Health information coder vs reimbursement specialist

The differences between health information coders and reimbursement specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a health information coder and a reimbursement specialist. Additionally, a health information coder has an average salary of $54,353, which is higher than the $38,273 average annual salary of a reimbursement specialist.

The top three skills for a health information coder include medical terminology, ICD-10-CM and CPC. The most important skills for a reimbursement specialist are patients, customer service, and appeals.

Health information coder vs reimbursement specialist overview

	Health Information Coder	Reimbursement Specialist
Yearly salary	$54,353	$38,273
Hourly rate	$26.13	$18.40
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	112,238	32,292
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

What does a health information coder do?

A health information coder is responsible for translating the reports of physicians into beneficial medical codes. Health information coders make sure that all important information is appropriately coded for accuracy and consistency. The coders read the medical chart of a patient and analyze it and identify patient diagnoses and medical procedures. They categorize the diagnoses and the necessary procedures based on a national classification system. Also, they assign particular alphanumeric or numeric code to each procedure or diagnosis.

What does a reimbursement specialist do?

A reimbursement specialist is responsible for analyzing insurance documents, processing reimbursement claims, and releasing accurate billing statements for insurance claims. Reimbursement specialists must have excellent analytical skills, especially on performing clerical tasks to evaluate insurance cases, investigate cases, and update the account information of the clients on the database. They should also have impeccable communication skills and understanding of the insurance processes to be able to coordinate with the clients, explaining the procedures of their claims accurately, and coordinate with the insurance management to improve the claims processes.

Health information coder vs reimbursement specialist salary

Health information coders and reimbursement specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Information Coder	Reimbursement Specialist
Average salary	$54,353	$38,273
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $78,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	Lynchburg, VA
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	Novartis
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between health information coder and reimbursement specialist education

There are a few differences between a health information coder and a reimbursement specialist in terms of educational background:

	Health Information Coder	Reimbursement Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	Georgetown University	University of Pennsylvania

Health information coder vs reimbursement specialist demographics

Here are the differences between health information coders' and reimbursement specialists' demographics:

	Health Information Coder	Reimbursement Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between health information coder and reimbursement specialist duties and responsibilities

Health information coder example responsibilities.

Create documentation education classes to general surgery residents, increasing the leveling of reporting which lead to increase revenues.
Provide clerical services in registering patients and guests in ambulatory surgery facility.
Train staff on the HIPAA regulations.
Assist in instructing students for exam preparation for the CPC exam.
Maintain establish department policies and procedures, objectives, QA program, HIPAA compliance, environmental and infection control standards.
Code charts (Inpatient/Outpatient/Observation) according to EHR records to ensure all charges are accurately capture; hydration/infusion/EM levels & procedures.

Reimbursement specialist example responsibilities.

Manage the EDI clearinghouse rejections.
Process department payroll, order supplies, and manage petty-cash funds.
Manage use of various systems, such as MEDITECH, Cerner, WebNow, and yield-base follow-up tool.
Manage cases by aggressively directing the litigation process.
Negotiate fee structure for manage care contracts on acute and rehabilitation facilities.
Research medical coding ICD-9, ICD-10, HCPCS and CPT-4 to let client know the outcome of medical claim.

Health information coder vs reimbursement specialist skills

Common health information coder skills

Medical Terminology, 11%
ICD-10-CM, 9%
CPC, 9%
Patients, 7%
Quality Standards, 6%
AHIMA, 6%

Common reimbursement specialist skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 9%
Appeals, 6%
CPT, 5%
Medicare, 4%
Medicaid, 4%

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Health Information Coder vs Reimbursement Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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