It is not about billing customers.
That is what professors in Bryant & Stratton’s Medical Reimbursement and Coding degree program say many new students think of when they think medical coding.
But crunching numbers is not how graduates in this field will spend their days.
Medical Coding and Billing Job Description
Reimbursement and coding specialists immerse themselves in understanding biology and medical terminology. They have to understand how the body works, what diagnosis is linked to that body part and then learn to correctly code those using the appropriate medical reimbursement codes so that insurance companies can accurately pay each claim.
People often ask if medical coding is hard to learn. In most cases, students are able to learn the basic concepts quickly and easily as long as they put in the effort. Students will pick one of two tracks to study: hospital (inpatient) or physician’s office (outpatient) that reflect the two areas of concentration for most medical records and health information technicians.
Once the claims are coded, the billing side of the operation submits the claims. Depending on the size of the employer, there may be a separate department for each step in the process, meaning employees may only code or only bill. In a smaller physician’s office, a much smaller staff may be tasked with the entire process.
This field also offers a huge ability to work from home and potentially work for yourself, completing coding assignments for different physicians. However, that requires experience and becoming well-known in medical circles.
Basic facts for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (for 2014, the last available data)
Median Pay: $34,160 per year ($17.84 per hour)
Number of jobs, nationwide: 188,600
Rate of job growth: 15 percent per year
What will you study: physiology, biology, HIPPA laws
Growth Opportunities: Some doctors will hire experienced employees without credentials, if you have any dreams of moving up in the industry, or working from home as a contractor, you have to become credentialed and work toward earning more certifications to add to your degree.
Professional Resources: To learn more about careers as a medical reimbursement and coding specialist, check out these professional associations related to the field. Each of these organizations can help you find information, connect with mentors and research job opportunities.
The Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists, http://www.pahcs.org/
American Health Information Management Association, http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/web_assets/bok_home.hcsp
For more information on healthcare degrees at Bryant & Stratton College, contact the Admissions office.
