Medical billing and coding is an important part of the day-to-day operations of any healthcare organization. The administrative workers who take care of medical billing and coding help ensure that healthcare providers have steady cash flow, are compliant, and deliver efficient and reliable patient care. This article will explain more about what medical billing and coding is and the training you’ll need if you want to get a job in this field, specifically the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam.
What is Medical Billing and Coding?
Medical billing and coding jobs involve documenting each appointment or service provided to ensure it’s coded properly and billed at the correct rate. This job is essential because it helps prevent incorrect insurance denials, maintains compliance, and ensures the healthcare provider is paid the correct amount for the job they do. These records can also be useful to medical researchers studying the prevalence of certain conditions and trying to develop new treatments.
What Training is Required to Get a Job in Medical Billing and Coding?
To work in medical billing and coding, you’ll need to become thoroughly familiar with the most commonly used medical coding systems. These are:
- ICD-10: The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition
- CPT: Current Procedural Terminology
- HCPCS: Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System
Medical coding translates information in a patient’s records into these standardized coding systems. Together, these systems cover diseases and medical conditions, medical procedures, and supplies or medications. The CPC exam administered by AAPC validates a professional’s comprehensive knowledge of medical coding across outpatient and physician services, proving you’re job-ready.
Understanding the CPC Exam
The CPC exam includes 100 questions to be answered over four hours. This means you’ll have a little less than two and a half minutes to answer each question. The questions are multiple-choice and cover 17 key areas of knowledge, with most framed as coding scenarios to test learners’ ability to apply procedure codes.
The questions cover a variety of core topics including:
- General medical coding knowledge
- Outpatient and physician services
- Compliance and payer requirements
- Revenue cycles and reimbursement
Ten of the questions are framed as scenarios, to test your ability to correctly follow procedures and code the kind of cases you’re likely to encounter in the real world.
It’s important to understand that the exam isn’t a memory test. Rather, it’s a test of how well you understand the procedures. It’s an open-book examination, so you can use your ICD-10 and HCPCS Level II code books to help you.
Studying for the CPC Medical Billing and Coding Exam
If you’d like to start a career as a medical biller and coder, why not start preparing for the examination today? At Healthcare Career College, we offer an 11-month computerized medical biller and coder program that covers everything you need to prepare for the exam, as well as additional career skills and support to give you a head start once you complete the training.
Take your first step into a new, in-demand career as a medical biller and coder with our affordable, flexible, and in-depth medical billing and coding course.
Key Takeaways
What is medical billing and coding?
Medical billing and coding involves translating patient records into standardized codes for insurance claims, compliance, and reimbursement, helping healthcare providers receive accurate payment.
What is the CPC exam?
The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is a nationally recognized certification test that validates a coder’s knowledge of medical coding systems, outpatient services, compliance, and reimbursement procedures.
How can you prepare for the CPC exam?
Successful preparation includes learning coding systems like ICD-10, CPT, and HCPCS, practicing real-world coding scenarios, and completing a medical billing and coding training program.