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 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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