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Medical billing and coding professionals don’t always come to mind when most of us think of healthcare, but these white-collar workers play a vital role. Their job is to maintain an important level of accuracy in medical records. They are also responsible for processing medical billing to health insurance companies. Through these efforts, medical practices and organizations get paid, and patients can get the treatments and procedures they need.

At Unitech Training Academy, our Medical Billing and Coding program is available online for students in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama who wish to pursue a career that is key to modern healthcare. Here, we discuss the important role of medical billers and coders.

What Is Medical Coding?

There are standardized medical codes used around the world that designate specific medical diagnoses, examinations, procedures, treatments, and other elements of healthcare. There are several different types of codes, and they specify body parts and systems, as well as diseases and traumatic injuries. The two most commonly known coding systems are ICD, or the International Classification of Diseases, and CPT, or Current Procedural Terminology. Medical billers and coders are experts in these codes, and assure consistency throughout medical records and bills sent to insurance companies.

The process of medical coding enables patient records to reflect information useful for billing health insurance companies. Because the health information contained in these medical codes is finely detailed, it also offers an opportunity to collect data for research and to track medical outcomes related to procedures and conditions. However, medical and health information is confidential and must be treated carefully and ethically. That’s why medical billers and coders receive specialized training that includes privacy compliance protocols and other aspects of healthcare administration.

Vital Roles for Medical Coding and Billing Specialists

At Unitech Training Academy, students in the online Medical Billing and Coding program can develop a wide variety of knowledge and skills related to the medical field. This type of job training is designed to help graduates fit into different types of health and medical workplaces, and adapt to existing procedures. It also prepares them to eventually become ethical leaders at work and in their profession.

There are three main areas in healthcare where medical coding can play an important role.

Healthcare Administration

Managing revenue cycles keeps healthcare practices and institutions operating. A steady stream of payments for services rendered is at the core of any business. When it comes to the business of healthcare, health insurance companies are a major source of income for practitioners and organizations. Through medical coding, the process of submitting bills for medical services is streamlined, so patients can keep receiving life-saving medical treatments and practitioners can earn a living.

Health Data Management

Because patient records are coded and organized digitally, it is possible to use the data for several purposes. Each healthcare workplace uses this data to examine cash flow, expenditures, and patient outcomes. On a larger scale, research institutions and government organizations use data that has been stripped of any individual patient identifiers to measure health trends, evaluate new techniques or treatments, and make predictions about healthcare costs at a national level.

Patient Privacy

Medical coding and billing professionals adhere to a strict code of conduct that protects the privacy of individual patients. Their work involves close contact with EHR files, and their knowledge of the laws and regulations governing their use places them in an excellent position to ensure that the whole organization is compliant with health confidentiality statutes.

Become a Key Player on the Healthcare Team

If you have been considering a career change, or are starting in the working world, it may be time to apply for admission to the online medical billing and coding program at Unitech Training Academy. We welcome students who are interested in medicine and health, and who are detail-oriented. To work in medical biller and coder roles, students must use computers and data sheets, and have an orientation toward helping others. After successfully completing the program, our students are eligible to take a certification examination with the National Center for Competency Testing for insurance and coding specialist certification.

Earn a Diploma in Medical Billing and Coding at Unitech Training Academy

Our online Medical Billing and Coding program can be completed in as few as nine months. It is offered fully online and is available to students in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Eligible students may receive financial aid in the form of loans, grants, and scholarships. Find out how you can get started now.

You may be familiar with the statements sent by health insurance companies recording payments and reimbursements made to healthcare providers. These statements also indicate when certain procedures or treatments were denied coverage. Medical billing and coding professionals who work with your physicians and other healthcare practitioners determine how insurance companies are billed for care received. This billing process involves medical codes that designate each type of examination, procedure, or treatment.

Explore the role that this process plays in patient care, and learn about the online Medical Billing and Coding program offered at Unitech Training Academy, serving online learners in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

The Role of the Electronic Health Record

When patients are examined and treated in medical practices, data is entered into an electronic health record (EHR). These digital records are easily shared among healthcare providers and systems and serve as a record of the patient’s health, and the healthcare they receive over their lifetime. The medical history, vital signs from each visit, and the progress or decline of health are all recorded electronically. Through the use of code systems in the healthcare industry, individual information is succinctly and uniformly recorded in the medical record.

Medical billing and coding professionals have access to the EHR as part of the billing process. They review the codes entered into the system for accuracy, and bill insurance companies and patients accordingly. As part of the patient care team, those who work in medical billing and coding are tasked with upholding confidentiality and accuracy. They may also influence the overall efficiency of the medical team by providing oversight of the payment process.

Serving Together on the Healthcare Team

It’s probably no surprise that medical patients are often concerned about the cost of health services. The insurance reimbursement process can be complicated to patients, and medical bills can be daunting. By promoting operations that ease and simplify billing procedures, medical billing and coding professionals can add a level of transparency that gives patients peace of mind.

At the same time, medical practitioners are concerned about providing the best care possible for their patients. The services of medical billing and coding professionals can help clarify the billing and reimbursement process for the healthcare team. By reinforcing the accurate use of specific codes relevant to the practice, ensuring that data is free of errors, and submitting bills promptly, medical billers and coders support the medical team. Through these efforts, medical practitioners are paid for their work and patients can more easily engage in taking care of their health without concern about payments and overdue bills.

Medical Billing and Coding Impacts Patient Care

The medical billing and coding program at Unitech Training Academy includes courses in medical front office skills and administrative medical assisting. This is because these coding and billing pros are often in communication with patients. They answer questions about how billing procedures work, and they may assist with any appeal process to health insurance companies when payments are denied. The role of medical billers and coders can be viewed as a middle ground between patients, insurance companies, and medical care providers. Good communication skills are important in this role.

Medical Billing and Coding at Unitech Training Academy

The courses offered in the medical billing and coding program at Unitech Training Academy provide a thorough exploration of both medical coding and billing procedures. Graduates who complete the program successfully are eligible to take an examination for certification in this specialty.

Courses offered include:

• Billing and coding procedures
• Applying CPT coding and its modifiers
• Coding related to patient surgery and body systems
• Radiology, pathology, medicine, and inpatient coding
• The electronic health record and its software

We also offer carer services assistance including job seeking to help graduates create a working resume, practice interview skills, and determine a plan for finding employment.

Job Training at Unitech Training Academy

We serve online students from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in our online job training programs. The Medical Billing and Coding program is offered completely online. Students engage with our experienced teaching staff and a well-designed curriculum. If you have graduated from high school, or have earned a GED, you are eligible to apply for admission to this program. We also offer financial aid for students who qualify, in the form of loans, grants, and scholarships. If you are interested in a career change or are drawn to work in the field of healthcare, find out how you can get started now.