A Career In Medical Coding

Many of us, as children, had ideas of what we wanted to be when we grew up. From astronauts to doctors and lawyers, our ideas were ever reaching. I don’t recall ever once thinking, I want to be a Medical Coder; now, I want nothing more than to be just that. Throughout this paper we are going to look at exactly what Medical Coding is, the rules and regulations, as well as the requirements for achieving this career. My hope is that, by the end of this paper, you understand my determination and that you may, too, consider this opportunity for yourself.

The medical field is an area that never seems to falter. With increasing technology to increasing charges, it is ever growing and ever changing. Luckily, this means that there will always be a high

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was created in 1996 to protect patient’s information as it is being used to create a higher quality of care for the individual. HIPAAs biggest aspect is the creation and management of electronic medical transactions. When we think of HIPAA we normally think mainly about patient documentation, but HIPAA includes coding. The Medical Coding and Billing Organization tells us that HIPAA’s effect covers to almost every part of the medical billing process, from how records are kept and retrieved to how codes are used in generating claims.

Ethics in Medical Coding is the same ethics that cover everything else. Confidentiality first and for most. It is a coder’s responsibility to keep what they say and do to themselves. This not only covers ethics but also HIPAA regulations. You cannot let your partialities to patients or to insurance companies affect the way you do your job, how you code or how you bill. Honesty coincides with ethics. You must be honest in your work. Dishonesty is fraudulent. Patients have the right to be treated with your utmost respect and care. Always treat patients as you would want your loved ones

The minimum education required by most employers and facilites is a postsecondary certificate. The course load includes diagnostic coding, procedural coding, and medical insurance. Although, this is the minimum education needed, every person must understand in this field you are always learning. Once the education is obtained and passed at a certain grade point average, next comes the Certified Professional Coders Exam. This isn’t a test that should be taken lightly. It is a 150 question test that lasts approximately 5.5 hours. In ones mind, 150 questions may not seem a lot but it is noted that the highest percentage of failures are due to time lapse. This is a red flag that the test must be highly prepared for but once the test is passed you will reap the rewards.

As of current, CareerBuilders is showing a little of 12,000 medical coding jobs while Indeed is showing an additional 12,000 jobs with the United States. Many of these postings may be the same but on the rare chance they are not, that is a little over 24,000 jobs. While that may seem like a drop in the bucket when compared to 318 million people, the way the medical field is grown this will grow as well. Any occupation that is high demand is a good field to look into especially the medical