Medical Billing and Coding: Over the years, health care providers and insurers have developed a specialized language of codes that they use in patient records and on billing forms. Proper coding is an essential part of every successful modern medical practice. Training at a medical billing and coding school helps health care professionals avoid the pitfalls of miscoding, which can lead to lost revenue, slowed receivables and target a practice for an audit!
Learn medical billing and coding at one of our featured billing and coding medical schools. Pick one and request info to start your medical billing or coding career today!
School
Location
Certification & Degrees
Boston,MA
Medical Assisting Certificate
Medical Administration Certificate
Medical Coding Certificate
Medical Coding and Billing Master Certificate
Healthcare Professional Master Certificate
Columbia, MD
Medical Administration Certificate
Medical Coding and Billing Master Certificate
Medical Coding Certificate
Medical coders use medical coding terminology to transcribe information to medical reports, health information summaries and insurance forms. Medical coding technicians must have a thorough knowledge of medical terminology and anatomy.
"…assign a code to each diagnosis and procedure. They consult classification manuals and rely, also, on their knowledge of disease processes. Technicians then use a software program to assign the patient to one of several hundred "diagnosis-related groups," or DRG's. The DRG determines the amount the hospital (or health provider) will be reimbursed by Medicare or the patient's medical insurance.
Technicians who specialize in coding are called health information coders, medical record coders, coder/abstractors, or coding specialists. In addition to the DRG system, medical coders use other coding systems and software." Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-2003. U.S. Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Medical billers facilitate the claim paying process. They prepare and process medical bills for health care providers, hospitals, outpatient emergency and surgical facilities and insurance firms. Like medical coders, medical billing technicians also need a thorough knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and medical coding. Medical billing specialists are trained in the latest Medicare and HIPAA regulations, insurance compliance and other medical law.
It's a great time to learn medical billing and coding because 1996 updates to the HIPAA regulations created national standards for medical billing and encouraged electronic billing. Also, the Office of the Inspector General (the OIG) and Managed Care Plans are watching physicians and care facilities very closely to ensure compliance to proper billing and coding methods. Currently, monthly chart auditing is voluntary (unless you have been audited), but it's only a matter of time before it becomes MANDATORY.
Miscoding can lead to lost revenue, slowed receivables and target a practice for an audit! As a result, many smaller health care providers are out-sourcing billing to qualified medical reimbursement specialists. Opportunities exist for trained medical billers and medical coders to work from home.
Look for a qualified billing and coding medical school that offers coursework in:
Anatomy
Physiology
Pharmacology
Medical terminology
Medical ethics and law
MS Office
Medical billing
Radiology, Pathology coding
ICD-9 medical coding
CPT-4 surgical coding
CPT-4 non-surgical coding
Anesthesiology coding
Insurance fraud and abuse
Insurance compliance
Programs at billing and coding medical schools generally run from seven months to one year and include an internship (or externship) that provides practical experience in a health care facility. There are shorter, accelerated courses in medical coding available to those who already have experience in the field.
Medical billing and coding training prepares students for entry-level medical billing and coding jobs in a variety of high-growth health professional careers.
Medical Coder
Medical Biller
Medical Assistant
Medical Administrative Assistant
Medical Record Coder
Medical Coding Specialist
Medical Insurance Biller
Medical Reimbursement Specialist