Medical Coding

What is Medical Coding?

Medical coding is a specialized professional domain within the wider field of healthcare administration.

Professional medical coders review the documentation contained in patients’ medical records and translate the diseases, procedures, services and materials cited in the documentation, into universally accepted, industry-standard medical codes.

Every time a patient receives professional health care in a physician’s office, hospital outpatient facility or ambulatory surgical center (ASC), the provider must document the services provided so as to claim the bill charges.

Therefore, Medical coding professionals plays a major role in providing the key information of the physician’s service in the form of codes, to get accurate bill charges and claims by  medical billing professionals which are paid, whether by a commercial payer, the patient, or CMS(Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services).

Why Only Medical Coding?

Medical coders and billers share an ample part in succeeding the physician’s practices and other healthcare facilities to achieve financial growth. They rectify the revenue issues and at the same time, reduce the compliance risk. The greater the expertise of the Medical Coder in identifying relevant diagnoses for patient encounters and assigning appropriate codes, the greater the insurance reimbursement to the physician by Medical Billers.

Medical Coding is emerging as one of the leading domains in healthcare industry in regard to jobs and salaries. This escalation is amplifying the situations vacant and hence it is, now-a-days, becoming a craving profile for many eligible graduates who have laid their career in the health information technology.

Concededly, the coding certifications are stipulating the opportunities in healthcare industry and becoming a hovering demand.

A Statistical survey conducted by the U.S department of Labor conveys that the Healthcare Industry is ahead of any other U.S. industry which supports the fact that Medical Coding is an elite and preferable profession. It also upholds the fact that Medical coding is amongst the rapidly accelerating careers which proves that there is an upcoming boom for certified coders.

What Does a Medical Coder Do?

Coders work in a variety of settings and their individual workdays differ based on size of facility, type of physician, etc… The following example outlines what may be a typical day in the life of a Medical Coder.

After settling into work and grabbing a cup of coffee the medical coder usually begins the workday by reviewing the previous day’s batch of patient notes to be coded. The type of records depends on the clinical setting (outpatient or facility), and may require a certain degree of specialization. (Larger facilities may have individuals who focus on medical specialties while coders who work in smaller, or more general offices, may have a broad range of patients and medical conditions.) Then the coder selects the top patient note or billing sheet on the stack and begins reading the documentation to understand the patient’s diagnoses assigned and procedures performed during their visit. Coders also abstract other keyinformation from the documentation, including physicians’ names, dates of procedures, etc…

Why Medical Coding services are being outsourced to India?

• Efficient expertise.
• Cost governance
• Skillful efficacy.
• Low Operating expenditure.
• Time Zone convenience with India.
• First choice of 82% of US providers to outsource medical files.
• Availability of proficient English speakers.
• Dedicated and talented professionals who work with wisdom.

What are the future prospects of a Medical Coder?

The Medical Coders has a vast scope of opportunities for professional growth. Relying on the medical coding knowledge they earn, the Medical Coders can spread their wings throughout the world by clearing different certification programs conducted by AAPC and AHIMA.

One can increase their designation in the professional field through certifications which not only increase the superiority and self confidence but also the salary and pride.