5 Great Jobs with a Medical Coding Specialist Certification

Becoming a certified medical coder can be a very savvy career move. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the profession will grow much faster than the average rate of job growth over the next several years. This is because of new requirements for digital medical records under Medicare and Medicaid, provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and the simple fact of an aging population that will need more healthcare in coming years.

Medical coding specialists are expected to be in high demand in coming years.

A certified coding specialist can develop a promising career in several different settings. Here are 5 great job opportunities medical coding specialist certification opens up to you.

1. Certified Medical Coder in A Physician Practice

Most certified coding specialists work in physician practices. Any medical practice that hopes to maintain profitability and comply with all applicable regulations needs coding specialists for creating and amending patient medical records, assigning the correct diagnosis and supply codes based on physician notes, and for proper creation of insurance claims and billing forms. Demand for certified coding specialists is expected to surge following the transition to the more complex ICD-10 coding standard later in 2015 and remain high.

2. Certified Inpatient Coder In A Hospital

A certified inpatient coder is a special type of certified medical coder working in an inpatient facility setting such as a hospital or nursing facility. These certified coding specialists must assign accurate medical codes for a wide range of procedures, diagnoses, and services, including surgery, radiology, anesthesiology, and pathology. Inpatient coders are essential for managing insurance claims, charge capture, and payment bundling issues. When payment policies change, the certified inpatient coder incorporates those changes into a facility’s reimbursement procedures as well.

3. Claims Examiner For An Insurance Company

Insurance companies must interpret claim forms and ensure they are complete and error-free before doctors, hospitals, and other medical facilities can be reimbursed. Certified coding specialists may pursue a career with an insurance company that involves examining claims submitted by medical services providers. They must understand which codes are used with different procedures and for different diagnoses, and they must be able to quickly spot and identify mistakes to ensure that providers are reimbursed accurately.

4. Medical Auditor

It is possible to take the step from being a certified medical coder to being a medical auditor. These professionals must be highly skilled in coding and billing, but developing these skills can really pay off in terms of compensation. Certified coding specialists who become medical auditors deal with compliance of clinical documentation with industry requirements. They must have expertise in diagnosis and treatment codes, ethical practices, and administration, and must apply medical coding skills in a variety of scenarios.

5. Remote Medical Coding Professional

Becoming a remote certified medical coder can be terrific for someone who wants flexibility in their work hours. These professionals must have a secure high-speed internet connection in order to work. If the internet connection complies with HIPAA provisions, it could be located just about anywhere, including in the home, which is terrific for parents who need more flexibility than an office or hospital job allows. The job generally entails translating medical records into diagnosis and procedure codes that are submitted to insurers, and can be done full-time, part-time, or on a contract-by-contract basis.

Conclusion

A career as a certified medical coder can provide job security, good pay, and opportunity for advancement in coming years. What’s more, these jobs take place in a variety of exciting settings. Some certified medical coders work independently from home, which can be very appealing to people who need flexible hours.

Demand for certified coding specialists is expected to be strong for the next several years, especially in cities where there are major medical facilities. The Medical Billing and Coding Specialist program at Southern California Health Institute thoroughly trains students in medical billing and coding and prepares them for the certification exams that can open up great career opportunities. If you want to learn more about the Medical Billing and Boding Specialist program at SOCHi, we invite you to contact us at any time or complete our information request form.