There are several jobs in the medical care industry that you can take advantage of depending on your qualifications, experience, and professional skills. Medical billing is one of the most critical tasks in medical institutions and clinics. This article is meant to help you ace your upcoming medical biller interview by covering some of the questions that you should expect.
Be prepared to answer questions about your professional experience, work practices, problem-solving skills, and industry knowledge. We are committed to covering such questions to help you know what to expect ahead of your interview so that you aren’t caught off-guard. Take a look at the following:
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
I have always wanted to work here, especially given this institution’s track record. This is the go-to clinic for most of my family members, and therefore, serving here will be more of a way of saying thank you. I am also particularly fond of your working environment and culture, which I am willing to uphold at all times. Lastly, I have all the skills and experiences needed for this job which convinces me that I will help this organization grow as I build my career. I am looking forward to having a good time here.
2. What Are The Roles Of A Medical Biller?
A medical biller is charged with lots of tasks in the workplace. Also known as insurance billing specialists, these professionals mainly organize medical costs for patients and send invoices seeking payments. They also submit technical and professional medical claims to insurance companies for those with health insurance. Other roles include calculating and collecting medical payments, coming up with payment plans, preparing invoices, and updating necessary patient data. Therefore, they are part of the medical office’s administrative teams that ensure faster and efficient billing of patients.
3. What Are The Qualities That A Medical Biller Needs To Be Successful?
Owing to all the roles I have mentioned, a medical biller requires several qualities to perform well in their job. These include Effective communication skills needed to interact with patients and insurance companies; problem-solving skills to solve several billing and coding puzzles; attention to detail to locate codes used in medical billing easily; proper analytical skills which help troubleshoot problems; high levels of integrity to maintain confidentiality; technical skills such as familiarity with the billing programs and excellent multi-tasking skills since medical billers may be required to perform different tasks simultaneously. Other requirements include dependability and courtesy.
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
I realized that most of my former workplace’s medical records and billing software were outdated. However, I couldn’t get the clearance to use new ones since the decision lay with the top management. I had to use my persuasion and negotiation skills to convince them that we stood to achieve better results by incorporating newer and more powerful software and tools. I am glad that they heeded my advice.
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Medical Biller?
My day as a medical biller is quite packed. It revolves around calculating and collecting additional medical payments, which mainly entails organizing the medical costs before sending invoices to different patients in search of payment. I also spend my day submitting technical and professional medical claims to insurance companies, calculating and collecting medical payments, coming up with payment plans, preparing invoices, and updating necessary patient data. These are regular duties whenever one is part of the administrative team of a medical office or institution. I am also ready to attend to any different role in this workplace, as provided by the job description.
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
I began my career as a medical assistant, mainly charged with recording diagnoses and helping patients around the clinic. This gave me vast medical note-taking experience, which is vital in this role. After a while, I then branched into medical billing, later taking a medical terminology course. I have worked in different specialties after that, including oncology practice. I am confident that all these experiences put me in a better place to succeed in this role given a chance.
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
It goes without saying that the best strategy for any medical biller is observing high levels of accuracy in their work. Keeping an eye for details to identify errors as fast as possible and make the necessary corrections is important as most can be costly. One should also invest in excellent customer skills since patients are always destined to call asking for clarifications.
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
I am required to work during the weekends, which is understandable given that this clinic is busy around the clock. However, I am a staunch Seventh Day Adventist and can’t be available on Saturday. I am positive that this won’t mess up my chances of landing the job since we can find a way of going about it. I am free to work on Sundays and any other day.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
I love what I do. I don’t, therefore, struggle with focus or motivation while in the workplace. I believe that my passion overpowers any challenge I may face in the course of dispensing my duties. I also have a perfect work-life balance, which definitely improves my workplace motivation. Lastly, knowing that I play an essential role in the healthcare facility motivates me to work even harder.
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned?
A patient’s supposed loved one once called asking for details about the patient. After confirming if they knew the patient and a few more details, I divulged information without checking if they were listed in the HIPAA form. I only remembered later but luckily found out they had been listed on confirming. Even though this did not turn out badly, I was tensed and vowed never to attempt such a level of incompetence and always stick to the HIPAA form.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
I have worked as a medical biller for the last seven years. I am proficient in IT and have worked with several software in my career, which will help me succeed in this job. I also undertook a course in medical terminology and won’t struggle with taking notes from doctor’s records. Lastly, I know how to work with others well for the institution’s benefit since I am an excellent team worker.
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement.
I was a medical billing intern in one of the uptown clinics when I experienced what I consider my most outstanding achievement. Having done coding at some point in life, I helped the clinic come up with a powerful record-keeping and medical billing software that improved billing efficiency by 70%. The manager was overwhelmed with joy and recognized my effort. I was handsomely compensated, and, after finishing my internship, given a permanent job right away.
13. Can You Mention Some Of The Medical Records And Billing Software You Are Conversant With?
I have used several software in my career since my job involves reviewing digital patient files and submitting claims. I depend on this software to properly do my work. In my career, I have used eClinicalWorks, Excel, Charts ER, and a number of other equal software. The first software came in handy when I had to verify different patients’ insurance eligibility and information, while Charts EHR was one of the best software for revenue cycle management.
