Even in recession, medical coders are in demand

McClatchy Newspapers

MIAMI — Throughout the Great Recession, health care has been one of the few areas of the economy to continue creating jobs.

Nurses. Physicians’ assistants. Ultrasound technicians. Surgical technologists. Nurse’s aides. All have had openings, and all entail working directly with patients.

What if you want to ride the health-care growth train but are more comfortable in an office than an operating room?

Health-information management might be for you, and a job as a medical coder might be the place to start.

Medical coders serve as a bridge between doctors and insurance companies. Typically, they read the doctor’s notes and other medical records and translate the diagnosis and services such as exams, operations and X-rays into a standard form that insurance companies recognize. As such, coders play a crucial role in making sure doctors and other health professionals get paid for their services.

In fact, coder William Levine recalls that when a hospital he worked for decided to cut staff, his department was spared.

His explanation: “The bills don’t drop until we code them.”

Coders work the other side of the street, too, reviewing doctors’ payment requests for insurance companies.

Some in the field do only coding, and others take on additional tasks in a doctor’s office or other medical business. Even with formal training, many coders start out at a small medical practice or in a noncoding job because bigger employers consider some experience essential.

Perhaps as a result, starting wages are only $10 to $11 an hour, but experienced workers average closer to $18, according to state statistics.

Working as a coder requires attention to detail, a knack for researching and analyzing information and a willingness to adapt to the fast-changing world of health care.

Some coders learn entirely on the job, though others take classes. Levine completed a 26-credit certificate at Palm Beach Community College.

Selwyn Brathwaite hopes to combine what he’s learning in the Miami Dade College associate’s degree program with his experience as a computer programmer to capitalize on opportunities in the national push to computerize health records, which the federal government is helping to fund.