Medical billing and coding is an excellent career for individuals who want to join the healthcare industry and enjoy dynamic work that challenges them each and every day. Plus, working in healthcare provides job flexibility and the satisfaction of helping others.
The day-to-day tasks of medical billing and coding specialists require a high-level understanding of health science, fluency in medical coding terminology, and familiarity with the conventions of medical bill generation. The necessary knowledge is not intuitive. Learning to bill and code requires commitment and time. The tangible rewards, sense of accomplishment, and opportunity for personal development justifies the commitment to your education.
What Does a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Do?
Medical billing and coding specialists are administrative professionals who support patient care by ensuring documentation compliance is met, generating bills for medical services, and collecting reimbursement from insurance companies. They complete various tasks during each phase of the billing cycle by collaborating with practitioners, other billers, and insurance representatives. A medical billing and coding specialist’s primary duties include:
- Auditing medical records to ensure they are complete and adhere to regulatory standards
- Reviewing clinical documentation, translating it into an alphanumeric coding system, and generating bills for submission
- Verifying bill submission, following up on outstanding bills, and resolving discrepancies with insurers
- Reviewing denied claims, compiling supplemental documentation, and submitting appeals
- Collecting payments from insurance companies and patients, partnering with accounts receivable to ensure payments are processed and posted
- Educating doctors, nurses, and other clinical staff on documentation standards and compliance issues
Can I Teach Myself Medical Billing and Coding?
While it’s possible to learn medical billing and coding on your own, it can be a highly challenging path filled with uncertainty. Self-teaching may leave knowledge gaps because you need to know the rules that govern billing and develop practical skills to succeed in the field. You also won’t be able to gain experience interpreting records or creating bills through self-study.
Medical billing and coding directly impacts a healthcare facility’s ability to operate because it’s the only way to secure payment for services. The tasks are time-sensitive and detailed. Many employers cannot afford to let people learn by doing because errors or delays impact operations.
What is an Easier Way to Learn Medical Billing and Coding?
Attending a vocational program is an easier way to secure a quality position as a medical billing and coding specialist. Formal education at a vocational school provides the theoretical knowledge and practical application needed to excel in the industry. You’ll complete simulated billing and coding tasks using real-world cases and data. This type of classroom preparation allows you to make mistakes and learn from them. Learning by doing is the best way to prepare you for the field. Medical billing and coding specialists with formal education are the most attractive candidates.
What Do You Learn During a Medical Billing and Coding Program?
Vocational programs cover the knowledge and develop the skills you need to become an effective medical billing and coding specialist. Your coursework will include traditional courses as well as hands-on learning while completing simulated tasks. The work is rigorous and challenging, but vocational schools provide the structure and guidance to help you succeed.
Billing Basics
Every examination, test, procedure, and operation must be documented and billed. You’ll receive a comprehensive education about the billing cycle, from medical documentation to payment processing and each intermediary step. Your instructors will teach you every phase of the billing process, so you understand how each step informs the next.
Coursework will also touch on the standards and conventions of bill generation, submission, verification, appeal, and remittance. This holistic view will help you thrive in the workplace.
ICD-10, CPT, and HCPCS coding
Your medical billing and coding career will require you to read and interpret medical documents to categorize diagnoses, tests, and services using a specialized alphanumeric coding language. You’ll learn Current Procedure Terminology (CPT-4), Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10).
Mastery of these coding protocols is vital to your career success. Instructors will teach you how to read the relevant manuals, research complex codes, and investigate new and emerging procedures so you can code medical data quickly and accurately.
Advanced Clinical Coding
Every medical record, from primary care documentation on routine physicals to oncology records for late-stage cancer patients, has to be reviewed and coded. You’ll learn the pathophysiologic terminology, nuances of clinical documentation, and use of reference indexes so you can effectively code for any medical specialty. This deep dive will provide you with versatility so you can work for a wider number of medical facilities.
Inpatient Coding
Inpatient facilities and hospitals have high compliance standards. During the coursework, you’ll learn the components of inpatient medical records and the distinct phases of care for admitted patients. Your instructors will cover intake, triage, treatment, medical care, and discharge reporting and documentation standards. You’ll learn the intricacies of how to code and generate bills for long-term admissions and other unique cases exclusive to inpatient care.
Coding from Operative Reports
Every surgical procedure, from routine diagnostic testing to complex cardiac surgeries requires detailed operative reports that explains what happened during the procedure. You’ll learn surgical terminology and cover special topics in anatomy and physiology particularly relevant to invasive surgical procedures. Your instructors will walk you through the conventions of narrative operative reports and teach you strategies for reading them effectively.
Health Information Technology
Federal regulations mandate that medical documentation be kept electronically. Your courses will cover best practices for health data management and input using industrywide computer systems. During this coursework, you’ll learn best practices, health information security, data risk management, and electronic medical record ethics.
What are the Benefits of Formal Education?
A self-guided education lacks the structured framework to prepare you for a career. Formal education from a vocational program provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for the workforce. Successful medical billing and coding specialists are strong thinkers, problem-solvers, and communicators. Beyond teaching you how to bill and code, a formal education will help you develop the attributes needed to thrive in the workplace.
Comprehensive Curriculum
While teaching yourself is possible, you may have trouble covering all of the topics necessary to be a successful medical billing and coding specialist. Vocational schools design complete curriculums that build upon themselves. The specificity and difficulty of the material progresses with each course. Each phase of your schooling adds a bric to your developing foundational knowledge. Vocational programs help you crawl, then walk, and finally run.
Industry Experienced Instructors
The educators at vocational schools are experienced medical billing and coding professionals. They possess the formal education and real-world experience to prepare you for life in this field. Instructors are dedicated to the profession and may complete ongoing continuing education to stay current on industry trends and advancements.
Your instructors will teach the material while providing workplace examples of the challenges you’ll face once you’re employed as a medical billing and coding specialist. Their insights are invaluable as they alert you to potential stumbling blocks and help you develop strategies to overcome them.
Hands-on Learning
Independent study can help you learn the basic theory behind medical billing and coding. A vocational school develops and sharpens the skills needed to complete coding tasks. Schools have the same software and computer systems used at medical facilities. You’ll follow case studies of actual billing situations, complete simulated coding tasks using real health data, and generate mock bills using live software. This type of active learning gives you the freedom to make mistakes, grow from them, and begin building your confidence. You’ll enter the workforce having already performed the daily tasks you will be expected to complete from your first day on the job.
Stronger Applicants
Completing a formal educational program will make your resume stand out from fellow applicants. You’ll be a more appealing prospect than those without vocational training. Many employers, especially the best ones, recommend the pre-employment completion of a medical billing and coding program. Choosing to teach yourself may preclude you from opportunities with employers offering the best opportunities.
Once you are employed, graduation from vocational training will help you rise through the ranks. Those with appropriate training are best suited and most hirable for advanced coding and supervisory positions.
Career Services
Vocational programs want to help you secure quality job placements. Schools have career services centers to support you and help develop the soft skills needed for professional success. They cover potential questions to help prepare you for job interviews and advise on crafting a strong resume.
Schools have strong ties to local employers to help mentor students and match them with quality job opportunities. Career services also help you prepare for certification exams that can help bolster your job prospects.
Want to Learn More?
Ready to attend the 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.