Medical Billing and Coding Job Description

Friday, July 29, 2011

Medical Billing and Coding Job Description & Career Opportunities:

Medical billing and coding are similar occupations that fall within the field of medical administration. Although there is a difference between medical billing clerks and medical coders, jobs are often combined because of the similarity of the required experience.

People who are looking for a job in medical administration should be encouraged to seek medical billing and coding as a career because it is one of the fastest growing professions in the healthcare industry. In addition, many medical billing and coding positions remain unfulfilled due to the shortage of qualified candidates. Education in the form of a certificate or degree is required for the work of most medical billing. Start your career by requesting free information from schools today as follows:

As the healthcare industry becomes more and more dependent on information technology to store and retrieve patient information, medical billing and coding professionals will enjoy greater demand for its particular set of skills and ample employment opportunities.

Job Responsibilities:

Medical billing and coding professionals employed by the administrative wing of the industry's health care. Its basic responsibility is to accurately translate patient information and medical alphanumeric code. Information managed by medical coders include patient care, medical history, diagnostic and related information. This information is transferred between care providers and health insurance companies, so the proper amount of payment may be generated and paid.

Medical coding and billing professionals should be aware of various coding systems, based on their workplace. Level 1 HCPCS coding system is used by hospital providers, while Level 2 HCPCS is used for hospitals, physicians and other health professionals. Diagnoses are coded using the DRG coding system. It is important that medical coders so detail-oriented as possible and that the dispersion of fair pay and the creation of accurate, easily processed medical expenses depend on your coding experience.

Training and Education Requirements:

There is no requirement for education or training for a career as a medical billing and coding professional, however, there are specific skills for the field that can only be learned through a qualified program. You can get either a 2-year associate or a bachelor's degree studies in 4 years in the field. While the lack of expert medical billing and coding professionals work makes it more likely that a person with an associate degree can get a well paid job, earning a degree 4 year degree in the field will guarantee a more lucrative employment in general. It is also possible to obtain a diploma in medicine coding, which is a good option for people who have a degree in a related field, as a branch of information technology.

The skills taught in medical billing and coding program covers the basics of medicine, such as anatomy, physiology, diseases and diagnostics. This knowledge is essential for programmers, it will be necessary to accurately translate medical jargon in the code. The coding of medical students will also explore business operations, processes insurance claims, basic office procedures and the use and application of medical billing software. In addition, students must have a complete education in coding schemes and coding terminology. Coding systems cover must include ICD-9-CM, CPT / HCPCS, DSM-IV and the ICPM (International Classification of Procedures in Medicine).
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