Medical Coder Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the medical coder job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they perform.

What Does a Medical Coder Do?

A medical coder is a trained medical person who uses specialized codes and alphanumeric diagnostic to record and interpret information about health conditions of patients.

The job description of medical coders involves systematically translating medical terminology into unique and professional codes for medical personnel and insurance companies to understand and interpret in the course of carrying out their duties.

These professionals are highly skilled in medical coding; they make use of their knowledge of medical terminology and ailments to effectively code each aspect of patient health for easy comprehension.

In order to come up with best codes for patient health condition, they conduct a variety of tests to determine specific illnesses patients are suffering from without making generalizations.

Other responsibilities medical coders are charged with include rigorously reviewing and evaluating patient health history in order for them to identify the causes of their illness and determine best treatment to administer to prevent adverse reactions.

As members of the healthcare team, they seek information from patients’ doctors so as to be aware of information they couldn’t get on their own or from patients.

The coder’s duties also include keeping accurate records of patient illness and treatment, and making them available upon request to members of the healthcare team who are also working to improve patient health.

Understanding the sensitivity of the codes, they maintain a high level of discreetness about the codes and reveal them to no other person but other healthcare providers and personnel working on patient case.

Their role also includes presenting codes of patient health condition to the insurance company and Medicare where available, in order for them to accurately calculate compensation to their patient clients.

They help the government in fighting illnesses and diseases by providing data of patient health condition which can be used in knowing the number of people suffering from a particular illness and the level of treatment to be provided.

Medical coders must be knowledgeable about government regulations and insurance payer policies on healthcare and ensure that the coding system meets acceptable standards.

Medical Coder Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The medical coder job description contains the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities shown in the example below:

• Analyze patient charts carefully to know the diagnosis and represent every item with specific codes
• Collect health information as documented by medical specialists and code them appropriately
• Consult medical specialists for further clarification and understanding of items on patient charts to avoid any misinterpretations
• Ensure that codes tally with doctors’ diagnosis
• Advocate for patients where their medical history is needed as evidence
• Evaluate and re-file appeals of patient claims that were denied
• Be updated about new coding rules as codes change from time to time
• Develop good client relationship in the course of duty
• Collect and distribute coding related information and billing issues
• Provide accurate answers to queries on coding

Medical Coder Job Description for Resume

A resume is an important document you will need to have if you are looking for a job as medical coder. To write the job history section of the resume, the sample job description shown above provides useful information in writing the section.

Medical Coder Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Below are vital qualities, including skills, knowledge, and abilities a medical coder is required to possess to be effective on the job:

• Showcase good written and oral communication skills
• Good analytical skills
• Good computing knowledge in Microsoft word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.
• Exhibit sound knowledge of medical terminology
• Ability to pay attention to detail
• Ability to work in a team