What Is Medical Billing and Coding?

Those in a medical billing & coding career play an important role in not only the operational side of the healthcare industry, but in the hospitality side as well. How? As an advocate for both the patient and the provider, medical billing and coding specialists help to create a seamless experience throughout the life of the health claim. By accurately processing and coding claims, medical billers & medical coders help ensure that patients aren’t overcharged and help providers provide the best administrative care as possible.¹

Learn more about the multi-faceted role of someone in medical billing and coding and why it may be the profession for you:

WHAT IS MEDICAL BILLING?

Medical billing involves reviewing medical records and identifying the diagnoses and procedures the patient had. This information is used to submit claims to insurance providers, government programs and/or patients directly in order to receive reimbursement².

WHAT IS MEDICAL CODING?

Medical coding is a key component of medical practices and healthcare facilities. Certified medical coders must understand anatomy and physiology, the disease process and clinical procedures so they can apply the correct codes to health records and claims².

IS MEDICAL BILLING DIFFERENT FROM MEDICAL CODING?

Medical billing and medical coding are not the same. Medical coding, which is generally the first part of the medical billing and coding process, involves applying the correct codes to health records and claims. Medical billing, which is usually the second part of the process, involves submitting claims to those covering the cost of the service or treatment, such as patients and insurance agencies.

WHY IS MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING IMPORTANT?

Medical billing and coding is important to healthcare facilities because proper medical billing and coding procedures result in an improved bottom line.

Medical billing and coding is important to patients because proper medical and coding procedures prevent patients from being charged more than they should be. For example, an incorrectly entered code could indicate that a patient received a much more expensive treatment than they actually did.

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What does a medical biller and coder do?

Medical billing and coding professionals’ duties vary depending on whether they’re performing billing- or coding-related tasks.

Medical Coding

Working with healthcare professionals to correctly identify the services and treatments a patient has received
Ensuring that medical records correctly reflect their patients' care
Staying up-to-date with new coding regulations and standards

Medical Billing

Submitting claims to insurance companies
Ensuring that the responsible party pays for claims
Managing payments and invoices

Medical billing and coding professionals are also responsible for investigating rejected or denied claims. There’s an important difference between a rejected claim and a denied one. A rejected claim is found to have one or more errors before being processed and can thus be corrected and resubmitted.

A denied claim, on the other hand, is a claim which has already been processed but has been denied by the paying party—for example, an insurance company may deny a claim because it violates their agreement with the patient.

In both cases, a medical biller and coder must examine the claim in question and work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. They can accomplish this by performing a thorough audit of the claim in question, and correcting any mistakes or discrepancies that they find.

HOW CAN I BECOME A MEDICAL BILLER AND CODER?

To become a medical biller and coder, start with a medical billing and coding undergraduate program from an accredited school. Upon completion of your program, consider obtaining a certification.

The three most common nationally recognized medical billing and coding certifications are:

Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
Certified Coding Associate (CCA), offered by AHIMA
Certified Professional Coder (CPC), offered by AAPC

More about Medical Billing and Coding

What to look for in Medical Billing and Coding training programs

What Medical Billing and Coding certifications are available?

Frequently asked questions about the Medical Billing and Coding program at DeVry

Go Back to Medical Billing and Coding Undergraduate Certificate Programs

¹https://www.branfordhall.edu/5-reasons-to-become-a-medical-billing-and-coding-specialist/²According to the AAPC.

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