You may be wondering if a career in medical billing and coding is a good choice for you. Before making any career move, it’s important to understand what kinds of responsibilities and skills would be required of you in your new field.
What do medical billers and coders do? What is the difference between billing and coding? Billing and coding are two separate functions that take place in a medical office. Sometimes they are combined into one job, and other times, they may be separate jobs.
Medical Coder Responsibilities
Medical coders:
1) are responsible for analyzing patient records and then assigning the right procedure code or diagnosis code for the services the patient received. Accurate coding is important because it is used in patients’ insurance claims;
2) use CPT, or Current Procedural Terminology, to select the correct codes for patient procedures;
3) use ICD terminology, or International Classification of Diseases, in order to select the right diagnosis codes for patients’ diagnoses;
4) are sometimes responsible for asking other office staff for more information on patient records, in order to determine the correct coding;
5) might help educate the staff on the kinds of information that needs to be included in patients’ charts, so that accurate coding can be completed.
Medical Biller Responsibilities
Medical billers:
1) enter the medical codes into special billing software in order to submit insurance claims to the insurance companies;
2) are responsible for understanding insurance procedures so that claims can be submitted accurately;
3) often work directly with patients to obtain their insurance information. They may also be responsible for explaining charges to patients, and helping them to understand their insurance benefits;
4) are in contact with insurance companies in order to follow up with claims that have not been paid;
5) play an important role in the finances of many medical offices, because they help insure that the office is receiving payment for its services