Skip to main content

Necessity of English Proficiency in Medical Coding

Irish Blessing

A moonbeam to charm you,A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.A sunbeam to warm you,

Naturally, being fluent in English places you at an advantage in the field of Medical Coding. That being said, it does not fully eliminate you from entering Coding. Medical Coding is different from Medical Transcription and does not require the same expertise and fluency in English. Medical Transcription careers demand that you be highly fluent in American English, as we get most of our clients from the USA. You need to be tuned to their culture and lifestyle to name a few.

But that is not the case with coding. Of course you should have a working knowledge of English. Or else you will be unable to comprehend a Medical Chart. As you need to peruse a medical chart, understand what is being done for a patient and derive the codes. The requirement for fluency in English is not as high as in Transcription. I keep comparing the two fields of transcription and coding because I started my career in US healthcare as a Medical Transcriptionist in the year 1999. Now it is 20 years since then and for the past few years, I transitioned into coding and I am a Certified AAPC coder and a coding trainer.

I can say with confidence that I have seen some coders who do their job quite well with great accuracy in fact, though they have only limited English vocabulary.

Also for those looking to upgrade their knowledge of 

English language, you are always welcome to do so. Learning a new language or expanding your current skills is an upcoming trend and will keep you in good stead always!

Coding is more attention to detail and accuracy. You should be able to select the correct code and pay attention to payer rules and regulations. Being alert for any updates on codes every year is mandatory. Being familiar with Anatomy and Physiology will be an added benefit.

So don’t let the fear of lack of mastery over the English language prevent you from entering the world of Coding. Medical Coding is a thriving field and is expected to boom in the near future. Lots of opportunities for freshers and new graduates keep opening up daily! Jump in and take a training course in coding and create a satisfying career for yourself. You will be challenged daily in Coding and you will eventually turn out to be a lifelong learner. Anyone eager to learn something new will be a good fit in this industry!


Read More

Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing information about the necessity of English Proficiency in Medical Coding. I appreciate you for take this kind of topic for the blog. This blog is really interesting to read. I think you can share information about the best Online Medical Coding Training Institutes in Kozhikode.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Revenue Cycle Management - RCM

When you enter the field of US Healthcare, the first thing you notice right away is the unique terminology that keeps bombarding you! New medical terms and medical slang keep popping up. Added to it is the abbreviations, acronyms and what not.... You feel overwhelmed at first... But gradually with some patience you can master the terms which are used often in your office. I am listing below some common healthcare terms used in Insurance and Billing in RCM. Check them out and hope you will learn a word or two! BILLING TERMS When both you and your health insurance company pay for your health care expenses, it’s called cost sharing. Deductibles, coinsurance and copays are all examples of cost sharing. Understanding how they work will help you know how much you’ll pay. Deductible A deductible is the amount you pay for health care services before your health insurance begins to pay. How it works: If your plan’s deductible is $1,500, you’ll pay 100 percen

What is Medical Coding?

Medical coding is the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes.” Put simply, this refers to the process of translating important medical information into simple codes for the purpose of documenting medical records and informing accurate medical billing. There are a few different  types of medical codes  used in healthcare settings today, but each of them allows for uniform documentation between medical facilities. Having this standard system allows for a more seamless transfer of medical records and more efficient research and analysis to track health trends. The three main types of codes are ICD-10-CM, CPT-4, and HCPCS What is a medical coder? Medical coders are the individuals responsible for translating physicians’ reports into useful medical codes. These professionals work behind the scenes in a variety of settings, ensuring all pertinent information is coded appropriately to e

Allograft vs Autograft vs Xenograft

Allo – Same species Auto – Same person Xeno – Animal (different species) An autologous transplant uses a person's own stem cells. ... In a reduced-intensity allogeneic transplant, doctors suppress the recipient's immune system enough so the donor stem cells can take root, or “engraft,” there. An autograft is a bone or tissue that is taken from a part of a person’s own body and transplanted into another. Often, surgeons will use a person’s own hamstring tendon to repair a damaged anterior cruciate ligament. Similarly, an autograft bone may be transplanted from a person’s hip to aide in a spinal fusion. Patients who undergo autograft procedures may experience increased postoperative pain from the second surgical (autograft) site. They may also require longer periods of rehabilitation. The use of allograft is advantageous because there is no second procedure required to remove and transfer a portion of the patient’s native bone or tissue. Surgical time may be

Spleen - Anatomy

The  spleen  is an organ located in the upper left abdomen, and is roughly the size of a clenched fist. In the adult, the spleen functions mainly as a blood filter, removing old red blood cells. It also plays a role in both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. The spleen in located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, under cover of the diaphragm and  the ribcage – and therefore cannot normally be palpated on clinical examination (except when enlarged). It is an intraperitoneal organ, entirely surrounded by peritoneum (except at the splenic hilum). The spleen is connected to the stomach and kidney by parts of the greater omentum – a double fold of peritoneum that originates from the stomach: The spleen has a slightly  oval  shape. It is covered by a weak capsule that protects the organ whilst allowing it to expand in size. The outer surface of the spleen can be anatomically divided into two: ·          Diaphragmatic surface  – in contact with diaphr

Place Holder X

The letter " x ” serves as a placeholder when a code contains fewer than six characters and a seventh character applies. The " x ” also allows for future expansion of the codes. When reporting ICD - 10 - CM codes, coders must add a placeholder so the seventh character is in the correct position. Not every ICD-10-CM code with a seventh character has a sixth character—or even a fifth or fourth character for that matter. This frequently occurs with poisonings and injuries. The letter "x” serves as a placeholder when a code contains fewer than six characters and a seventh character applies. The "x” also allows for future expansion of the codes. When reporting ICD-10-CM codes, coders must add a placeholder so the seventh character is in the correct position. Without this placeholder to ensure characters appear in the correct positions, codes are invalid. For example, a patient presents with an accidental poisoning by an antiallergic drug. For the initial

US Healthcare - Payment Posting

Payment posting and denial management are two extremely critical steps of the revenue cycle management of any solo practitioner or a healthcare organization. Streamlining these processes improves the RCM cycle leading to lesser delays in the A/R’s, ultimately guiding the way to increasing revenues along with patient satisfaction. Payment posting and its factors: In this process, the payment records of patients are recorded in the billing management software. It also includes attention to be given to claim denials — for identifying the problematic areas and their reasons along with apt actions to be taken on resolving the issues. Insurance Payment Posting: All payers either send an EOB (explanation of benefits) or ERA (electronic remittance advice) towards the payment of a claim. The medical billing staff posts these payments immediately into the respective patient accounts, against that particular claim to reconcile them. The payment posting is handled according to clie

Medical Coding, an excellent career choice!

As we are reeling under the pressure of COVID-19 infection in India, unemployment has reached sky high. Many have tried binge eating, binge cooking and binge watching movies to ward off boredom. So what is an alternative and viable option for our youngsters? Why not try something useful, that will enhance your career, or give a boost to your existing career. Learn something online. Be it a new skill, a new language, or something trending like Medical Coding. Medical Coding is a boon in such testing times. You can learn Medical Coding and re-skill yourself and reshape your career. If you are a graduate looking for an interesting and engrossing profession, Medical Coding checks all the boxes. The basic criteria needed is a college degree. Being tech savvy, which most of the youngsters are already thanks to smart phones, will help you move into this profession quite smoothly. A working knowledge of English is a must, as we receive all the work from USA. Once y