Job Description for a Home Care Coder
Medical billing and coding involves submitting claims to insurance companies so that health care providers may receive payment for the treatment they give to patients. Home care coders are a type of professional within the field of medical billing and coding.
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Function
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Home care coders submit claims for home health care services, a type of health care provider that gives basic treatment to patients in their own homes. Home care coders take the lists of treatments given to patients and assign a specialized code to each using a computer system. Insurance companies, in turn, use these codes to determine how much of a claim to pay.
Features
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When coders have a question regarding care given to a particular patient, they contact the worker who performed the service to gain more information. There are several different coding systems used by insurance companies, and in some cases, coders must contact companies to inquire what codes are used for a particular situation.
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Skills
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Successful home care coders possess attentiveness to detail, the ability to input data into a computer quickly and accurately, flexibility to keep up with changes to coding rules, and memorization skills to retain information about the various coding systems. The ability to use computers and learn new software programs is also necessary.
Education
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Because the position requires knowledge of medical terminology, post-secondary education is necessary to work as a home care coder. Employers typically require coders to have a two-year associate's degree in the field.
Compensation
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As of January 2010, home care coders averaged annual salaries of $45,000, according to Indeed.com.
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