Medical Coding Jobs — Top 10 Recommendations

What is Medical Coding?

Medical coding professionals provide a key step in the medical billing process. Every time a patient receives professional health care in a physician’s office, hospital outpatient facility or ambulatory surgical center (ASC), the provider must document the services provided. The medical coder will abstract the information from the documentation, assign the appropriate codes, and create a claim to be paid, whether by a commercial payer, the patient, or CMS. Source: https://www.aapc.com/medical-coding/medical-coding.aspx

Medical Coding Job Description

As a medical coding and billing specialist, you will review patient medical records and assign codes to diagnoses and procedures performed so the facility can bill insurance and other third-party payers (such as Medicare or Medicaid) as well as the patient. Most of these professionals work on-site for hospitals, clinics, physicians, and a variety of other healthcare facilities. Medical coding jobs may also offer opportunities to work from home. Many of these positions require a year or two of experience first.

Coders use 3 different code sets: CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-9/10. It’s important to be trained on the new ICD-10 code set because all healthcare facilities and physicians will be transitioning from the ICD-9 codes to these new codes, but you will also need to be familiar with the ICD-9 code sets to earn industry certifications and get a job before the transition. Source: http://www.careerstep.com/medical-billing-coding-job-description

Medical Coding Jobs – Video

Medical Coding Jobs From Home

Laureen Mills, from Work-at-Home Moms, compiled this list of medical coding jobs which can often be done from home. However, certification and experience (typically about three years) are usually required for work-at-home, medical coding jobs.

• Accentus

Company, formerly known as Transolutions, hires as employees experienced work-at-home medical transciptionists for a variety of shifts as well as medical coders in the U.S. and Canada. Requires Certification as a CCS or CCS-P and/or as a CPC or CPC-H but RHIT and RHIA credentials will qualify as well. More »

• Amphion Medical Services

Company hires RHIA, RHIT, CCA-P, CPC, CPC-H, or CCS with at least three years of recent multi-specialty coding experience for full-time and part-time positions. More »

• Aviacode

Hires independent-contractor medical coders with three years of coding experience and at least one certification from either AAPC or AHIMA. According to its website, coders could earn from $18-$30 per hour. Managers and quality assurance supervisors are employees often hired from the ranks of its independent contractors. More »

• The Coding Network, LLC

Medical coders must have three years of coding experience in a particular clinical specialty and certification by one of the industry’s credentialing bodies (AHIMA, AAPC, RCCB, ACMCS, etc.). More »

• Conifer Health Solutions

Health care services firm that focuses on the financial and patient communication aspects of health care hires work from home employees in nursing and coding as well as sales. AHIMA certification and three years of experience required. Use “telecommuting” as a keyword to find home-based positions. More »

• Humana

Many of this major health care company’s work-at-home positions have geographic requirements. Its medical coding jobs from home require coding certification (RHIT, RHIA, or CCS) and may require travel to its Louisville, KY headquarters. In addition to medical coding jobs from home it hires RN positions are for field healthcare and involve visiting patients at home. It also sometimes has opportunities for registered nurses, chart auditors, licensed insurance reps, accountants, physicians, writers and sales people for remote positions. More »

• LexiCode

HIM coding outsourcing company hires medical coders with two years of experience and RHIA, RHIT, or CCS credential from AHIMA. Choose “WORK FROM HOME – Remote” in the database for location. More »

• Maxim Health Information Services

A subsidiary of Maxim Healthcare Services, a healthcare staffing company, MHIS provides medical coding, auditing, and clinical documentation improvement services to clients. It offers both on-site and remote medical coding jobs. More »

• Precyse

Healthcare information management outsourcing company hired medical coders, transcriptionists, quality assurance specialists, registrars and auditors to work from home. Choose “All Remote Locations” for location in its jobs database. Coders must have active RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P, CPC or CPC-H certification and a minimum of three years’ experience coding inpatient records in a hospital HIM department. More »

•Pyramid Healthcare Solutions

In addition to remote jobs for medical coders, this company also offers work at home jobs for coding managers, auditors and sales persons. Check “Nationwide Remote” for location in the jobs database. More »

Read full article: http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/medicalandnursingjob1/tp/Medical-Coding-Jobs.htm

Medical Coding Salary

In general, though, the median yearly salary for medical records technicians and health information technicians as of May 2012 was $34,160, according to the BLS. However, evidence suggests that medical billers and coders who have earned additional credentials could have greater earning power. Source: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Medical_Coder/Hourly_Rate

Here’s the recommended order in which you should proceed:

Start with the CPC or CCS-P certification exam. Either of these credentials will help you get a job in a doctor’s or physician’s office with a starting salary of $34,000-43,000 per year. Once you gain at least 3-5 years experience as a physician coder, get the CCS certification. This will help you move up to hospital coding with salaries in the range of $44,000 and $57,000 per year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts stable employment outlook for medical billing and coding specialists at least up to 2018. However, it is mandatory that you have at least one national certification in your resume. Source: http://www.medicalcodingworld.com/2013/01/medical-coding-certification-salary-and.html

The American Academy of Professional Coders 2011 survey, which received nearly 12,000 responses, showed that coders who had earned the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential earned an average wage of approximately $46,800, according to the AAPC website. Even more significantly, that average was a $1,400 increase from the previous year. The AAPC also noted in 2011 that coders with advanced credentials earned more money on average than those with an entry-level credential. Source: http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/salary/

Medical Coding Training & Certification

While many coding professionals have strengthened their career by earning their bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees, neither is required for a career in medical coding. What is required is a solid understanding of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology. It is also highly recommended for serious coders to complete a medical coding course of study, pass the CPC exam and earn their certification as a Certified Professional Coder, or CPC. Certified Professional Coders, or CPCs, are in high demand because employers know that these individuals can perform the job of medical coder with the utmost proficiency. Source: https://www.aapc.com/medical-coding/medical-coding.aspx

If you are interested and are seeking opportunities pursuing medical coding, medical billing, medical auditing, practice management, compliance, or one of the other specialized credentials you can start your new career by registering for one of the online medical coding training courses and get certified today!