Starting a Career In Medical Coding

The healthcare industry is one that continues to grow more every day. A person who would like to obtain a secure career may consider the medical field because of its high demand. Medical coding is one of the professions in the healthcare industry that is expected to expand greatly over the next eight years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job opportunities to increase by 22 percent for people who want to work with medical records. Coding specialists are people who are in the realm of employment that will continue to flourish in the future.

What Is a Medical Coder?

A coder is a person who transform doctors’ diagnoses and procedures into codes that billing systems understand. The coder uses software to assist him or her with this task. However, computers are unable to conduct coding by themselves. The coder is crucial to the healthcare industry because medical specialists cannot obtain payment for services without codes. The medical billing process starts with a patient’s visit to the doctor’s office. The doctor performs his work and then makes a voice recording of the tasks he performed during the visit. The information on the recording is then downloaded and transcribed by a medical transcriptionist. Next, the transcribed file goes to a coder, who then codes the information and prepares it for billing the patient and the insurance company.

A medical coder may have additional duties within the medical offices such as taking phone calls, making appointments for patients, medical billing, and teaching other people how to use a computer. The level of interaction that a coder has with society and with other employees depends on the location of his or her job. Coders primarily work behind the scenes, but they are not necessarily by themselves at all times. Additionally, they have to communicate with physicians quite frequently to clarify information in the medical files and reports. A coder may conduct a great deal of auditing to ensure that he or she has coded each document correctly.

Where Does a Health Coder Work?

One amazing benefit that a coder has is that he or she can work in a wide variety of locations. A coder can work for a standalone physician’s office or a community hospital. He or she can work in a rehabilitation facility or a mental institution. Additionally, some companies offer work-from-home health coding opportunities for people who have gained experience in the field. Work-from-home opportunities are perfect for people who have children, schoolwork and other jobs that they work.

How Do You Start a Career in Health Coding?

A person can start an exciting career in health coding at any time. The opportunities are plentiful enough for people of all ages to obtain. First, an interested party should speak with an experienced coder to see if he or she is a good fit for the position. A coder has to be okay with working on projects alone. This person must be extremely detail orientated and slightly anal-retentive. A good coder will have math and English as his or her favorite subject. He or she will also have knowledge and experience of using personal computers and computer software.

Once a person makes the choice to enter the field of coding, he or she will need to obtain training and certification. Luckily, the coding courses are not long. An interested person can choose to obtain a two-year associated degree in
health information management. Alternatively, that person can take a career-focused curriculum that ends quicker so that he or she can begin testing for certification earlier.

Courses Necessary for Health Coding

The health coding curriculum for certification involves an extensive overview of medical terminology. A person cannot code medical information without understanding the jargon that medical professional use. Therefore, medical terminology will be one of the first items that a prospective coder will learn. The individual will also have to take classes in pharmacology, anatomy and pathophysiology. Finally, the person will learn the International Classification of Diseases, Current Procedural Terminology, and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System. These three systems will give the coder a bulk of the skills that he or she will need to perform his or her job.

Certification for Medical Coding/Billing

After passing a medical coding course, the graduate will want to schedule a test with an organization such AHIMA or the AAPC for special coding certifications. Prospective coders can test to obtain their CPC-A, CCA or CPC certifications. The certified professional coder apprentice certificate can help a person to obtain an entry-level position. After the person gains some experience, he or she can test for additional certification for places such as hospitals.

Applying for Coding Positions

Some organizations require a coding applicant to have at least one to two years of coding experience as well as certification. Some school programs are more beneficial than others are because their training curriculum counts as one year of coding experience. A new coder will want to use that information on his or her resume. People who are successful in obtaining employment can feel confident about job security. Medical coders have the potential to earn approximately $45,000 per year. Additionally, coding positions offer benefits such as health insurance, retirement funds and more. Coding is a positive career choice for a person who wants stability for many years.

About the author: 

Bill Evans has recently joined the medical coding field and wants to share ways to break into this fantastic field.