Every healthcare organization depends heavily on a medical billing and coding specialist. Some people take billing and coding as one job, but the fact is that both are different things. In our today’s blog post, we will discuss who is a medical coder and what he does. So, let’s begin the discussion without wasting any further time.
Who is a Medical Coding Specialist?
The role of a medical coder is to update the records of a patient with uniform information required for billing and data management purposes. Whenever a healthcare provider, doctor, or nurse offers a service, a unique code must represent the service rendered (each procedure and diagnosis). They translate the reports of a physician into useful standardized medical codes.
Medical coders work in the office for different settings, making sure that all relevant details are coded correctly to ensure accuracy and consistency. Whenever a healthcare provider or a doctor treats patients, the government or insurance company provider needs to know what was offered for processing the bill. Certain codes describe medical procedures because the common language will make them very lengthy.
It is the job of the medical coding expert to translate the entire treatment process into medical codes. Based on these codes, the medical office or provider will bill the insurance provider for the visit of the patient. The coder needs to analyze medical charts carefully and assign codes accordingly.
Medical coders are known by various job titles. These include:
- Coding Specialist
- Coding analyst
- Diagnostic coder
- Coding auditor
- Clinical coding officer
Every coding specialist should possess certain professional skills. Some of the main technical skills include medical coding, ICD-10, customer billing, CPT coding, HCPCS coding, clinical documentation, HIT, HIPAA compliance, and inpatient coding. They should also have great communication and analytical skills.
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