A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Current coders - please share your opinion - stillsearching

Posted: Apr 12, 2010

I have been a MT for years, but am ready to change careers. Do you think coding is going to be in the same position as MT some years down the road or do you feel coding is stable career choice, and coders will always be needed?

Well, I am taking it that this question cannot be answered - stillsearching

[ In Reply To ..]
or nobody has an opinion about this!

Coding - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I was hoping someone would answer this. I have 2 friends that do coding. One at home and one at a company. They both like and make more than I do as an MT. They have only been doing it about half as long as I have.

I was hoping someone would answer, too!! nm - stillsearching

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I was waiting for someone else to reply - Redpen

[ In Reply To ..]
Sorry, I was hoping some others would chime in.

I think coding is likely to be around a long time, although the "process" of coding and what coders do might change somewhat. This doesn't mean there won't be jobs for coders, though.

Think about accountants. Years ago, accountants tallied everything up in fountain pen on a ledger. After that, they used huge mechanical calculators, then they used electronic calculators, and now they have accounting programs in computers. The need for accountants to hand-tally disappeared, but that didn't eliminate their jobs. Their jobs just morphed into something bigger and better. Now accountants are financial advisers and corporate big-wigs, among other things.

Coding is much the same. Coders used to look up codes in a book and enter codes in pencil or pen on a sheet of paper so someone could type them onto a bill and someone else could stick that sheet into the patient record. Then, coders got software that served as the code book and as a place to enter the codes. Some software just printed out a sheet, which got typed into the bill and put into the record. Now, some software integrates with hospital billing systems and might pass the codes to a biller and put them right into the bill.

The value of a coder doesn't lie only in the fact that they can look up codes, or in typing them on a bill. It lies in the knowledge the coder brings to the table -- a knowledge of coding rules, reimbursement rules, and of medicine. Coders are able to evaluate medical documentation for adequacy and to advise physicians on how to improve it. They're able to do MORE than just look up codes.

There are also a lot of different types of jobs and different levels of expertise in coding. These jobs range from entry-level coding to more technical advanced coding, to supervision, quality assurance, compliance, auditing, and consulting. There are jobs for coders who come in and audit a physician or facility's coding to help them spot errors before an insurer or Medicare does. And there are jobs for coders who help offices and facilities that have BEEN audited to defend themselves, take necessary action, and mitigate the damage.

There are even jobs which involve selecting codes and maintaining the facility computer systems that handle routine charges (chargemasters), or developing and maintaining the coding on the charge tickets that physician offices use.

There are loads of training jobs, too. Every year there are code updates and loads of changes to rules and Medicare requirements. Coders have to adapt to those, but they also find jobs in helping other coders, physicians, and facilities adapt.

I do not think there will ever be much offshoring of coding. There was a little movement in that direction years ago, but it fizzled quickly. There is too much at stake financially and with regard to liability.

Thanks so much, redpen! nm - stillsearching

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

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