14. How Do You Ensure Confidentiality While Going Through Your Work?
I understand the importance of confidentiality in the healthcare industry. I usually ensure that no information leaks out to the wrong people since I owe a duty of confidence to all patients. I don’t talk about patient billing information outside work and only ensure that such discussions are held with the right people. I don’t also let unwarranted people access medical billing records by always ensuring that my computer is locked. I am glad to report that I haven’t experienced any information leaks.
15. How Would You Handle An Upset Client?
I usually deal with lots of upset patients, who mostly have queries about their accounts. During such circumstances, my problem-solving and customer care skills come in handy to attend to whatever concerns they have. I usually give such patients a chance to air their problems before apologizing and assuring them that I can offer the help they need. If they have queries with the billed amount, I explain all the billed procedures independently, the amount the insurance agreed to pay, and that payable by coinsurance. I then give thema chance to ask any further questions, repeating the same procedure repeatedly. I never leave a call without leaving the customer satisfied.
16. Do You Have Any Medical Experience? How Will Such Experience Help You In This Job?
I have been in the healthcare industry for seven years and therefore gained lots of experiences that I believe will come in handy in this job. I have vast experience in medical assistance, given that I am a former medical assistant. I, therefore, know how to document diagnoses, record tests, and fill in procedures. I believe that these experiences put me in a better place to understand different notes about patient records for improved accuracy. I can also work with different patients before, which will come in handy in this field. Lastly, my experience in this field has taught me excellent customer service, which plays a significant role, especially when patients call with complaints.
17. One Of The Most Important Things That A Medical Biller Should Know Is The Prioritization Of Tasks. How Will You Do That Here?
I understand the number of responsibilities I am tasked with as a medical biller. I, therefore, prioritize tasks by first listing them out before determining their urgency. I first start with the most pressing tasks before moving to the less urgent ones. I also consider deadlines to ensure that everything is in order by the required time or day. I am glad to report that I usually manage my tasks successfully.
18. Do You Understand Different Medical Terminologies?
I have picked a number of Terminologies in my career, having worked in the healthcare industry for quite some time. I also took a side course on medical terminology to improve note interpretation and record taking. I can have successful conversations with other medical staff about patient billing and answer any query that the patient has. My knowledge of medical terminology has also helped me identify and correct several errors in medical records.
19. Do You Follow The HIPAA Regulations When Managing Accounts?
Yes. First, all patients are required to sign a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act form by the medical provider. It upholds confidentiality while allowing access to patient information by the right persons. Whenever a patient calls asking about their billing or account, I do not divulge any information until I have verified all the necessary details. I also do the same to the patient’s caregivers or family members before confirming they have been listed in the form. I understand the importance of confidentiality, and I am always willing to uphold it.
20. Have You Ever Encountered An Error With A Claim?
Even though a medical biller should strive to avoid errors while billing the patient, some may go unnoticed. I have encountered a few errors with claims usually identified by the patients. During such occurrences, I go through the claim once more, assess all the elements, and look into the entries causing an issue. I then check with the electronic health records system and ensure that the patient information, together with the billed amounts, are correct. I may also have to review the procedure and diagnosis codes together with the provided notes to find out where the issue emanated. The last step is to correct any inaccuracies.
21. What Medical Billing Specialities Would You Prefer?
I am experienced in several medical billing specialties, given that I have worked with medical providers offering different types of care to patients. I have conducted billing for pediatric procedures, which was quite challenging at first, given my lack of experience. I have billed for other institutions, including mental health clinics, family health institutions, and gynecology clinics. I believe that I am versatile enough to fit in any specialty.
22. What Is Your Greatest Strength As A Medical Biller?
I have several positive qualities and attributes that qualify me for this job. However, I am always proud of my attention to detail, which allows me to identify and correct errors when billing patients. I can also read doctor’s notes well and make correct entries. I also believe this is further enhanced by the software I use when billing patients. I am positive that I will do a great job thanks to this quality.
23. How Will You Deal With Difficult Patients?
I know that I have to uphold excellent customer service on top of being good at medical billing. Therefore, I am always patient with anyone who calls asking for clarifications or reporting different claims. I usually give such patients time to voice their concerns or claims before finding the right solutions for them. I am also patient enough to answer their persistent questions and offer as many clarifications as needed. I take great pride in my ability to handle such situations effectively and would do the same in this workplace, given a chance.
24. What Do You Understand By Coinsurance, Deductibles, And Copay?
A medical biller should understand the difference between copay, Deductibles, and coinsurance to determine the right amount they ought to pay. As the name suggests, the copay refers to the amount an insurance company requires one to pay. It is not constant and may vary depending on the professional the patient visits. Coinsurance, on the other hand, is the amount the insurer covers. Lastly, a deductible refers to the amount that one must pay from their pocket before an insurance company makes a payment. It mainly covered care expenses.
25. Can You Help Patients Understand Their Claims And Bills?
Yes. I believe that explaining to customers their medical claims and bills is part of my job description. I usually break down their billing into parts, explaining each element to them. I also usually use layman’s language to enhance understanding since not everyone can comprehend the technical, and medical terminologies. Lastly, I give them a chance to ask for clarifications, which I am always willing to offer.
Conclusion
We have covered 25 of the most common questions in medical billing interviews. Ensure that you take some time to go through them and think of unique answers to be in a better position of getting the job. We wish you all the best.
