Are you hiding your talents under the table? Have you considered the entirety of your work experience and education when deciding on a job in coding? Here are a few things to consider when looking for a coding job, or excelling in the one you are already in.

• What makes me unique in my work?
• What do I do better than most others I know?
• Can I communicate well with my co-workers and Physicians?
• If so, are you able to explain difficult coding concepts in layman’s terms?
• Are you more of a numbers person or a word person?
• What is your background in computers?
• Do you understand the revenue cycle of a Medical Billing office?
• How quick are you at spotting software issues that impact billing?
• Are you aware of file maintenance issues that impact reimbursement?

Coding students and newly certified coders often approach me asking how to get experience in the coding world. I ask them what jobs they held in the past, and which ones they enjoyed the best. I recently met with a woman who had worked for Microsoft for over 20 years. After talking with her for a while I suggested that she enter the EMR or software world to pair her computer experience with the world of coding. Another had a background in Real Estate and Marketing. These skills made her an excellent communicator. Along with her recent coding certification she would be an asset to a Physician group to help educate the providers in basic coding principles. Everyone has unique talents and abilities that speak to your core personality. Knowing what these talents are can mean the difference between a job or a fulfilling career.

Let’s say you are a numbers person. Every billing office needs someone who maintains the CPT database and fee schedules, you might want to become an expert in RBRVS (resource based relative value scale). This task includes updating the fee schedules, and insurance allowables, unless your software does this for you. It also requires someone who can delete codes no longer in use and add the new ones. It may also mean sending out updates to the business office to update the encounter forms. Cross-walking deleted codes to new ones requires a coders input, but also requires a good communicator to get that information out to the people that need it.

Many coders start out in the business office entering charges, producing insurance claims and working denials. This is an excellent background for a coder as it gives an understanding of the revenue cycle, and a trained eye to look for coding issues that cause denials. We all have to understand Medicare regulations, and I would recommend a Medicare A/R position to any new coder. Knowing your carrier’s LCD’s (local carrier determinations) for Medicare is essential to reimbursement. Part of our job is to educate Physicians on what tests are allowed for their specialties – along with the payable indications, so that they can know when to have a waiver signed.

Most business office employees also have a working knowledge of procedure modifiers. Now that you are a coder, it is your responsibility to ensure that modifiers are used properly, and not just applied to override a denial.

I attended a coding class with a former computer programmer who took to coding like a duck to water. Understanding file building is essential for any practice starting up a new system. If you have a mindset for connecting source files to charge entry and claims generation this may be an area of interest. Setting the TOS (type of service) correctly for each CPT code can be crucial to reimbursement. Creating the alpha search mechanisms for both CPT and ICD-9-CM codes can be an overlooked area in many offices. If your people cannot scroll for the most specific code easily, this could lead to overuse of non-specific codes and impact payment. Not listing all applicable medical conditions also frustrates the Medicare Advantage plans, as the funding is determined by the conditions reported by the Physicians. Not reporting the specific type of diabetes, or peripheral vascular disease could lead to shortfalls in funding a patient’s Medicare Advantage plan.

As for myself, I had a background in classical music. Along with an ear for musical tones, I also have an ear for difficult medical terms and seem to be able to connect words to numbers easily. Musicians are also required to memorize pieces for performance. The more one can memorize in both the CPT and ICD-9-CM books the faster you will be as a coder. I learned to memorize many ICD-9-CM codes while working a second job at night coding Pathology reports. I hope I will take to ICD-10 as easily! For me, coding is an adventure, I learn something new every day and am constantly amazed at the complexity of the human body. I hope that you find as much enjoyment as I do in the ever-expanding field of Medical coding.

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