Now as a certified coder she analyses clinical statements and assigns standard codes using a classification system.
The average median salary of a medical coder in 2017 was $39,180.
No Interest Til Almost 2027?
Kengia Sabree, the Health Information Technology academic chair at St. Petersburg College, says it’s up to medical coders to make sure everything is entered correctly into the system so no unnecessary charges are sent to the patient. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
Balance Transfer = Credit Card Cheat Code
First, What Does a Medical Coder Do?
The chart contains your diagnosis, treatment plan and other relevant information.
The purpose of coding is to help reflect the severity of illness, she says.
Do I Need a College Degree for Medical Coding?
Sabree says aspiring medical coders have two options to consider when they begin their studies.
We turn away coders quite often based on not having enough education and background for our positions.
Both Sabree and Myrick warn potential coders to research coding programs thoroughly before enrolling and double-check theyre accredited.
Those are what I call the fly-by-night programs.
Check to see if the school or certificate program is recognized by AHIMA or AAPC.
you could check your schools accreditation through CAHIIMhereor AAPChere.
Sabree tells her students to look for positions such as coding apprenticeships, coding level one and coding trainee.
Some medical facilities give exams to figure out which types of coding are best for the new coder.
X-rays, electrocardiograms and emergency room coding are typical entry-level coding gigs.
Myrick says most coders will need to start there before moving to more complex specialties.
In recent years, the option to work from home has become more available.
Who is best suited for this line of work?
Lifelong learners who are interested in medicine.
A Word About Automation
Like many professions, computer automation is disrupting the medical coding field.
Computer-assisted coding already does some of the work that humans used to do.
But not all of it, and thats key.
Simply put, computer-assisted coding, or CAC, automatically generates medical codes directly from clinical documentation.
In that light, think of CAC as something that can assist professional coders rather than replace them.
AAPC addressed this in a February 2019blog post.
Matt Reinstetle is a former staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
Senior editor Molly Moorhead contributed to this post.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
