what is medical coding

Medical coding is the process of transforming healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. Medical coders are health information professionals who analyze clinical statements and assign standardized codes using a classification system. They are responsible for translating physicians reports into useful uniform medical codes. Medical coding professionals help ensure the codes are applied correctly during the medical billing process, which includes abstracting the information from documentation, assigning the appropriate codes, and creating a claim to be paid by insurance carriers. The diagnoses and procedure codes are taken from medical record documentation, such as transcription of physicians notes, laboratory and radiologic results, etc. . Medical coding happens every time you see a healthcare provider, and it is essential to ensuring that patients and providers are paid accurately by the insurance company. Medical coding is different from medical billing, which focuses on reviewing a patients visit and the services, tests, and treatments theyve received. Medical coding certification is a credential in health care coding and billing, and there are many options to obtain certification in general coding or a specialty medical coding certification.