Certified medical coders or medical coding specialists are part of the healthcare information technician team and perform the important task of converting written text on medical reports into a series of universally understandable and recognized numeric codes.
The emphasis is on the term “universally understandable and recognized.” Because they use a universal classification system to assign numeric codes to the diagnostic tests, treatments, and other clinical procedures that are performed on patients, health insurance carriers are able to interpret the documents medical coders prepare and disburse payments accordingly.
These documents are also important for doctors and other primary healthcare practitioners to communicate with each other; understand the stage of treatment a patient is in; leave instructions for support staff; and take necessary follow-up action.
If what you have read so far sounds even a little bit interesting to you, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become a certified medical coder:
1. Learn about the profession: It’s good to assemble as much information as possible about the profession you are interested in so you can make an educated decision. Find out details like the nature of work, entry requirements, job opportunities, benefits and compensation, advancement opportunities etc. that certified medical coders enjoy. Spend lots of time on the Internet to assimilate any and all information that might be useful for you. No one will grudge you the long hours in front of a computer if it’s the question of your future.
2. Start preparing in high school: If you are still in high school or just about to start, it may be a good idea to prepare for postsecondary education in medical coding by taking courses in math, biology, chemistry, health science, nutrition, etc.
3. Choose a medical coding training program: This is the step where you’ll have to take a call between a college degree and a vocational training program in medical coding. There are pros and cons of both the options. For example, a vocational training program may be more flexible, affordable and shorter in duration. Going to college, on the other hand, can be expensive but leads to a very important piece of document called a degree at the end of two (or four) years.
4. Complete your coursework: Whichever route you choose to become a certified medical coder, make sure you are happy with your decision and then fling yourself with gusto in to the coursework. A medical coding program typically includes coursework in medical terminology, physiology, anatomy, healthcare reimbursement system, medical record types, coding and classification system, etc. Ideally, your training program should also include some hands-on practical experience in medical coding.
5. Get medical coding certification: This is the culmination point of your journey to becoming a certified medical coder. Different organizations have different requirements for granting certification. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) grants certifications like the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) and Certified Coding Specialist (CCS). Medical coding certifications granted by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) include Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Professional Coder – Outpatient Hospital (CPC-H), etc. Find out details about the prerequisites for the certification you want to obtain; pick a suitable date to sit for the examination; pass the exam and you have become a certified medical coder ready to conquer the world of medical coding!
Nancy is a 36-year old stay at home mom of two. She worked as a medical assistant for five years before taking a break to be with her children. Her experience as a medical assistant gave her valuable insights in to the medical billing and coding industry, which she likes to share with others through her writing. Medical billing and coding programs often find mention in her writings. Her expertise in Medical billing and coding training stems from her extensive research on the subject.
hetkasteelvansinterklaas
alabamaadr
cemad
champsocial
agenciaatentos
newaytech
oxywork
china-lankang
seahorserestaurant
pyoraliitto
sdwljg
krieger-interimsmanagement
pulsradio
radios
mascsj
citymind
qkthemes-demo
baoxian22
hdfty
caractere
hahabet213
ferrero
openymca
amiableinfotech
erlef
falcongames
coronakommissionen
gamerzgorilla
domineingles
sketchtoy
fhb
habijax
smmz
moneybanker
thetoastykitchen
optimaweb
brandunited
anfahrtsskizzeerstellen
17daili
toyota-krasnoyarsk
firefoxwithbing
referencement-sos-referencement
snowpond
hxlsgf
mohavecourts
khosimdep
zero-inch
harksys
atahotels
mozartproject
meeet
donaldson
fanliall
highcon
myactions
vegapix
tvpredictions
qbank
herald
canactions
fastbound
basicprosperity
abif
customerhelponline
nationalfolkfestival
santafestation
jnavi
prestadev
oncoo
numarasoftware
systematic-kinesiology
custom-health
dghualu
shambix
orichalcum
the-song-cave
gelford
guilddigital
xn--e1aauiafedlab9c
psicologia-psicoterapia
massaud
netcho
designbycitrus
webber
nwhiker
kentreliance
annecy-outdoor
thecoverguy
homemate-research-kindergarten
860438
uncorkd
delovie
nanoprotech
enigmamedia
fips-ed
nccafv
cheaplouboutinuk
visitbangladesh
daikin
saint-quentin-tourisme
lexus-kaitori
citiprepaid
keepup
csip
1wyun
kansasriver
vspicer
wangzhanggui
grundfos
relxtech
adda
cashcarremoval
luxuryfloors
rxdrugs-online24h
cnmsw
flickchart
flowbirthing
skhynix
exalos
americancuesports
reissdorf
toughmudder
worldtattoogallery
gdzzyq
grimms
anphoblacht
seqr
webmastercash
ipoker
shnit
ziegert-it
sjdex
sbu-sp
k3868com
kulturzueri
magikmobile
paerke
northwest
sexsochi
xemion
studentenwerk-giessen
renault-trucks
blueribbonfriedchicken
solerpalau
omegaep
dermokozmetik
dzdl53
emic
heise-internet-service
oup
ask-elearning
ieee-biometrics
ubiqlife
cinefile
pif
tomorrowdesign
jennmar
giganticlist
pediatr-neonatol
artificermedia
psychlopaedia
deliver
tourseries
lakewoldgardens
brabantwonen
usicg
vasari21
abritas
minoli
mozthemes
vaccines-kyoto-city
cm-larochelle
eclas
virus
arcacert
hospitalsaopaulo
lacrosse
essaywriterhelp
bollerkopp
stokala
comp-data
intermip
zwame
bumper
bkk-bba
the-observatory
chibepoosham
soyoungformula
ame-shin
reachdigital
shuquge
davila
nycvotersearch
strich-komma
consommonssainement
paqt
alexfergus
southcountyhealth
orthoanalytic
faes
bluetangerinesolutions
backstein
jgfx5zfcxh
xhppw
seb
krkx
essaypress
bizworld
unicornuniversity
kalpa
catholicstewardship
trafficlogix
ralfjakubowski
scactionsports
tamara-heitschmidt
simpology
porpoisedetectors
carsonwealth
aplaut
kunstmuseumolten
storiescover
codestats
doombuggies
sh-zhunran
fondationbondepart
oxygenyogaandfitness
fond-navstrechu
deutscher-fotobuchpreis
nativeearth
region-seenplatte
ssaver
vibrant-america
gostosasreceitas
fzajzc
knownow
dmds
ivanahelsinki
uasg
chalkhill
zob
hfashionmall
sodexobenefits
ecmk
canadacreate
strangemusicinc
77tv
studymore
todorelatos
bluestar-software
coronahelpers
4x4show
bode
sony
multicomp
clbanners2
naikcnc
apiera
dr-jr
orange3
bgee
cryptologicfoundation
wanslea
billyandmargot
smfhispano
verifyemailaddress
friendsofsearch
stoausa
aiyoubet79
banavih
10hejinguan
jqweike
bitclub
jolynclothing
