Medical coders are in high demand as the health care industry continues to grow and as medical billing and coding processes have gone almost exclusively electronic; accordingly, health care providers, insurers, and others in health care need specialists to handle forms, claims, and the special codes applied to medical procedures
Medical coders, also called medical record coders, health information coders, abstractors, or coding specialists, are the first line in the medical billing process; they apply codes to medical procedures and treatments so they can be billed. Many medical coders, in fact, are also trained in medical billing so they can handle the billing process from start to finish. See below for more specific information on joint medical billing and coding programs.
You will find medical coders in hospitals, physicians’ offices, insurance companies, long-term care facilities, pharmacies, accounting and law firms, and other health care agencies. Some also work out of their own houses, which makes this a great field to enter if you’d eventually like to work from home.
