrator. HMC provides both a 15-month healthcare diploma program and a 24-month Associate Applied Science (AAS) program to begin your journey in this profession.

Unlike medical assistants who interact with patients, healthcare administrators do valuable work behind the scenes to prepare the information needed for billing and payment of medical care. If you’ve ever received a medical bill, you may have an HMC graduate to thank for making sure you weren’t overcharged for a procedure. Some responsibilities of medical administrators may include:

• Ensuring accurate coding of services, procedures, diagnoses, and treatments.
• Generating and submitting invoices or claims for reimbursement.
• Resolving rejected claims.
• Monitoring payment status.
• Communicating with patients and insurance providers regarding outstanding bills.

In order to work dynamically with insurance providers, medical staff, and patients, a great billing and coding professional may have the following skills:

• Attention to detail: The medical coding system consists of a large number of five- and six-digit numbers, so it is important to have a sharp eye for spotting numerical errors to avoid claim rejections.
• Computer skills: The majority of medical billing is now done digitally, so it is essential to be proficient in using computers to complete tasks efficiently.
• Organizational skills: Medical billing and coding involve working with multiple forms for various patients, so it is important to maintain proper organization to avoid operational difficulties for both patients and the practice.
• Data privacy: Under HIPAA laws, healthcare information must be kept confidential, except for obtaining reimbursement. As a medical biller or coder, it is important to respect patient privacy and not share information with non-relevant team members.
• Data analysis: The ability to review groups of codes and quickly assess their accuracy based on patient charts is crucial, as is the ability to correct errors identified during analysis.
• Anatomy and physiology: A basic understanding of anatomy and psychiatry is necessary to ensure that groups of codes make sense together, as it helps to understand bodily systems, medical processes, and their interactions.

Luckily, HMC helps all graduates develop these skills in order to succeed in their careers as healthcare administrators. What’s more, the need for medical administrators is set to grow, offering more opportunities for future graduates. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, billing and coding professionals in Hawai‘i make an average of $51,520–$67,130 as of 2021. On top of that, the profession is expected to experience growth in the coming decade, with employment projections of a 7% increase from 2021 to 2031—around projected growth for other occupations. 

If you’re curious to learn more about how you can become a medical administrator, check out our programs at hmi.edu/programs. If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you! Call us at (808) 347-5307.