Medical coding specialists are professionals that transfer the information/data found in patients’ medical charts into codes used by billers to bill the insurance carrier and patients accordingly. Medical coding jobs are in high demand in the job market, but there is one risk to the coding field when it comes to coding specialists that work on-site and it is outsourcing.

There are two different types of coding specialists, inpatient and outpatient. Coders that work with inpatient medical charts will transfer the information within the chart from the patients that had an extended stay in the hospital. Coders that work with patients that undergo same-day surgery or other procedures that allow for the patient to leave after the procedure has been completed. Some coders will work for medical consulting companies that have hospital, clinics and other health care facilities. Some professional coders will make the choice to work from out of their home office.

Why do companies outsource coding services? What are the benefits?

When it comes to the coding service it is fast becoming a service that many in the healthcare industry are outsourcing. There are many advantages to these companies outsourcing coding services and even in some of the billing services. The reason behind the rise in outsourcing is because providers see that there is a rise in efficiency by medical staff.  If the health care facility wants to ensure that claims are paid, then they have to hire coders that have an understanding of how to perform their job accurately and efficiently. Providers are finding that they can get the same benefit from outsourcing this type of task to billing and coding companies that specialize in strictly billing and coding.

Many larger health care facilities like and private facilities are using their staff currently hired for clinical duties and using them to perform the services that a professional coder would initially perform. So with having staff hired for patient care and working on coding can cause disorganization within the office which will then result in claims being filed incorrectly which will lead to claim rejections which is costly. Outsourcing has proven for a faster turnaround time of the clinical and office staff, the professionals at the coding companies the work has been has been outsourced to be able to focus solely on the coding process to get claims and the various treatments, diagnosis and diseases coded correctly and claims filled and sent in to the insurance companies in a timely fashion. So breaking down the benefits here is what providers see when it comes to outsourcing:

Cost, Precision and Dependability

Many providers have reported that they have seen savings of well over 50 percent by finding a qualified company to outsource to and get the required tasks completed. The main savings that providers see are in staffing, technology and set-up.

The companies that hire employees strictly for perform billing and coding duties will only hire those that are well knowledgeable and well trained in their field. The companies utilize top of the line technology to improve the accuracy of their specialist and to make their time more cost effectiveness. They also complete their work following the rules and regulations set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

In following the above benefits, this is also why many providers will choose to outsource with billing and coding specialists that choose to start their own home based businesses.

What changes should current on-site coders look into?

If you are among the many that are currently working on-site in the billing and coding field then one avenue you may wish to look into include becoming a home based coder or seeking employment with one of the medical billing companies that many hospitals and clinics are beginning to turn to.

About Author

Ceete Sheekels is a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and a Certified Evaluation & Management Coder (CEMC) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). She currently works as a Certified Professional Coder Instructor (CPC-I). Her years in the healthcare industry, CPC instructor certification training and her Bachelors in English and Literary arts makes her an ideal source for well written and well informed medical billing and coding specialist articles. If you plan on entering into the medical billing and coding field, you may wish to visit her website at AboutMedicalBillingAndCoding.Org so you can obtain the information needed to get you started on the right track in a high demand field. http://www.aboutmedicalbillingandcoding.org/