The medical coding course and the consequent profession is gaining importance every passing day because of increasing demand in the medical service and decreasing rate of reimbursement from the insurance companies.
The process of becoming a medical coder does not necessarily require a traditional qualification, other than reasoning, analysing and communication skills. However, majority of employers prefer certified medical billers and coders, because coding standards in medicine are intricate and ever-evolving.
Medical coding course eligibility requires one to be a bachelor or masters graduate, preferably from a life science background. While a certification is not mandatory, ongoing education, expertise, and experience are essential to become a successful coder.
Here are some of the best opportunities one can get after completing their medical coding course:
1. Certified Professional Coder
As a professional coder, you can be working freelance for several healthcare agencies who are in need of an expert pair of hands to oversee their billing and coding. Hospitals and nursing homes have to be comply with the laid down rules and regulations of coding for admissions and regular treatments, surgery and so on and it would be your job to make sure that they stick to it. You might have to occasionally communicate with doctors and nurses, as well as the patient party to explain procedures, criteria of reimbursements, rejected or reduced claims – so you need to have a solid grasp on the subject.
2. Patient Account Representative
Here you will be representing a patient with a chronic disease condition over a period of time and perform several administrative actions regarding the patient party’s treatment-related payments and reimbursements. As a patient account representative, your job will be to represent your client’s interests as a claimer by calculation of invoices, submission of claims and maintaining communication with the insurance company for follow-up.
3. Claims Reviewer
Although a part of the coding profession only, this is a more specialized but much in demand job opportunity. The medical insurance companies need someone to make sure for them that they are not overpaying the medical facilities and the health practitioners and suffering losses, but also not underpaying them and digging a possible lawsuit situation. As a claims reviewer, it would be your job to thoroughly analyse submitted claims, understand the medical terms and jargons and convert them into codes.
4. Medical Collector
Medical collectors are entrusted with the job of debt collecting overdue bills of medical services provided. As a medical collector you can work freelance, under a medical collection agency or for the medical agency that has provided the service. Your job description would include collection of any and all overdue amounts, be it regular consultation, hospital admissions, surgeries and operations or any other service rendered.
5. Coding Specialists
Once again a sub-specialization within the field, coding specialists work mostly in medical insurance agencies and concentrate solely on converting medical terms and terminologies that represent any diagnosis, procedure, treatment and medicines into specific codes. Based on these codes, medical insurance companies determine the amount to be reimbursed for each case.
As a professional coder, to earn a high salary in medical coding, you can also take up outsourced job opportunities from foreign countries online from home and receive a fat pay cheque at the end of the month in dollars or pounds.
