Some of us may think that the healthcare field is all about doctors and nurses. This field only provides career opportunities to medical personnel and nurses, but the reality is beyond this. The medical field also gives golden career opportunities to medical billing and coding. If you want to know more about a medical coding career, you must come to the right place. Keep reading the article if you want to take a closer look at this fast-growing medical career.
In this blog, we will discuss what is medical coding and coders, along with the importance of medical coding and how it is being done. So let’s get started.
What is Medical Coding?
Medical coding is just a little bit like translation. “It is the transformation of healthcare procedures, medical services, diagnosis, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes”. The procedures and diagnosis codes may be taken from medical record documentation of the patients like a transcription of doctor’s notes, radiologic and laboratory results.
In simple words, you may say that medical coding refers to the process of translating important and complicated medical information into simple codes. It documents medical records and informs accurate medical billing to the patient and respective insurance company.
However, there are different types and kinds of medical codes that are used in the healthcare field. Somehow each of them only allows for uniform documentation for the medical facilities. Having such a standard and modern system allows for a more seamless transfer of medical records and more efficient research and analysis to track the new medical trends.
What is a Medical Coder?
Medical coders are the professionals responsible for translating doctor’s or physicians’ reports into useful medical codes. These individuals may work behind the scenes in various settings and make sure that all pertinent information is coded properly to ensure consistency and accuracy.
After a physician treats or examines the patient, the insurance company of the relative patient needs to understand what was done to process the bill. , the purpose is to be imprecise to give the insurance company the accurate information it needs; therefore, particular codes are established to define the entire medical procedure. It is the responsibility or role of a medical coder to pass along the details in a way that is useful and efficient for both the patient and the company.
The medical coder translates the documentation into standardized codes that tell the insurance company or payers the following things:
- The diagnosis of patient
- Medical requirements or necessity for the services, treatments, and supplies the patient received during medical care.
- Treatments, supplies, and services are provided to the patient.
- Any unusual circumstances or medical condition(s) that may affect these treatments and services.
It’s just like a musician who interprets the written music and uses his instruments to create what’s intended; a medical coder requires understanding physiology, anatomy, and other details of the services. He also has to understand the rules and regulations of the payers and insurance companies to succeed in his career.
Why is Medical Coding important?
The healthcare revenue field is based on the documentation of what was learned, decided, and performed. The patient’s diagnosis, test results, and treatments must be documented not only for reimbursement of the medical costs but also to ensure high-quality care in future visits for patients. The personal health details follow them through proper complaints and treatments so that they must be easily understood. It is particularly important considering the hundreds of millions of their visits, procedures, and other hospitalizations on an annual basis.
However, the main challenge is thousands of diseases, conditions, injuries, and causes of death. Along with it, there are also thousands of services performed by the providers and an equal number of injectable drugs and other supplies to be tracked. Medical coding clarifies these for easier reporting and tracking.
Meanwhile, there are also multiple descriptions, names, acronyms, and eponyms for every disease, tool, and procedure in the healthcare field. Medical coding classifies and standardizes the language and presentation of all these elements like treatment, services, and many other things so the company can easily understand, modify, and track the processes.
How is Medical Coding being done?
A trained and certified Medical coder best performs medical coding. Here is an example for you of what type of duties are done by a Medical coder:
After being selected and setting into the office, a Medical coder commonly begins his work by reviewing the batch of patient notes of the previous day for further evaluation and coding. The type of records and notes depends on the clinic setting and may require a specific degree of speciation. The healthcare systems may have individuals that focus on medical specialties. In contrast, coders who work in smaller or general offices have a broad range of patients and medical conditions.
After selecting the top patient note, the medical coder may start reviewing the documentation to understand the diagnoses assigned to the patient and procedures performed during the visit. He also abstracts other important information after documentation, including the doctor’s name, date of checkup, and other details.
Why choose MD Sol Billing?
Worried about medical claims and getting paid on time? Well, you don’t have to worry anymore as we are here to help you. Our professional team will help you to unlock all the RCM disciplines to unlock your revenue system and provide accurate medical coding services. With MDSol billing as your patent, you will get a 24/7 turnaround time. Moreover, we will be here even during the holidays and weekends to provide extraordinary services to our valuable customers. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn as well.
