4 Ways to Improve Your Experience with Medical Coders
Medical coding is an industry that is quickly accelerating in growth. With positions available both inside hospital walls and in home offices, the doors are open to a wide array of opportunities. If your medical office is looking to hire an experienced medical coder and want to have a great experience, do these things.
Look Inside Your Own Network
There are several ways to find a medical coder. Start by getting referrals from your own network. Your colleagues should be able to provide you with a recommendation. You may also check with your existing staff. They may have the qualifications necessary to fill the role or they may know someone qualified. You may also check with AHIMA and AAPC’s local chapters for potential leads.
Another great place to find potential leads is through local schools. You may be wary of hiring new graduates, but you can find many great and even certified leads. These leads will still have the basics fresh in their minds. As a bonus, a new graduate will still be eager to learn and will take to your office processes quickly and easily.
Certification Is Important
The coders who achieve certification are competent in their training and serious about their career. Those without certification aren’t necessarily bad at their jobs, but those with certification have put in the extra time and effort to become highly skilled.
It’s important to verify the schooling and certification of a prospective employee by getting in touch with their school and the organization who they received their certificate from. Ask the potential hire for their certificate number to make the search easier. If they will not tell you, consider that a red flag.
Make Sure They Understand the False Claims Act
Medical coders must be familiar with the False Claims Act. This Act covers knowingly presenting fraud for payment or approval. It is vital that a medical coder is familiar with it, as millions of Americans are insured by the government through Medicare or Medicaid. If they submit fraudulent claims to the government (even if using the wrong code or an outdated code was an accident), there can be serious repercussions for them and your business. They must know the types of fraud, be trustworthy, and be willing to report fraudulent practices.
Follow Best Practices for Interviewing, Testing, and Hiring
When you have one or more candidates who have responded to your advertisement, it’s helpful to know which questions to ask during an interview. These helpful questions will get you started:
- What coding are you familiar with? (Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), International Classification of Diseases (ICD), and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). Need help with your coding needs and don’t want to go through the hassle of interviewing and hiring? Clients ARM provides ICD coding for medical practices. Contact us today to learn more!
- Do you continue your education and stay up-to-date on code changes and policy reforms?
- What is your accuracy rate when coding?
- How many charts can you code in a day?
- Has a case you have coded ever been denied? If so, why? Were you able to correct it?
- Are you certified?
- Are you familiar with coding both Medicare and private insurance? Do you know the regulations?
When you have narrowed down your candidates, feel free to create a test before you hire. The test should cover everyday scenarios that could happen in your office. It doesn’t have to be long, perhaps between 10 to 20 questions in length, and should include the types of code (CPT, IDC, and HCPCS) you use in your offices. You can also add a test on medical terminology in this as well.
Before you hire, do a quick search to guard against high-risk hires. Since medical coding is involved with the patient’s personal health and information and your office’s financial records, a background check should be ordered on the potential hire. Check to be sure the applicant isn’t on the Inspector General’s exclusion database as well.
Need Medical Coding?
If your business needs professional medical coding help, contact Clients Arm. Our professional and efficient medical coding team are ready to help you with your everyday needs! You can stop worrying about your medical coding and keep your focus on providing your services to your customers. By hiring us, you are entrusting us with caring for your customers, current and future. You’ll get peace-of-mind, as we are an American-based company with a track record of experience in the medical coding industry. Are you ready to learn how we can help with your medical coding needs? Schedule your free consultation now!
