What Is the Difference Between Medical Coding And Medical Billing?

The process of medical billing and coding are usually considered the same, and they are considered the same professions as well. This is because both of them require similar skills and roam around similar tasks. But if paid proper attention, you will realize both have different ways ahead! Although both skill sets are related to the financial and administrative side of medical practice, there are visible differences between the two! As both the processes have to deal with patients' medical records, the medical billing that provides medical billing also provides medical coding services. The medical coder's job involves reviewing the patient's records and then assigning codes according to the data provided by the medical practice!

On the other hand, in the process of medical billing, after the codes are applied, a medical biller then uses software where all the codes are entered. Medical coding and medical credentialing services providers work behind the actual scenes. For best services, check UControl Billing Company! 

Difference Between Medical Coding And Medical Billing

Here are the differences between the two!  

The work is different

Both medical billers' and coders' work and job responsibilities require a different set of skills and abilities! Here is a little about the work of each process: 

The first job of medical coders of a medical coding service provider is to change the information of the procedure and care provided to the patient into codes that are understandable by the computer. There are different codes for medical codings, like International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes, and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). If the medical coders want to apply correct codes, they must have the proper knowledge of terminology and adhere to CPT coding guidelines or standards. 

The job of medical billers includes using the codes provided by the coder to file billing claims to get repayments. In order to get paid, the claims should include correct information. Medical billers work with insurance providers to set out any rejections or denials statements. 

Different types of personality

If you are wondering which profession to choose, just see how you identify yourself in personality (extroverted or introverted). Coding and billing both require a different sort of personality, and you might want to lean on one of the sides. 

If you are an extrovert, you should go for the medical billing job. The reason is that billers usually have to talk to people, including patients and insurers, over the phone call, so they have to be good with communication. The medical billers of medical billing company providers will have to deal with different people to resolve issues smoothly. 

If you are an introvert, you should become a medical coder as there is more comfort in medical coding. The medical coders are mostly working on their own and only have to interact with limited medical staff people. If you are uneasy with talking with people and are more of an analytical person, then the coding is what you should opt for!  

It should be known that it is not mandatory, despite having any personality you can choose what you want to become! 

Work with different sorts of people! 

Luckily, the medical coders of the medical coding service providers do not have to work or talk with patients. The medical coders help patients without interacting with them directly, and they just have to be there with their equipment. Basically, the work of medical coders is behind the curtain, and they only have to work or interact with physicians, billers, and billing staff. 

On the other hand, a medical biller's job requires communicating with many people, including the patients. Handling the patient is not always easy as they are going through a lot, so the medical biller has to be very professional and empathetic with the patients in order to cover the costs of the services provided. To be a good medical biller, one has to understand and help patients to know about their responsibility when it comes to payments. 

Healthcare facilities usually split duties of both process

As the demand for medical billing and coding services increases, most medical organizations hire specialized medical billers and coders to handle the responsibilities individually. If you want to get a new job in medical coding or medical billing, we recommend you to look and apply to larger medical practices. 

This is because smaller organizations, including small practices or offices of doctors, might not require a person for each process, and they may opt for a person who specializes and can do both jobs. So this limits the job opportunities! 

Alliance vs. autonomy

The role of medical coding can be considered an ally, and medical billing has somewhat an autonomous role. 

This is because the medical coders usually have to directly work with the medical practice, so they have to work in alliance with their staff, including doctors, administrators, and other healthcare workers. 

On the other hand, medical billing service providers can work autonomously. They have to work as mediators between several parties included in the medical billing process to ensure that everything goes smoothly. If you want to climb the ladder in healthcare administration, medical billing is a good option! 

Different education & certification 

The required educational background is similar to becoming a medical coder or medical biller. In order to become specialists in one of the professions, students prefer to get a diploma or associate degree in either billing, coding, or sometimes both. Here are some of the primary certifications needed for becoming a medical biller or coder: 

• Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) 
• Certified Coding Associate (CCA) 

Difference in benefits 

Both medical coding and medical billing services have different sorts of advantages for a medical practice: 

Benefits of Medical Coding Services

The process of medical coding is very similar to the process of translation. The job of the coders is to get information from physicians and transcribe all the doctor's diagnosis, prescriptions, procedures that the doctor or medical practice provided patients into different codes. These codes are a crucial part of billing a claim. Here are the advantages of medical coding services 

• Fewer denials
• Cleaner claims
• Increases  accuracy by 98%
• Avoid the costs of back billing
• Decreased accounts receivable days
• Ability to generate customer-specific reports

Benefits of Medical Billing Services

With the advancement and new facilities, most healthcare facilities now know that medical billing services can decrease costs and increase the collection rate because of an EHR system and other software solutions. Here are some of the benefits that outsourcing of medical billing services provide: 

• Increased efficiency
• Healthier cash flow
• Faster claims processing
• Higher revenue generation
• Decreased overhead costs 
• More time to focus on patient care
• Avoid negotiations with payers and insurers

Choose UControl Billing for Medical Billing & Medical Coding Services

We recommend UControl medical billing because it is a reliable company that ensures that all claims are submitted on time and with accurate codes and information. Their expert medical billing and coding team knows the importance of accurate and error-free claims. This implies that they will experience fewer delays and denials, and your practice's revenue would also increase! If you want to know more about this organization, please visit their website!