Medical billing and coding are the cornerstone of any medical practice, ensuring that insurers pay doctors and hospitals properly.
A well-run billing department is a great asset to any practice and is crucial to long-term success. We interviewed our medical billing team at Microwize to get their feedback on the medical billing and coding questions everyone wants answers to.
Why is medical billing and coding important?
Medical billing and coding is the backbone of the healthcare revenue cycle, ensuring payers and patients reimburse providers for services delivered.
Billing and coding are two of the most critical components in any medical practice. Accuracy in both areas is critical to patient safety, rapid payment, and efficient operations.
Can you do medical billing and coding from home?
Many healthcare providers outsource their work, so you do not need to work from a specific office location. Many billers and coders are independent contractors and have several clients.
Is medical billing and coding a stressful job?
Being a medical biller and coder is not as stressful as it may seem. The most crucial part of the job is understanding the billing cycle from start to end and knowing what actions to take within each stage of the cycle.
PROS AND CONS OF MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING
PROS:
- You never stop learning. You will always learn something new, no matter how long you’ve been working. Every day is a new challenge which keeps the job exciting.
- You can work remotely. This gives you more flexibility with your schedule and saves you time and money.
- Anyone can do this job regardless of age or gender.
CONS:
- Spend most of your workday sitting in front of the computer, working on charts, entering data, and looking up information. This may lead to some health problems such as back pain.
- Always requires detail-oriented work and accuracy.
- Staying up to date with medical billing and coding updates can be difficult.
- Communication with the patient doesn’t always go smoothly, and it’s the biller`s job to act professionally and help patients understand their bills.
How do you avoid common medical billing and coding errors?
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Ensure patient, provider, and insurance information are correct
by taking the time to double-check all fields and verify all pieces of information before submitting a claim.
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Avoid duplicate billing
and be careful not to bill for services more than once.
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Avoid upcoding.
Upcoding is when codes are entered into a patient’s bill for services that were not received; not only is this unethical but it is also illegal and can result in fines.
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Avoid under coding.
Under coding occurs when codes are left out of a patient’s bill, which is also illegal and can result in fines as well.
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Ensure you are tracking claims
to avoid timely filing denials.
How difficult is medical billing and coding?
Learning the fundamentals is not difficult and can take up to 3 months; however, becoming certified can take anywhere from 6 months to one year. As for the everyday aspect of the job, that usually depends on the software and how user-friendly it is; the software you use can make a dramatic difference.
Medical billing and coding can be a little complex—certain codes apply only to certain specialties, and it becomes more complicated when assigning the correct diagnosis codes to their corresponding procedure codes. If you enter the wrong diagnosis code with a procedure code, the claim will be denied.
Overall, the profession requires individuals with a strong attention to detail. They must be able to read, interpret, record, and track complex medical information while maintaining patient confidentiality. If you’re looking to become a medical biller, Medisoft Academy is a great place to start.
