Inpatient medical coders
Inpatient medical coders perform/handle the following responsibilities/tasks:
- Inpatient coders mostly assign standard procedural codes, but to perform this responsibility, the inpatient coder has to do the following activities:
- Reviewing records of discharged patients including patient medical notes documented records provided by attending physicians
- Summarizing statistical data
- Determining different level of diagnoses forming a treatment episode
- Inpatient coders also perform leadership roles and work as liaisons, mostly interacting with outside parties such as an oversight organization.
Note: Some of these responsibilities may apply depending on experience and the nature of environment.
Salary Range
- Inpatient coders working in the US earn around $53,000 annually depending on organization size or type, area, expertise, industry and so on (figures taken from industry sources)
Certification Needed
Certifications for inpatient coding are not a must; however, candidates with formal training will have better job opportunities. The following trainings are recommended:
- Specialized training in coding to quality as a certified inpatient coder
- Associate's degree in medical record coding
Additional qualifications
- Knowledge of coding software to process insurance and billing claims
- Familiarity with medical terminologies related to anatomy biology
- Knowledge of pharmacology and all major diseases
Work Environment and Outlook
- Inpatient coding job growth is expected to grow further as shown by data from the United States
- Inpatient coders with strong computer and technology skills will have more industry demand due to increasing use of electronic health records
- General dynamism is helpful for this role as it will help the coder to adjust to various environments and nature of activities
- Should have knowledge of international ICD-9 and the ICD-10 codes classifications
Inpatient coders can post their details with us to access the best opportunities across all US states and varied specialties. |
If your hospital or clinic needs an inpatient coder, register your details with us and we can get one in your specialty or location preference. |