Medical Biller Coder Job Description

Medical coders and billers are health care professionals who enter, organize and codify patients' medical information in computer systems. This is done to ensure security and easy retrieval of medical data for billing purposes. Medical coders and billers are known by several other terms, including medical coding specialists, health information technicians and medical records technicians.

Main Duties

Every time patients visit a health care provider, medical coders and billers compile their medical records. When physicians perform procedures on patients, or make diagnoses, the medical coders and billers assign corresponding codes. This generates bills to reveal the amount due to the health care provider in the instance when patients have health insurance. It is also the responsibility of medical coders and billers to verify medical data with physicians.

Types of Codes

There are two types of codes used: the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code. The ICD, established by the World Health Organization (WHO), is used to classify all aspects of injuries and diseases worldwide. The CPT is established by the American Medical Association to describe medical, surgical and diagnostic services within the United States for analytical, financial and administrative purposes.

Work Environment and Conditions

Most medical coders and billers work in hospitals, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers and physicians' offices. Although a normal work week is 40 hours, a few of them work overtime depending on the manner of the workplace. Unlike several other health care professionals, medical billers and coders have little or no contact with patients.

Education and Training

To be a medical coder and biller you need at least an associate degree in medical insurance billing or health care administration. Some employers prefer candidates who also have at least a coding credential, since it often indicates specialization or a higher degree of knowledge. Professional associations that offer credentialing include the American Health Information Management Association, the American Academy of Professional Coders, the Board of Medical Specialty Coding, the Professional Association of Health Care Coding Specialists, and the National Cancer Registrars Association.

Salary and Job Prospects

As of May 2010, salary.com reports that medical coders and billers receive a median annual salary of around $44,000, with the bottom 10 percent making around $33,000 and the top 10 percent making around $55,000. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a job growth of 20 percent for medical coders and billers from 2008 to 2018, which is a much faster rate than the average of all U.S. occupations.

References

• Degree Source: Medical Coding Job Description
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9)
• American Medical Association: CPT - Current Procedural Terminology
• Salary.com's Salary Wizard: Medical Records Coding Technician