The demand for medical coders has increased over the last five years and employment is expected to grow faster than average in the next ten years. Because of the rising numbers of diagnostic tests and identification of new disease and treatments, employment in the medical coding industry is predicted to increase by 20 percent through the year 2016. It will remain to be one of the most secure jobs as paper filing of patient information is quickly becoming obsolete in compliance to the federal legislations that require the use of electronic medical records. Patient information is now input and organized in a computer database for storage and retrieval. There is also a projected increase in health care services, prompting health care employers to hire certified and effective coders to record accurate patient information in order to establish ICD-9 and CPT codes for insurance claims and billings.
Medical coders are in demand most especially in home health care facilities, hospital finance departments, physician’s and dental offices and private clinics. Medical coders, especially with strong background and certification, will be in demand since employers prefer to hire those who are highly qualified and effective in working in an environment centered on the organization and accuracy of electronic health records. Graduates of medical coding programs are required to take entry level certification as this is a must for those who want to pursue a career as a medical coder. Coders with experience are required to sit for certification to be able to work in a hospital-based setting.
Students who want to pursue a career in medical coding should enroll in an accredited school that offers a medical coding program. Prospective students are required to have a US high school diploma or equivalent and are recommended to complete coursework in anatomy and physiology, chemistry, English, computer science, data entry and processing, computer skill, and algebra to increase possibility of admission in the program.
A medical coding program is usually two years in length, also granting an Associate’s Degree to the student. A Medical Coding Curriculum consists of base courses that provide an overview of diagnosis coding such as the ICD-9 coding workshops. Students are given an orientation to aid in the understanding of basic diagnosis coding based on the ICD-9 codes.
CPT coding workshops are also given to students in order to provide an overview of CPT coding. This course will enable the students to learn how to use the CPT coding manual and how ICD-9 relates to CPT. Students will also be taught how to audit properly to ensure accurate and error-proof records. Accounts receivable processing and patient collection is also a part of the medical coding curriculum to train students how to reimburse, collect paychecks, educate patients of the costs, and to reduce collection costs. Students will also be given a course that teaches the terms used in insurance processing to accurately verify claims and faster receipt of payments. Additionally, students will be educated regarding the guidelines used in the coding systems and documentations of services for billing. Externships or on-the-job trainings are also a part of a medical coding program, providing a formal medical coding training and expanding the students’ knowledge about the medical coding industry.