As the name implies, coding is the process of assigning formal, standardized codes to diagnoses and procedures performed or identified by physicians.
These standardized codes make it possible for health care providers to receive accurate and timely financial reimbursement from insurance companies and government programs such as Medicare.
Graduates in this field may be required to:
work with medical records, documents, and patient charts
identify diagnostic and procedural information and convert this information into simplified numerical codes that can be electronically processed for payment by 3rd party payers (Insurance companies, Medicare, etc.)
interact daily with a variety of health care professionals to ensure that payments and reimbursements are optimized
Graduates in this field commonly:
work in doctors' offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, industry, homes, and community settings
also work in coding and billing services, insurance companies, government agencies and consulting firms
work under little supervision
work under stress
keep very busy
are required to complete considerable paperwork
are required to have computer skills
Graduates in this field should have:
excellent oral and written communication skills
ability to work with people
deal effectively with cultural diversity
patience/tolerance
caring, positive attitude
flexibility - ability to deal with change
ability to prioritize/perform multiple tasks/skills
critical thinking
preciseness
ability to be responsible/take initiative/have self-discipline
ability to follow directions
ability to reason, make good judgments and decisions
ability to record information accurately/proofread
attention to details
These employment statistics come from Salary.com and the 2004-2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the United States Department of Labor, and are as follows:
25% of Certified Medical Coders earn under $30,963 annually
50% earn between $30,963 and $38,530 annually
25% earn more than $38,530 annually
salary range of 2006-2009 graduates is $17,000-28,000 annually
average salary of 2006-2009 graduates is $21,500
placement rate in the United States is expected to grow by 30.3% through 2012
placement rate of 2006-2009 graduates is 66%
employment in cities and towns of all sizes
Some recent graduates have found work at:
Dr. Asa Hatfield
Greenwood Internal Medicine
Neurology of the Midlands
South Carolina Medical Management