Medical Coding and Billing

MEDICAL CODING & BILLING DEGREE

As the population grows and ages, increases in demand for health care services will also increase the demand for skilled technicians who choose to build a career in medical billing and coding. Medical billing and coding work is a subcategory of medical records and health information technology. Most workers with medical coding training and medical billing training have associate’s degrees. Medical records and health information technology careers are among the few healthcare professions that do not require direct patient care skills, but good communication skills and writing ability are a requirement for jobs in this field. Students considering entering an associate’s degree program in medical coding and billing would benefit from taking science, mathematics and computer courses at the high school level.

Medical Coding & Billing Degree Description

Medical coding training and medical billing training programs usually result in the award of an associate’s degree. These programs usually require one or two years of course work after high school. Courses of study focus on anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, healthcare reimbursement systems, clinical classification and coding systems, computer data systems and computer security, accounting, and other subjects relevant to building and maintaining electronic systems and databases of healthcare history and billing records.

Medical Coding & Billing Careers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs in the medical records and health information technology areas to grow much faster than the average of other occupations in the years 2008 to 2018. This growth will be fed not only by a growing population of healthcare clients, but also by increasingly stringent standards for electronic health record keeping.

Medical coders specialize in codifying patient records for reimbursement purposes. An extensive medical knowledge is necessary for this work, as well as ability to use computer systems, because accurate classification of diagnoses and treatments into the proper system codes is crucial to smooth running of the health information and billing system. Coders assign the proper code for each treatment using special computer software that matches diagnosis and treatment codes with the proper reimbursement amounts allowed by systems such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers.

Medical billing specialists handle the accounting end of the coding system. They are responsible for proper billing to insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid, and for following up with patients with bills for the balances due after reimbursement has been received from the insurance providers. Medical billing specialists should have good interpersonal skills, since they will often interact in person or by telephone with insurance providers and healthcare clients to resolve billing issues.

Workers with medical coding training and medical billing training can find jobs in a variety of work places, include private medical practices, hospitals, large corporate human resources departments, insurance companies, and government agencies. Some billing and coding specialists do medical billing at home by telecommuting using a personal computer and high speed internet connection. These medical billing at home workers may be self employed in their own consulting firms working for small medical practices, or they may be employed by larger organizations that recognize the benefits of telecommuting. Medical billing at home is an ideal part time occupation for workers with other time commitments or a desire to be independent.