As a medical coder, you will assign specific numeric codes to medical services, procedures and diagnoses. Allied’s Medical Coding teaches you how to apply the right code in the right place and streamline the medical billing process. From knowledge of ICD-9-CM and CPT codes to reimbursement issues, you will be ready to play an important part in a medical office.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
One of the best ways to protect your career is to choose a field that is in high demand, and the medical field is one of the prime examples. No matter how bad the economy gets, there will always be a need for highly-trained, experienced professionals to work in medical facilities nationwide as medical office professionals, such as medical coders.
In fact, the need for experienced medical coders can be even stronger when times are tough, since health care providers will be looking for a way to make the most of every health care dollar. The right medical codes can mean the difference between a denied claim and one that is paid in full and on time -- it is easy to see the value an experienced and capable medical coding professional brings to the table.
The constant need for new medical coders has meant that many educators are offering medical coding courses to help workers get started in this in-demand field. Many of these medical coding schools provide online medical coding education -- helping those who already have jobs train for a great new career without giving up their current jobs or their incomes. Among the features to look for in an online medical coding training program are:
Convenient Online Courses -- The ability to study when you want, where you want, and at your own pace is essential in today's world. One of the chief benefits of online education is the ability to tailor the needs of your education to the needs of your career and family.
Strong Student Support -- Ongoing support for students and former students is vital in the online education field, and it is important to choose a medical coding school with a strong commitment to helping their students succeed. A strong support system can be the main success factor in your medical coding course -- getting the help you need with your medical coding training is vital.
Up-to-date Material -- An online medical coding education is worthless if the education received is inaccurate or out of date. The world of medical coding is a rapidly changing one, and it is important to choose a school whose faculty and staff keep up with all these changes. Choose a medical coding school that provides the most up to date information and you will find many career opportunities available to you.
Of course not all medical coding schools are the same, and it is important for would-be medical coding professionals to choose their school very carefully. Choosing the wrong medical coding school could rob them of their time and hard-earned money. If you plan to start a medical coding career, you should do your homework first. A high-demand career awaits you -- make sure your first step is the right one and choose the best medical coding school. Labels: medical coders, medical codes, Medical Coding, medical field
Read Full Article>> Not all Medical Coding Schools are the Same
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
With the ICD-10-CM implementation date on the horizon, there may be questions about this new coding system. Why is it needed? What are the changes? How will it affect my
medical coding career? While you’re very familiar with ICD-9-CM, you may wonder what the ICD-10-CM system is all about. Here’s some helpful information:
What is ICD-9-CM? ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition, Clinical Modifications) is a set of codes used by physicians, hospitals, and health care professionals to indicate the diagnosis for all patient visits. ICD-9-CM contains approximately 13,000 codes; these codes are mandatory for all health insurance claims in the U.S.
What is ICD-10-CM? ICD-10-CM is the long awaited diagnosis code revision to ICD-9-CM. This coding system contains approximately 68,000 codes. ICD-10 has been in use throughout the world for both morbidity and mortality statistics since 1994. It has been required for reporting mortality statistics in the United States since 1999.
Why is the new ICD-10-CM coding system needed?
• Limited Space – It is running out of numbers to assign for codes and in some cases, new code proposals have not been adopted because of limited space
• Not Specific Enough – Its diagnosis codes do not describe the severity or complexity of the various disease conditions. This has resulted in increasing requests for additional documentation in order to support claims.
• No Exchange of Information – It hinders the exchange of meaningful health care data with health care organizations and professionals around the world.
What are the benefits of adopting ICD-10-CM?
• Expanded injury codes
• Combination of diagnosis/symptom codes
• Addition of sixth and seventh characters
• Laterality (left and right specific where applicable)
• V and E codes incorporated into the main classification
• Addition of ambulatory and managed care encounter information
• Expanded postoperative complication information
How does this affect my medical coding career? Because October 1, 2013 is the drop-dead date for compliance, you will need to be familiar with the new system in advance. This means that you will need to enroll in an ICD-10-CM medical coding course to learn about the new medical coding system – including a comprehensive overview of the changes and impacts on your medical coding career. While there’s still a lot of time to prepare, you need to look ahead toward the upcoming changes. Labels: icd-10, ICD-9, medical coding career, Medical Coding Coder, medical coding system
Read Full Article>> Why the Need for the ICD-10-CM Medical Coding System?
