The Role of Medical Billing and Coding in Patient Care
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.
Becoming a Medical Assistant: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you are a compassionate, empathetic person, you may have considered a healthcare career. For those just starting in the workforce, or people who desire a career change, the role of medical assistant can be an excellent choice. The medical assistant program at Unitech Training Academy welcomes students throughout all our campuses in Louisiana with a hybrid training program, which incorporates convenient online and classroom learning with hands-on lab experiences. Find out how you can become a medical assistant.
Find the Right Training Program
The first step to becoming a medical assistant is to graduate from high school or earn a GED. That is the basic entry point for students who either want to pursue an educational program at a medical assistant school or those who desire to receive on-the-job training. Most medical assistants have completed a postsecondary program, such as the diploma program at Unitech Training Academy.
Our medical assistant program can be completed in as few as nine months and includes dedicated preparation classes to prepare for examinations and tests. In addition, most students find that our experienced instructors create a positive learning environment at Unitech Training Academy.
Employers often expect those applying for positions as medical assistants to have the knowledge and skills to perform basic tasks and duties. Medical assistants work under the direction of physicians and allied health professionals. Here are some of the courses offered in our medical assistant program:
- Anatomy and pathophysiology
- Patient education techniques
- Safety in the medical office
- Clinical duties, including administering EKGs and venipuncture techniques
- Administrative duties, including scheduling of patients
- Pharmacology
- Electronic health records
Externships and other Job-Related Resources
An exciting aspect of the medical assistant program at Unitech Training Academy is the required externship. This helps students get out in the real world and experience the day-to-day workings of a medical office or clinic. We help students find opportunities to work in an authorized medical facility in the local community. These experiences can be invaluable, providing networking opportunities, references for resume building, and the confidence to enter the workforce as a medical assistant. Working in a medical office can also help students understand their own preferences, as well as where their knowledge and skills can be improved.
Unitech Training Academy provides experienced instructors, fast-paced hands-on learning experiences, and well-constructed, accredited educational programs designed to help students find and maintain employment.
Plan Your Job Search
After successfully graduating from a postsecondary medical assistant program, you will be ready to engage in a full-scale job search. It is best to spend some time planning for this, and some of the groundwork can be accomplished while you are a student. Here are our recommendations for planning your job search:
- Interact with the instructors at your medical assistant school and discuss plans with them.
- If you have time, consider volunteer work in the medical field.
- Determine workplace location and other preferences as much as possible through class work and externship opportunities.
- Develop a resume that reflects your education, professional and personal references, and volunteer service.
- Practice your interview skills with friends, family, other students, and professionals if available.
- Follow up on submitted job applications whenever possible.
- Put together a wardrobe for interviewing that is professional, clean, and appropriate for the job.
- Smile and be confident during your interviews!
Take Advantage of Continuing Education Programs
A hallmark of the medical field is continuing education programs. These add heft to your resume and showcase your ability to learn and grow in your career. Sign up for classes and workshops that interest you, and be sure to add them to your resume, along with any certifications or other distinctions you’ve earned. If you become interested in a specific type of health or medical specialty, follow up with classes. Many are offered online and can fit into your work and school schedule. By continually learning new skills and gaining more medical knowledge, you will have a better chance of advancing in your career path.
Explore Our Medical Assistant School Today
Unitech Training Academy offers the medical assistant program at all six campus locations in Louisiana. As a hybrid program, roughly 20% of the course material is offered through our e-learning platform, and this can help students balance their school, work, and family obligations as they progress through the nine-month program. Financial aid is available for students who qualify. If you are ready to follow these steps to becoming a medical assistant, get started now.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
As anyone who has ever been a patient already knows, the quality of care provided by medical assistants can greatly impact one’s experience of healthcare. These team members facilitate communication between medical professionals and patients, as well as taking care of many small tasks that make a big difference.
While it can sometimes be difficult to pin down a medical assistant job description because of the varied nature of their work, there are some baseline duties performed. If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant, consider the medical assistant program at Unitech Training Academy. We have six campus locations, welcoming students from across Louisiana. Here, we discuss the various hats worn by medical assistants in the healthcare industry.
Are There Different Types of Medical Assistants?
There is a natural division between the clinical and administrative in healthcare, and this also pertains to the medical assistant. However, while some medical assistants do focus entirely on administrative work, it’s probably more common to find these healthcare stars performing duties related to both direct patient care and the office.
The healthcare sector includes many specializations and fields, and this is also true of medical assistants. As much as there are similarities, there are also real differences in the duties required of medical assistants who work in oncology compared to pediatric practices. There is a different set of commonly used medical terms and demographics. Laboratory tests, billing procedures, and patient load are all affected by the type of medical office or institution, the field of medicine, and the types of treatments performed in each setting.
Medical Assistant Job Description
Here is a basic medical assistant job description. These skills are addressed in the curriculum for the medical assistant program offered at Unitech Training Academy. Common duties performed by medical assistants include:
- Schedule patient appointments and prepare examination rooms
- Record vital signs, such as patient weight and blood pressure readings
- Review current medical history for the electronic health record
- Aid the comfort of patients during examinations with physicians
- Collect and prepare samples, such as urine or blood for the laboratory
- Perform some basic laboratory tests
- Administer injections and medications as directed by a physician
- Take electrocardiograms and blood samples
- Provide wound care, change wound dressings, and remove stitches
- Assist with patient education, teaching about symptoms, treatments, and medication protocols
- Communicate patient prescriptions with pharmacies and other medical offices
- Order supplies and keep inventory
- Process paperwork for billing and insurance companies, including medical coding
As medical assistants move through different job experiences, they may find that they prefer working in a particular medical specialty. There is a certain amount of on-the-job training that occurs in the working world of medical assistants. However, most of these healthcare professionals complete a postsecondary program of study, such as the medical assistant program at Unitech Training Academy.
Medical Assistant Program at Unitech Training Academy
The medical assistant program at Unitech Training Academy is a hybrid program. This means some of the coursework is offered in a convenient online format, with the remainder taught in the classroom, as hands-on experiences in the labs, or through working in the local community to fulfill the externship requirement. Courses in this program include:
- Anatomy and pathophysiology
- Patient education and safety in the medical office
- Administrative duties for the medical assistant
- Clinical medical assisting duties
- Pharmacology
- Electronic health records
Prospective students must have graduated from high school or completed a GED and be at least 17 years of age to apply for admission to Unitech Training Academy. Financial aid is available for students who qualify, potentially in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. The admissions and financial aid offices at Unitech Training Academy can assist students as they explore a new healthcare career.
Healthcare Careers Start at Unitech Training Academy
Healthcare is a fast-growing sector of the U.S. economy. As the healthcare sector continues to grow, workers are needed at all levels to assist in patient care, including medical assistants. Unitech Training Academy offers several healthcare job training programs. These include medical office assistant, pharmacy technician, EKG/phlebotomy technician, and medical billing and coding.
Start Your Career as a Medical Assistant
Develop the knowledge and skills you need to handle a medical assistant job description at Unitech Training Academy. If you enjoy helping people feel more comfortable and have a passion for accuracy in your work, the role of medical assistant may be just right for you. Medical assistants work with electronic health records, interface with the billing and coding functions of the medical office, and perform direct patient care. These are three areas in healthcare that are growing quickly. Enter the exciting, in-demand medical field and work every day with people who want to make a positive difference in their patient’s lives. Get started now.