Coding specialists are essential professionals in the medical industry. Medical coding experts accurately decipher clinical statements and assign codes using an expansive classification system. If you are considering making this career choice, you must understand the types of medical coding and how you can go through training to get started on this new and exciting career.
What are the Types of Medical Coding?
To better understand medical coding, you must first understand the different medical coding types. As a medical coder, you will work with multiple types of coding, depending on your position and your employer. The following are the types of medical coding.
CPT Codes
CPT Codes (Current Procedural Terminology) provide a standard language for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to simplify the clinical reporting process and ensure precision and productivity.
CPT Codes are the most common and widely adopted codes in the United States. These codes help report services for anesthesiology, medical, surgical, laboratory, genomic sequencing, and evaluation and management.
You can differentiate CPT Codes from other medical codes because all the codes are five digits. These codes can be both numeric and alphanumeric, depending on the category.
HCPCS Codes
HCPCS Codes (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) have level I, II, and III. These codes are used by healthcare systems and medical providers to bill Medicare and Medicaid. HCPCS Codes are representative of services, products, and supplies that are provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients.
- Level I HCPCS Codes are numeric. These codes contain CPT.
- Level II HCPCS Codes are alphanumeric. These codes are for non-physician services, products, and supplies that are excluded from CPT.
- Level III codes are often referred to as HCPCS local codes.
ICD-10 Codes
ICD-10 Codes (International Classification of Diseases) is the 10th addition of this classification system. This system helps diagnose patients, report symptoms, and code procedures by physicians and many other healthcare providers. This system is periodically updated to include expanded diagnoses.
CPT Modifiers
As a coding specialist, you will also need to know the CPT Modifiers. These are often referred to as Level I modifiers. These CPT modifier codes offer supporting details for the services provided by a physician or healthcare provider.
These codes contain two-digit alphanumeric characters. You will find these modifiers are often used to notate the part of the body where the medical procedure was conducted on the patient.
Translating Medical Codes
As a medical coder, you will be responsible for translating the diagnoses of patients, medical procedures, and supplies into codes that can be used by the provider to bill insurance companies. Medical coders translate patient records into codes that reveal the following information to insurance companies.
- The patient’s diagnosis
- The medical necessity of any services or supplies
- Treatments, services, and supplies that a patient received
- Unusual medical conditions or circumstances that affected the treatments or services provided to the patient
As a medical coder you are responsible for deciphering the medical records of patients and using the correct medical codes. Right now, these codes seem like a new language to you, but as you progress in your training, you will learn these codes and feel confident performing your job duties.
What Are Medical Codes Used For?
Medical codes are used for multiple reasons in the healthcare industry. These codes provide information to insurance companies, so hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other healthcare providers receive reimbursement for the services rendered to patients.
These codes are also used as an important part of patient charting. Accurate diagnostic, procedure, and supply coding is essential for ensuring a patient’s records are accurate and up to date.
Medical codes are also used to track community health. These codes help identify specific experiences, problems, and circumstances experienced by members of communities. They can also track the spread of viruses and other health concerns in the community.
Who Created Medical Codes?
The medical coding system comes from humble beginnings, first used in England in the 17th century according to Coding Clarified. Using a system called the London Bills of Mortality, statistical data was collected and observed. This data was organized into a system of codes to help determine the most prevalent causes of death at the time.
Much later, the World Health Organization (WHO) used the International List of Causes of Death to track causes of death effectively. Since 1977, the National Centers for Health Statistics (NCHS) has ensured the medical coding system included causes of death, injuries, illnesses, and clinical diagnoses.
The International Classification of Disease, Tenth Edition was created by the World Health Organization. This latest edition was released in 1994. On January 1, 2022, this edition will be replaced by ICD-11.
Some of the medical codes you will use on the job have also been developed at the state level. Local codes, as they are often called, are not nationally or globally recognized.
Why Is It Important to Know Medical Coding?
In any medical practice or hospital, medical billing and coding are essential. Medical billers and coders must be highly precise and accurate in their job duties to ensure patient safety, efficient service, and prompt payment from insurance providers.
Medical coders are essential employees in the medical field. Without receiving funding from insurance providers and healthcare programs, hospitals and doctor’s offices would not be able to serve their patients.
Many do not realize the vast expanse of work that is required in the medical coding field. Every patient who visits a hospital, doctor’s office, or healthcare facility has a record that needs to be coded. Accurate medical coding is essential for ensuring insurance companies are billed correctly and pay efficiently. Medical coding is also important for protecting patients against inaccurate billing information that requires them to pay for more than they owe.
The primary duties of a coding specialist is to decipher medical records and enter the proper codes and data into the provider’s database. Most healthcare providers have at least one coding specialist. Large facilities often require multiple coding professionals.
What Is the Easiest Way to Learn Medical Coding?
The easiest and fastest way for you to get started learning medical coding and becoming a medical billing specialist is for you to enroll in a medical billing and coding diploma program at a trade school.
This straightforward approach to your education will fast track your studies, allowing you to learn medical coding and get your credentials. If you have been putting off learning about medical billing and coding diploma programs, now is the time to get information. With these programs, you can be on your way to a satisfying and beneficial career.
What Are the Benefits of Medical Billing and Coding Programs?
Multiple benefits are afforded to you by attending a diploma program. Being aware of these benefits will help to encourage you to get started as soon as possible.
Benefit #1: Length of Training
Instead of graduating in years, you can learn what you need to know to become a medical billing and coding specialist in months. You will earn your diploma and launch your career in the healthcare facilities in your community.
Benefit #2: Full Curriculum Study
With this medical coding diploma program, you will receive a full curriculum. You will gain the training and skills you need to become a medical coding specialist. From anatomy and physiology to medical terminology, you will gain the knowledge you need to flourish as a medical coder.
Benefit #3: Expert Instructors
You will receive full instruction from expert instructors in the medical billing and coding profession. These professionals will give you inside information that will help you excel on your career path. They will also offer one-on-one attention so that you don’t fall behind.
Benefit #4: Supportive Classmates
In addition to receiving expert instruction, you will also benefit from studying with like-minded classmates who will help you reach your full potential. Success begins by surrounding yourself with those who have the same goals as you. Building networking relationships with classmates will help you reach success.
Benefit #5: Career Services
Once you graduate with your medical coding diploma, you will have access to career services that will help you with job placement. These services offer you a great advantage to seek employment right away. From resume building and mock interviews to job fairs, the school’s career services will identify the right job match for your passion and interests.
Is Medical Billing a Good Career Choice?
If you are considering your options for career choices, medical coding may be what you are looking for in the medical field. Medical billing and coding specialists are in high demand, and the upward trajectory of this job outlook continues to grow. Projected growth is expected to rise as much as 9 percent over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Becoming a medical coding specialist affords you options for working in a variety of healthcare settings. You may work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, assisted living homes, and laboratories, among many others. As a medical coder, you will be ready to support the frontlines of healthcare. You will also ensure healthcare facilities receive the reimbursement they need and patients are protected.
Final Thoughts
The healthcare industry is growing, and not only doctors or nurses make a difference in the lives of people in your community. Now is an time to launch your career as a medical billing specialist. After gaining your diploma in just months, nothing will hold you back from making your career dreams a reality.
Did learning about how to become a medical billing and coding specialist interest you? Ready to attend Medical Insurance Billing & Coding program at Meridian College? Medical Billing and Coding professionals are responsible for keeping the records, charts, and bills in a medical office in order. In addition to the classroom experiences, students will also complete an externship for on-the-job training that will bring them further expertise. Contact us to learn more about.
Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a medical billing and coding specialist.