Medical coding is one of the most important jobs in the health care services field, as its specialists organize and facilitate insurance and billing transactions. After all, if doctor’s offices and hospitals offices don’t get paid, the entire system falls apart.
Medical coders are basically translators. They translate descriptions of medical diagnoses and procedure, which might include doctor’s notes, laboratory results, radiologic results, and more and assigns each one a billing code. The coding determines the amount for which healthcare providers will be reimbursed They are several different coding systems, including CPT®, HCPCS and ICD-9-CM and which is used varies by clinical setting.
Many health care providers are shifting to electronic health record systems and medical coders will be expected to be familiar with HER software, as well as HIPAA regulations to protect patient confidentiality.
Careers in medical coding are widely available with doctor’s offices, hospitals, health care systems, and insurance companies. In fact, the US Labor Department says that the field will grow 18% over the next five years.
Training and Certifications
Medical coders have to learn the specialized medical codes that make medical information readable by all health systems. In essence, it’s like its own language.
Medical coders do not have to have a college degree, but some programs offer an associate degree program. Medical coders usually take classes in:
- Medical Terminology
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Data Coding and Abstraction
- Database Management
Once the coursework is completed, students may choose to take the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam. While not all medical coders are certified, most employers prefer to hire medical coders who are certified. Exams are offered by either the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
Skills Needed
Medical coders must be detail-oriented, careful, and attentive. If information is entered incorrectly or not at all, serious consequences could result. A patient’s medical record will be wrong, which can affect future treatment plans and medication, and their health insurance may not pay for treatment that they should. A simple mistake could cost a patient, or the health care system, thousands of dollars.
Advantages
Because medical coders have no direct hands-on patient care, they can work from home or in an office, and can often choose whether they wish to work full or part-time. “I love what I do,” explains Michelle Duram, a medical coder in Indianapolis. “I worked in a doctor’s office for a few years until I had some experience, and now I work from home. I like the idea of helping people, but I would rather work alone without a lot of other distractions, so this is the perfect job for me.”
Specialties
Not al medical coders work in insurance and billing. Medical information can also be used for research purposes and education. For example, some medical coders specialize in working for cancer registries maintaining local or national tumor databases. In fact, you can take specialty exams in numerous areas, including cardiology, oncology, dermatology, family practice, and more.
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For more information on the field of medical coding, contact the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists (http://www.pahcs.org).
Angie Boss is an award-winning health industry writer and author or co-author of several books, including Before Your Time: Living Well with Premature Menopause (Simon and Schuster, 2010). She received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Sociology and Journalism from Virginia Wesleyan College and a Masters of Pastoral Counseling from Union Theological Seminary.
