Delve into the fundamental qualifications, critical tasks, primary responsibilities, and essential skills that should be highlighted in a detailed Medical Coder job description.
What does a Medical Coder do?
A medical coder is a professional who works in healthcare facilities to translate patients' information into standardized codes. These codes are used for documentation on insurance claims and databases. Medical coders play an important role in helping healthcare practitioners receive reimbursement from insurance companies.
Job Description
We are looking for a skilled medical coder to join our team and assist with coding medical documentation for insurance claims and databases. The medical coder will be responsible for assigning Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) codes. They will also assign Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APC) or Diagnosis-related group (DRG) codes.
To be successful in this role, you must have the ability to make accurate decisions about which codes to assign and pay close attention to detail. The ideal candidate will be motivated, detail-oriented, and have excellent communication skills.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Review patient records and extract relevant information.
- Communicate with physicians and other parties to clarify information.
- Check documents for missing information.
- Assign CPT, HCPCS, ICD-10-CM, and ASA codes.
- Assign APC and DRG codes.
- Ensure documents are grammatically correct and free of errors.
- Perform chart audits.
- Train physicians and staff on medical coding procedures.
- Report any issues with equipment or computer programs to the supervisor.
- Ensure compliance with medical coding policies and guidelines.
Requirements and Qualifications
- High school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
- At least 2 years of experience as a medical coder.
- Certification from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
- Proficiency in computer skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of information.