Medical coding is a rewarding career and healthcare facilities rely on qualified billers and coders to keep the revenue cycle running smoothly. Medical coders take the details of a patient visit and encode it with universally-used alphanumeric codes. These codes are used for electronic medical records, and reimbursement claims sent to insurance payers. It seems very straightforward, but this job has unexpected and complex nuances. Experienced medical coders will agree that there are plenty of things that newbie coders find surprising; here are just a few we find to be especially noteworthy.
You’ll Need More Resources Than Your Coding Book
Your initial coding books will give you the raw codes that are being used nationwide: ICD-10-CM, CPT codes,and HCPSC codes—but these aren’t the only resources you’ll need. The National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI), the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), as well as state and federal regulations, are all valuable resources you should study as a professional medical coder.
You’ll Spend a Lot of Time Researching
In practice, medical coding has a lot of subtleties, and sometimes it’s a challenge to take a provider’s notes and fit it to the most applicable code. Even the most knowledgeable medical coders will face this problem at some point. Researching the entire depth of ICD-10-CM codes and CPT® codes will sometimes be a necessity, and keeping a journal of notes for difficult-to-code situations is a great idea.
You’ll also spend an immense amount of time researching the intricacies of each insurance payer and their internal policies. Each of them may have a specific way they look for claims to be coded. These aren’t things taught in coding guides, but they are extremely important to your day-to-day work.
Employers Expect You to Be Fully Trained When You’re Hired
Medical coders are difficult to evaluate when they first get hired. Some people pass the exam, some are truly passionate about medical coding and they are serious about being a professional. The problem is, employers don’t know which type of candidate you are until you start working.
Let’s be clear, this is NOT a career where “learning on the job” or apprenticeships are a widely established thing. Employers expect you to be able to do the job from the day you are hired. There might be some employee onboarding, but you’ll have to keep up with continued learning on your own.
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You’ll Still Have to Earn Continuing Education Credits
Medical coding is a career where you must periodically earn continuing education (CE) credits. These can be courses, education programs, or workshops. Each CE program will indicate how many credits you can earn. The thing you must know is many employers won’t give you time off or paid time to attend these continuing education workshops, so prepare accordingly.
At Some Point, You’ll Make Mistakes
No matter how careful you are, and how diligently you inspect the provider documentation and cross-check it against your references, there will be times you make an error. It is good to always self-audit, and make sure you are coding as accurately and precisely as you possibly can, but if you make an error, take it as a learning opportunity. There’s always more to learn about what codes can be used in which circumstances, and how to best match codes to a diagnosis or procedure.
It’s a Good Idea to Expand Beyond Medical Coding
If you want to be valuable as a medical coder, learning about other aspects of the healthcare industry is crucial. Becoming familiar with Electronic Medical Records (EMR), learning anatomy, studying up on medical procedures and diagnoses, learning collaborative software like Microsoft Teams—these are all things that will help you be better at your job. Take initiative to learn all of the things that will improve your coding skills and understanding of the healthcare system.
Employers Might Not Give You Vacation Days During Holidays
Like many types of jobs in the 2020s, there are usually “blackout dates” where you won’t be able to take vacation days. If you do find an employer that lets you take two weeks of earned vacation off during Christmas and New Year’s, those will most likely go to the person with the most seniority. While most medical billing and coding jobs are remote these days, you’ll still need to show up from crunch time when your employer needs you.
Become a Medical Biller and Coder with Our Online Program
If you’ve been researching a career as a medical biller and coder, there’s never been a better time. This is a job that is in demand, and Campus can give you the training you need to start your career. Our Online Medical Billing and Coding program will give you the training you need to get certified as a medical biller and as a medical coder. This is 100 percent online, in a ten month program. For more information on start dates, curriculum, eligibility, and financial aid, contact our Admissions team or call 888-675-2460 for more details.