The primary responsibility of a medical coder is to take a health care patient's file and translate the procedures and diagnoses into numerical codes. The codes they assign will determine how much a doctor or hospital is reimbursed for their services. Medical coders assign the proper numeric code to each of the procedures and diagnosis using software to determine how much a hospital or doctor will be reimbursed.
Medical coders may need to learn a variety of coding system software programs in order to classify several categories of patients, such as those used for Medicare, long-term care, physician offices, or ambulatory settings.
The minimum education requirement for a mecial coder is a high school diploma or GED. Some employers may prefer to hire if the applicant holds a professional credential, and one may be offered higher wages than an uncertified medical coder. The reported average annual salary for a medical coder is approximately $29,000-59,000. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon academic qualification, having previous experience, and possession of the aforementioned skills. An optional certification is also available after obtaining experience in the role.