What are careers in medical coding?

Medical billers, medical records coordinators, and coding specialists are careers in medical coding. For more details on each of these careers and others in medical coding, reference this guide:

• Medical biller

  Medical billers, also referred to as medical coders, translate medical-based paperwork into medical codes that are used to create invoices for insurance claims. Medical billers act as the middle professional between insurance companies, health care providers, and patients.

  They usually have a good amount of knowledge about health insurance and specific medical services and procedures. Common tasks include going over patient bills, setting up payment options and plans, and appealing dismissed insurance claims.

• Medical records coordinator

  Medical records coordinators are senior professionals in medical coding. They are tasked with managing and maintaining confidential and sensitive patient records. They often work with doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to make sure they are recording, organizing, and maintaining patients' records appropriately.

  Medical records coordinators are also responsible for upkeeping specialized software used to manage and store patient information and data.

• Coding specialist

  Coding specialists deal with the creation of medical codes that contain an overview of a patient's records and medical visits. These are used by medical billers when they submit claims to health insurance companies.

  Codes that a specialist uses contain information on a patient's symptoms, diagnosis, therapies, prescribed medications, surgeries, and other medical procedures.

  They mostly work with doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and other medical billers to make sure a patient's visit overview and other important information is accurately translated to avoid discrepancies that result in insurance problems.

• Medical records technician

  A medical records technician is tasked with ensuring that a patient's medical records are well maintained and accurate. They do this so medical coders can easily create coding used for the patient's insurance claims.

  Medical records technicians also keep track of, and update when necessary, a patient;s medical history. This includes past insurance claims, medical treatments, and other confidential information.

  All of this data and information is then used to get health care providers and their patients reimbursement from insurance companies.

• Clinical Informaticists

  Clinical informaticists make use of information technologies, like visual image storage systems and data entry software, to help medical professionals provide ideal treatment to their patients.

  They also train medical coding staff and other medical employees on how to use these specialized software programs.

  A clinical informaticist is considered an Information Technology (IT) professional who specializes in troubleshooting, installing, and combining new medical technology systems across different departments and ensuring their effectiveness and functionality. In addition, they also evaluate existing software and protocols, and seek to improve workflow by making adjustments.