As the healthcare system in Massachusetts continues to grow, medical coders and billers become more in demand. Medical coding and billing is the process of reviewing the patient’s medical history, documenting all diagnoses, and assigning standard codes to them to get an accurate reimbursement from the patient’s insurance company.
What Does a Medical Coder Do?
A medical coder and biller is the one responsible for processing patients’ records as well as insurance information. They make sure that all symptoms found on the patient and every treatment provided to address it are documented. A medical coder should be attentive to detail and make sure that all treatments made are listed.
The codes listed by the medical coder tell the insurance company how much they need to reimburse. In the shorter term, a medical coder and biller is responsible for submitting the insurance claim for each patient to their respective insurance companies.
Aside from this, the medical coder should also ensure the accuracy of their claim by interacting with physicians and assistants and keeping track of the patient’s data. Also, the medical coder should treat the patient‘s information as confidential and keep it secured.
Becoming a Certified Medical Coder
There are various opportunities for a medical coder in Massachusetts. A medical coder can work in various careers in hospital, clinic, and physician’s office or even in insurance companies.
In order to become a medical coder in Massachusetts, you first need to have a high school diploma and meet the official age requirement. There are various courses and certification classes open in Danvers that teach anyone who wants to be a medical coder.
While enrolled in coding training or courses, you should gain knowledge in medical terminology commonly used in the industry, human anatomy, physiology, pathology, and various insurance plans available. This will be a great help for your career, as you will have to determine specific body parts and symptoms when you are coding.
Common Mistakes of a Coder You Can Avoid by Enrolling in a Coding Training
Your work as a medical coder can be complicated, especially if you do not have enough knowledge on what you are doing. In medical coding, training classes are necessary as they will help you sharpen your skills and make you more effective.
Listed below are some of the most common mistakes committed by a medical coder that you can avoid when you enroll in a coding training:
Under Coding
As an effective medical coder, you should be able to code in detail. In order to do that, you will have to be familiar with the medical terminologies for different symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments.
Once you fail to specify the information needed, your claim may be denied. Involving in a coding training will allow you to get more familiar with the medical terminologies for you to code your patient’s records at a more specific level.
Using Out-of-Date Code Sets
Medical coding can be complicated, especially with the ever-changing code sets and insurance claim processes. Code sets constantly changes either monthly, quarterly, or annually, and it is up to you to learn any new code and be able to use them correctly.
Currently, there are already 13,000 medical codes. Enrolling in billing and coding training in Danvers can be of great help for you to keep updated with the latest changes in code sets and developments in medical billing.
Mismatched Codes
When you are not updated with the code sets or have not mastered them yet, you may get a little confused about which code to use for certain treatments and diagnosis. Using incorrect or mismatched codes can lead to rejection and auditing of your claim.
Should Professionals Enroll in Coding Training as Well?
Even if you have already passed your exam for billing and coding certification, you should still be enrolled in training classes. Here are a few reasons why you should take up Danvers training even after getting your coding certificate.
Your Coding Certificate Has Expiration
Most coding certificate needs to be renewed annually or every 2 years. In order to keep your coding certificate from expiring, as a certified professional, you will have to take accredited online coding training, conferences or workshops.
There are certain types of coding certification that require specific amount of continuing education units in order to be renewed. This is actually a double benefit since you can be updated with the latest changes in code sets while earning CEU credits.
Coding Training Gives Specializations
Additional coding certification offer specialized skills that corresponds within a certain field depending on the training program you will choose. Before taking additional certification, you must first verify if the program is inclined to your field or your current or desired position to ensure that it will be credited to you.
Having specialized skills may lead you to a higher position that requires specialty certification such as claim adjudication and reimbursement. So, if you want to pave your way to promotion, getting specialized coding skills on your desired title will do the trick.
Enrolling in Coding Training Is a Way to Increase Your Salary
Your salary offer increases together with your specializations. A medical coder who have additional coding certification is more likely to be offered with a more competitive salary than those with general coding certification.
Help save hospitals and clinics the hassle of billing and coding, get in touch with New England Accounts Receivable Management. Be an expert coder through our coding training and provide above satisfactory billing and coding services.
A Trusted Medical and Billing Company that Can Help You Be an Expert Coder
Medical coding and billing is very time-consuming and complicated. It can also be frustrating at times when insurance claims keep on being rejected, resulting to multiple revisions. To avoid the long cycle of insurance claims, it is best to master coding and billing through trainings conducted by an experienced billing and coding company.
New England Accounts Receivable Management is a trusted medical and billing company that takes care of coding and billing needs of different hospitals and clinics in Danvers. We pride ourselves with more than 30 years of medical billing and coding experience.
Aside from coding and billing services, we also offer a variety of coding training programs for physicians and their staff. We keep those who are enrolled in our coding training programs updated with the latest developments in medical billing, code sets, and carrier requirements.
Maximize Your Revenue and Shorten the Payment Cycles
For coding training or billing and coding services in Danvers, MA, get in touch with New England Accounts Receivable Management. With New England Accounts Receivable Management, our clients can be assured that their revenue will be maximized with minimum compliance risk.
Our team makes sure to be always in touch with our clients and update them in real-time regarding a patient’s accounts receivable information. We also make sure to alert our clients with any billing and coding issues that may occur.
Turn to us to learn more about coding or let us handle the hassle of billing and coding for your hospital or clinic. For any inquiries or additional information about our services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Give us a call today to get a free quote!