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Important Career Information
Jobs are expected to grow much faster than average.
Job prospects should be very good; technicians with a strong background as a medical biller and coder will be in particularly high demand.
A medical biller and coder usually has an associate degree; courses include anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, statistics, and computer science.
This is one of the few health careers in which there is little or no direct contact with patients.
Salary: How Much Do Medical Records Billing, Coding, and Health Information Technician Make?
The median annual pay of medical records and health information technicians was $30,610 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent were paid between $24,290 and $39,490. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $20,440, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $50,060. Median annual pay in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical records and health information technicians in May 2008 were:
Federal Executive Branch $42,760
General medical and surgical hospitals 32,600
Nursing care facilities 30,660
Offices of physicians 26,210
What does a Medical Records Billing, Coding,<br> and Health Information Technician do? Medical Records Billing, Coding, and Health Information Technician Jobs, Job Description, and Responsibilities
Every time a patient receives health care, a record is maintained of the observations, medical or surgical interventions, and treatment outcomes. This record includes information that the patient provides concerning his or her symptoms and medical history, the results of examinations, reports of x rays and laboratory tests, diagnoses, and treatment plans. A medical records biller and coder or health information technician organizes and evaluates these records for completeness and accuracy.
Some medical records and health information technicians specialize in the medical coding of patients' medical information for insurance purposes. Technicians who specialize in coding are called health information coders, medical record coders, coder/abstractors, or coding specialists. These technicians assign a code to each diagnosis and procedure (DRG). The DRG determines the amount for which the hospital will be reimbursed if the patient is covered by Medicare or other insurance programs using the DRG system. In addition to the DRG system, a biller or coders uses other coding systems, such as those geared toward ambulatory settings or long-term care.
Medical record coding or billing duties vary with the size of the facility. In large to medium-sized facilities, a medical record coder or biller might specialize in one aspect of health information or might supervise health information clerks and transcriptionists. In small facilities, a credentialed medical record coder or biller sometimes manages the department.
Job Working Conditions for Medical Records Billing, Coding, and Health Information Technicians
A medical records biller or coder usually work a 40-hour week. Some overtime may be required. In hospitals—where health information departments often are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—a medical records biller or coder technician may work day, evening, and night shifts.
A medical records biller and coder or health information technician works in pleasant and comfortable offices. This is one of the few health careers in which there is little or no direct contact with patients. Because accuracy is essential in their jobs, a medical records biller and coder or health information technician must pay close attention to detail.
Medical Records Billing, Coding, and Health Information Technician Training, College Programs, and Advancement
Experienced medical records and health information technicians usually advance in one of two ways—by specializing or managing. Some schools offer certification in medical billing and coding as part of the associate degree program for health information technicians. Certifications in medical billing or coding are available either from AHIMA or from the American Academy of Professional Coders.
Where are the Jobs? Medical Records Biller, Coder, and Health Information Technician Jobs
Medical record biller or coder and health information technicians held about 159,000 jobs in 2004. About 2 out of 5 jobs were in hospitals. Other medical record billing or coding jobs were mostly in offices of physicians, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, and home health care services.
Job Outlook and Job Opportunities for Medical Records Billers, Coders, and Health Information Technicians
Although jobs growth in hospitals will not keep pace with growth in other health care industries, many new medical record billing or coding jobs will, nevertheless, be created. The majority of new jobs are expected in offices of physicians as a result of increasing demand for detailed records and billing, especially in large group practices. Rapid growth of medical billing or coding jobs are expected in home health care services, outpatient care centers, and nursing and residential care facilities. Additional job openings will result from the need to replace bilers and coders who retire or leave the career permanently.
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Available Programs:
• Medical Records Billing & Coding
• Insurance Coding
Locations: Brea, CA El Monte, CA Huntington Park, CA Irvine, CA Los Angeles, CA Ontario, CA San Berardino, CA San Diego, CA
Technicians with a strong background as a medical biller or coder or insurance codier will be in particularly high demand. Changing government regulations and the growth of managed care have increased the amount of paperwork involved in filing insurance claims. Additionally, health care facilities are having difficulty attracting qualified medical billers or coders, primarily because of the lack of both formal training programs and sufficient resources to provide on-the-job training for coders.
Job prospects for medical billing or coding should be very good. Jobs for medical records billers and coders are expected to grow much faster than average for all careers through 2014 because of rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers. Also, billers and coders will be needed to enter patient information into computer databases to comply with Federal legislation mandating the use of electronic patient records.
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Available Programs: Associate Degree
• Medical Records Billing & Coding
• Insurance Coding
A medical biller or coder and records and health information technicians entering the field usually have an associate degree from a community or junior college. In addition to general education, coursework includes medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal aspects of health information, coding and abstraction of data, statistics, database management, quality improvement methods, and computer science.
Most employers prefer to hire Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT), who must pass a written examination offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). To take the examination, a person must graduate from a 2-year associate degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
Available Programs:
Technicians with a strong background as a medical biller or coder or insurance codier will be in particularly high demand. Changing government regulations and the growth of managed care have increased the amount of paperwork involved in filing insurance claims. Additionally, health care facilities are having difficulty attracting qualified medical billers or coders, primarily because of the lack of both formal training programs and sufficient resources to provide on-the-job training for coders.
