If you’re already working in the field of medical billing you can start a business at home as a freelance medical billing agent. The most important aspect of getting started is to research some information so that you have an idea what kind of equipment you will need in order to perform the functions you need to do. That includes software, operating system that is compatible with the clients you will service, and of course, you will need to find out how your files will arrive — online in real time or via fax or email.
Once you have all of your equipment in place, the next step you need to take care of is securing the clients. There are several ways you can do this, and you may choose one or a combination.
• Telephone contact to medical facilities
• Distribution of flyers in areas housing medical facilities
• Person to person visits to medical facilities
• Send letters via postal mail to medical facilities
• Emails to facilities that have websites or for whom you have email addresses
• Search online for those looking for freelance medical billers
• Place ads on various job boards on the Internet advertising your services
• Advertise in newsletters and other local places where your ad may be viewed by those hiring freelance medical billers
Once you have your equipment in place, and you have some clients lined up, you are ready to get started with your at home business. Depending upon the needs of individual clients, you may be able to work just a few hours a day, or you may have to put in a full eight-hour day. Even if you do, the hours you set will be at your discretion, and contingent upon nothing more than the client’s deadline for job completion.
Depending upon the needs of the client, and the way you set up your business, you may also be handling receipt and processing of the payments for which you bill. In that case, you will need to have a telephone just for receiving billing inquiries, and a post office box for receiving payments that come in the mail. Although this is something that is usually limited to larger billing companies, who also tend to double as a collection agency, some smaller medical facilities may ask you if you can handle this for them.