The Role of Certified Medical Coders

One of the most common ways that hospitals and healthcare organizations lose revenue is because of billing errors. Certified Medical Coders from MedCore are ready to help. Protect your revenue by taking action as soon as possible.

What are Medical Coders?

Certified medical coders add mandatory information to patient records that are required for billing and data management. Each procedure and diagnostic that is carried out by a nurse, doctor, or other member of the medical staff has a unique code.

Imagine you’re a coder looking through a patient’s medical file who visits a doctor’s office for an X-ray, for example. The procedure will be recorded on the patient’s chart once the technician has finished the X-ray. The injury’s cause, whether it’s a fracture or just a sprain, will be determined by a doctor after seeing the image. The doctor may also recommend therapy, which might involve a sling or a cast. Reading these notes and applying the proper codes for the X-ray, the doctor’s assessment, the diagnosis, and any treatments given will be your responsibility as a medical coder.

How a healthcare provider charges the insurance company for the patient’s visit will depend on the particular codes issued. Assigning codes and analyzing medical records are essential duties for any Certified Medical Coder.

How to Become a Medical Coder

One must first have your high school diploma, GED, or equivalent in order to start a career in medical coding. Untrained individuals occasionally work in the medical coding industry and pick up skills as they go. Others might decide to sign up for medical coding classes, where they can choose to receive a certificate or a degree in the subject. A certificate or diploma can be earned in less than a year if you choose the coding training sessions, however, an associate degree program could take between one and two years to finish.

Some courses will get you ready to take exams for professional certifications like the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification. You must pass an exam given by the licensing organization, meet specific eligibility requirements, and receive a passing score in order to become certified.

After getting certified, medical coders may hold a variety of positions. Medical coding is used in the following types of jobs:

• Medical Receptionist
• Assistant in a Medical Office
• Customer Service Representative
• Healthcare Biller / Coder
• Coordinator of Medical Records / Technician
• Specialist in Insurance Benefits

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts an 8% increase in employment for medical secretaries between 2021 and 2031, including medical coders. An influx of coders in the medical field will positively impact the overall patient experience.

Key Functions

At MedCore Solutions, our coders aid in standardizing and recording data in a method to avoid billing errors. These errors are extremely time-consuming, have a negative impact on the patient’s experience, and are costly. All healthcare facilities must take precautions to prevent medical billing errors. Thankfully, our coders can be of assistance here.

To guarantee that medical invoices are correctly coded, our Certified Medical Coders offer the following services:

• Analyzing patient records to determine diagnoses, surgeries, or other given treatments
• Determining and assigning appropriate billing codes in accordance with services delivered during a patient visit
• Data standardization for invoicing and administrative needs
• Comply with all laws and regulations by sequencing codes in the correct order
• Examining patient records to make sure they accurately represent the treatments provided during a visit
• Ask medical professionals, especially doctors, for clarification on any difficulties or questions you may have regarding the information
• Lead any investigation of coding mistakes or changes to previous legislation
• Answer any questions on the coding of treatments
• Verifying records’ accuracy through document auditing
• Identify and fix any potential coding issues
• Work with coworkers to increase productivity and make sure all records are accurate and complete.
• Recognize and follow medical coding conventions
• Discuss coding-related difficulties with other medical personnel
• Follow all regulatory requirements regarding bill coding
• Whenever necessary, complete adapted projects.

Furthermore, they can assist in relieving some of the pressure on your office’s other medical professionals. Our Certified Medical Coders can help your practice cut down on expensive billing mistakes, allowing your other personnel to concentrate on what really matters: patient care. Coders are skilled in interpersonal communication, working administrative roles, organization, and are knowledgeable about record keeping. If a Certified Medical Coder is the best fit for your practice, MedCore will assist you in making that decision.

References

MedCore Solutions. Certified Medical Coders. (2023, April 25). Retrieved from https://medcoresolutions.com/certified-medical-coders/