What Does A Medical Coder Do?

If you are looking around and trying to figure out how to become a medical coder (not to be confused with a medical biller), I have some information you need!  This is an ever expanding field that is in extremely high demand.  There are certain traits that will make you well suited for the position.  Find out what they are here!

You must have a wide understanding of medical terminology, diseases and available medications. This is required in order to complete the job, as you’ll need a strict understanding of health information and medical info that is essential to understanding how to put a patient’s record together in the correct way.

You will organize a patients’ health records and make sure that each diagnostic and procedural code is properly in place so that patients and healthcare providers will know a patient’s history, test results, and important information.

This is vital in the industry because it does a number of things – it tracks the performance of doctors and hospitals, prevents fraud and error, and communicates with insurance companies such as Medicare and Medicaid.  Last but not least, it helps to ensure the medical providers are billing (and getting paid) for the correct procedures.

What is the work environment like?

You can find medical coders in surgery centers, hospitals, dental offices, nursing homes, and mental health facilities. Some can also work within insurance companies as well as consulting firms and government agencies.

There are no minimum education requirements to enter the field of medical coding, however you will need to be very knowledgeable in the fields of biology, physiology and medical terminology so that you can understand the diagnostics. You will generally need to complete a certificate program in medical coding which are usually available at community colleges, in order to have you application be competitive.  Coders may have different competency levels, depending on what their job requires.

Salary

Though medical coders are in high demand, at the moment medical coder salary is just slightly below the US national average income. This obviously depends largely on where you work. If you aren’t satisfied with the pay, you can always try asking for a raise!

According to statistics, job growth for these types of positions, both medical coding and medical billing jobs, are expected to grow. There are definitely tons of opportunities in this field and it only takes a year to complete the certificate program, making it a great job choice for anyone who is looking to get involved in the health care industry.