Medical Billing: What It Is & What It’s Not
- 12/12/2022
- Posted by: Tri Smith, Instructor
- Categories: Medical Billing, Medical Billing Course, Medical Billing Jobs
What is medical billing?
Medical billers focus on the process of submitting claims to health insurance providers and then following up to get paid for the services provided by a healthcare practitioner. It is an essential component of any healthcare organization’s financial management and a significant source of income for providers.
Medical Billing is not the same as Medical Coding, as commonly misinterpreted. Medical coding assigns standard codes to medical diagnoses and procedures to facilitate accurate billing and tracking.
Difference between Billing and Medical Coding
- Commonly, billers work with patients while coders don’t. A patient must exchange information with a biller. The biller’s job is to follow up on anything that is not going well with the client’s expenditures.
Medical billers submit insurance claims and send payments to accounts using the codes created by coders. Coders commonly work with health professionals.
- Medical billers are often independent, while medical coding is more of an alliance role. Coders need to collaborate with doctors, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to make codes, while billers can independently link different parties required to facilitate the billing process.
- In order to get hired, medical coders must have at least a bachelor’s degree in medical coding and billing. On the other hand, billers must possess a minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent in general education (GED). An advantage would be an associate’s degree in finance or a certificate in the specialization.
Whether you work from home for yourself or others, in an office, or occasionally, there are many ways to have a successful career in the medical billing industry. Here is Medical Billing Course Program P1 to start you over with your billing journey.
Conclusion
Despite billing and coding being independent processes, both are required for providers to be paid for healthcare services. Medical billers’ and coders’ pay may differ by geography, educational attainment, work experience, and employer.
Tri Smith is a Managing Partner and Instructor at MedicalBillingCourse.com, where he leads both the strategic direction and instructional delivery of the program. With over six years of experience, he works closely with students and internal teams to ensure the course remains aligned with real-world medical billing practices while continuing to evolve with industry needs.
His work focuses on guiding learners through the full medical billing lifecycle, from foundational processes to more advanced topics such as claim accuracy, payer communication, and compliance. He is directly involved in how the course is structured, how assessments are designed, and how students are supported as they progress from training into practical application.
Under his leadership, MedicalBillingCourse.com launched the 2026 edition of the course, which includes the new Medical Billing and Coding certification track and reflects a more modern, structured approach to training. These updates emphasize clarity, real-world readiness, and scalable learning systems that support both new students and returning graduates.
Tri has helped thousands of students complete their certification and move into roles ranging from remote billing positions to in-office healthcare settings and independent billing businesses. His approach emphasizes practical execution, consistent standards, and the ability to turn training into a real opportunity.
