What Jobs Do Medical Coders Have? Medical coding is one of the lesser-known careers in the healthcare industry that is constantly growing and changing. This career didn't even exist a few decades ago, but it is now a critical component of the healthcare industry—and the demand for it is growing. Medical coders will work in a variety of settings depending on what they do. On the most basic level, medical coders are essentially translators of medical information. They review patient information and assign appropriate diagnosis and procedure codes for patient care, population health statistical tracking, and billing. As you might expect, our healthcare system generates a massive amount of data—and these codes provide a system for keeping it all organized. While hospitals and clinics may be your first thought, medical coders and other health information professionals can be found in a wider range of settings than you might think. Let's look at some of the possibilities. Hospitals and medical offices It should come as no surprise that hospitals require medical coders to document and assign codes for each medical procedure that a patient undergoes. To assign the correct codes, they conduct code research, interpret patient charts, and use specialized medical coding software. Medical coders are also used in doctor's offices and specialty clinics such as dermatology and dentistry to process billing and insurance claims. Hospital patients may receive a variety of treatments from a variety of physicians. That means hospital medical coders will need to do a lot of critical thinking and research to find obscure medical codes. This can be a fun challenge, but don't discount the possibility of working in a smaller, more narrowly specialized clinic, which has its own advantages. Services for healthcare consulting Many companies serve as consultants, assisting hospitals, healthcare networks, and clinics to solve problems and plan for the future. These firms hire a diverse range of healthcare professionals to assist in the design, development, and implementation of performance and profitability solutions in hospitals, health systems, physician practice groups, and other settings. A health coder in this type of work environment would most likely review clinical documentation and diagnostic results to extract data and apply appropriate ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes for billing, reporting, research, and regulatory compliance. Some of these businesses specialize in information technology, developing products to improve medical coding and billing processes. Medical coders are essential in these organizations, conducting audits and reviews to ensure accurate coding and preventing claims from being rejected due to coding errors. This type of work environment may be a good fit for health information professionals who want to improve and modify systems as well as troubleshoot existing communications. Institutes of higher learning Experienced medical coders are needed to train the next generation of coding students at colleges and technical schools. While there are no formal educational requirements for medical coders, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that certifications can be obtained from an accredited institution. 1 These schools provide numerous opportunities for trained medical coders to share their expertise with students. Teaching jobs typically require a few years of on-the-job experience, making them an excellent choice for seasoned medical coders looking for a change of pace. This is the ideal career path for anyone who enjoys learning about medical coding and sharing their knowledge with others.