A Typical Day for Medical Billers & Coders

A typical day for a medical biller and coder is fast-paced and includes coding and follow-up.

Hospitals, clinics and private physician offices all employ medical billers and coders. The highly specialized job requires knowledge of medical terminology and health care insurance industry. Medical billers and coders receive training and certification. According to the salary survey website PayScale, as of August 2010, the hourly salary range is $10.04 to $14.28 for medical billers and coders.

Interpret Medical Records

Medical billers and coders are responsible for the interpretation of medical records. Reading and recognizing physician notes are requirements. A typical day includes reading medical records.

Assign Medical Codes

During the day, the medical biller and coder is responsible to assign ICD-9 and CPT codes to billable services.

Process Bills and Sends Invoices

Medical billers and coders process bills by reviewing services and codes. Requiring attention to detail, a normal day includes sending invoices by either mail or computerized system.

Account Follow-up

Once codes are assigned to bills, medical bills are processed and invoices are sent off, medical billers and coders are responsible for the follow-up of past due invoices. The rest of day may be dedicated to the account collection process.

References

• PayScale: Medical Billing and Coding Hourly Rate

Resources

• University of Florida: CPT and ICD-9 Code