A career in medical billing and coding can be very fulfilling. Just ask Stephanie Walker, a 2012 alumnus of American Career College-Orange County who now works as a health claims examiner and medical biller. Since completing the ACC program in medical and billing coding, she has worked with many leading companies and healthcare organizations, including Farmers Insurance, Health Net, MetLife, UnitedHealth Group and others. In an interview, Stephanie spoke about why her new career is such a good fit.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
First and foremost, I appreciate being able to work from home. Even before the pandemic, I was working remotely. Working remotely offers lots of flexibility and allows me to balance my work and family responsibilities. And there are no rigorous commutes in heavy traffic. I’ve found that working successfully from home requires effective communication skills. The auditing process involves weekly meetings to discuss various billing issues and provide updates on claims, so being able to relate to others is essential.
What I particularly enjoy about my job is that it involves a variety of tasks. I like that every medical case is different and multi-faceted. I’m detail-oriented, so this is an ideal career for me.
What do you find most challenging?
Mastering all the medical terms, abbreviations and acronyms can be a challenge. You develop really good memorization skills as a medical examiner.
What advice do you have for people who are interested in this field?
Never give up on your dream of becoming a healthcare professional. It’s been a journey for me. I spent 14 years in retail and six years in management before entering the program at ACC. But it’s been a wonderful experience so far — being able to work independently to improve the integrity of the healthcare system is very rewarding.
Tell us a little about yourself and your family
I’m a resident of Buena Park. I have an 8-year-old daughter named Paige and am expecting a child in December. I graduated from Irvine Valley College with an AA degree in teacher education and am currently a junior at Cal State Fullerton. I love the parks and amusement parks here in Orange County, and my daughter and I are really into crafts. You can see evidence of that throughout my home.
