Information about Medical Coding

Medical Coders work for insurance companies and heath care organizations. Every time a healthcare provider renders services to a patient (this is called an encounter) a claim is filed to the patient's insurance provider. For all the types of encounters, there exists a specific code for each. These codes tell the payer what was wrong with the patient and what services were performed. The job of the medical coder then is to take bills submited to the insurance company and translate them into the appropriate codes. This may seem easy, but there are a lot of codes and procedures to learn, along with basic medical terminology.

Medical billing is similar. Hospitals, clinics and private practices need workers to put together bills, or invoices for the insurance companies. Ultimately, the difference is that a biller prepares an invoice to be send to an insurance company and coders take the information and put the information into the proper codes. Both require a good understanding of medical terminology, though the codes and procedures required will be different.

Skills Needed for a Medical Coder:

If you have past experience in data entry, secretarial work or word processing, you likely already have the necessary skills for a career in medical transcription. While you will still need to take a good medical coding course and learn the material, having data entry skills is a big advantage. Some of these skills are:

Typing skills. You should be able to type at least 40 to 70 words per minute (WPM)

Reading and listening skills

Ability to work alone without supervision

Good computer skills

Experience with word processing software (ie. MS Word) is an asset.

Courses and Medical Coding Certification

While there are many good medical coding courses out there, no school can offer you certification. Be wary of any course provider making that kind of claim. To become certified, see the National Healthcareer Association. Also keep in mind that you do not need to be certified to become employed as a medical coder. Most employers will probably not ask for this. However, it still something that would be a good idea to have in the long run.

Medical Coding training from a good school will usually run from around $600, assuming you already have a grasp of medical terminology. If you also require a course in basic medical terminology, add $200 to the overall cost. While many coding programs are offered through colleges around the country, there are also many coding courses available online through the internet. By learning online, you do not even need to leave the comfort of your home to get started in this new career. Try the FREE medical coding introductory course

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