The career of a Medical Coders

The healthcare sector is increasingly growing and evolving, and medical coding is one of the lesser-known professions involved in this development. This profession did not even exist a few decades ago, but it is now a central pillar of the healthcare industry — and the explosion of opportunities is continuing.

Medical coding jobs are projected to rise at a faster-than-average rate of 13 percent by 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). * That's awesome to hear, but you still have more questions — like, "Where do medical coders work? "So what exactly are they going to do?

We turned to the data and expert perspectives to answer those very questions. Keep reading to learn more about it!

The Job of a Medical Coder

Medical coders can hang their hats in various working conditions, depending on what they do. There are various types of jobs for medical coders, while work duties can be somewhat similar. According to the BLS, medical coders spend their time updating patient records and issuing relevant diagnostic and treatment codes for patient care, public health data, and billing purposes.

Medical coders ensure that patient information is correct and up-to-date to protect patient information, ensure proper billing and follow-up of policies. Because their work deals with a number of different areas of healthcare, they can be working in a number of different ways.

Where are the medical coders working?

In comparison to what you would expect, medical coders are working in more than just clinical and hospital environments.

Below are some of the places where medical coders work:

Hospitals & Medical Services

There is no surprise here — hospitals need medical coders to record and allocate codes for each medical procedure that the patient receives. They study codes, analyze patient charts, and use specialized medical coding software to assign appropriate codes. Doctor's offices and specialized clinics, such as dermatology or dental offices, also use medical coders to handle billing and insurance claims.

Life Consulting Services

Many organizations act as consultants to help hospitals, healthcare networks, and clinics solve problems and plan for the future. These companies hire a wide range of healthcare professionals to help design, develop and implement performance and profitability strategies in hospitals, health care systems, medical practice groups, and more.

Institutions for education

Colleges and technical schools need skilled medical encoders to train the next generation of medical coding students. There are no formal educational standards for medical coders, but the BLS notes that there are certifications that can be obtained from an approved institution. These schools offer a wide range of opportunities for trained medical coders to share their knowledge with students.

Insurance Agency

Medical coders working with insurance agencies see medical reports from the other side of the table. They verify the accuracy of the incoming representations and note that any information is missing or potentially incorrect. They then equate the care received by the patient to their insurance coverage, so that claims can be processed.

Law firm

Billing fraud is a major concern for health care providers. Incorrect billing procedures can cause the provider to go on fire for fraud — even if it was unintentional. The company must prove that all billing and coding mistakes have actually been mistakes, or that they could face criminal charges. Law firms also employ medical coders to help investigate cases of fraud.

Agency of the Government

State and federal government organizations, such as the National Center for Health Information or the State Departments of Medicaid, are another employer with medical coders. These day-to-day medical coder tasks are close to those of medical coders in other industries: assigning codes, abstracting information, and updating and auditing incoming claims codes.

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