What Is Medical Billing And Coding Answered
Many people with an interest in the health-care arena may wonder, ‘what is medical billing and coding? Health-care billers and coders have the responsibility of processing patient data in relevant organizations. This will include treatment records and all relevant insurance information.
Although coding and billing are two distinct jobs, they are inter-dependent. Health-care billers ensure that the patients are invoiced the correct amounts for the services they have received. The job scope may vary. This depends on the health service that is offered as well as the medical institution size.
Individuals who work as billers will be required to talk with health insurance companies and patients to ensure that all invoices are paid timeously. A person in this position should understand coding language and be able to read health-care invoices. This job is suitable for those who are willing to deal with people, as well as analyze data and invoices.
Individuals who code normally do not have to deal with patients and insurance companies. This job is ideal for those who would enjoy analyzing and allocating codes to data. A coder has to ensure that the code allocated to a particular service is correct. It is essential that the correct codes are used for the exact service that was offered to the patient. This needs to be done accurately to ensure proper invoicing. Inaccurate codes could cause problems once the biller issues an invoice to a patient or health insurance company.
Some health-care organizations will combine these two jobs. This is dependent on the size of the institution. In larger institutions the jobs may be allocated to two individuals, but they often share an office to allow for ease of information sharing.
To enter this field of expertise will require suitable training. A suitable training program should include medical terminology, billing software, basic math, keyboard skills, computer skills, documentation evaluation and administrative duties.
what is medical billing and coding? To find out more visit Michael M. Hayes’s site on medical billing and coding.