Hiring the right medical coder is not something that you should take lightly. Medical coders will translate provider services and procedures into proper codes to obtain appropriate reimbursement. The coders will also be a key player when it comes to staying on top of regulations.
This article gives you a list of steps that can help you hire the right coders for your medical coding services.
- Define Your Needs
Before you hire the right coders, you must first identify your healthcare needs. You should come up with a detailed job description that includes the general and specific skills that pertain to your practice. Remember that coders have their own specialty and a coder with experience in your practice’s specialty is familiar with the specifics of that field.
- Look in the Best Places
Once you have defined your needs, the next thing is to advertise the open position. There are various options; you can notify local colleges or post the position on professional job search websites. You can also evaluate the existing staff to find out if any of them possess the necessary coding knowledge to fill the position, or you can offer training to your in-house candidate to fill the vacancy.
- Don’tDisregard New Coders
Local colleges which offer medical coding and billing degrees are an excellent source of qualified coders. Mostpractices are hesitant about hiring new graduates because they lack experience. However, candidates who have just graduated are still willing to learn and have the basics fresh in their minds. Remember, every coder started from somewhere.
- Ask the Right Questions
The next thing is to interview potential candidates. Ask questions to determine coding knowledge and experience, assess complementary skills, and ascertain whether each candidate is fit for the position. Here are some of the questions you should ask your candidates.
- Are they familiar with private payer regulations?
- How do they stay up-to-date on policy and code changes?
- What procedures have they most often coded?
- How many charts can they code in a day?
- What is their average coding accuracy percentage?
- Give the CandidatesSome Tests
To measure your candidate’s actual ability to code in real-life cases, administer a coding test. The test can be a short quiz mainly focusing on the type of cases seen more often in your area of practice. This will help you to determine the areas the candidates are perfect and where they need extra training in case you hire them. You can also create a 10-question quiz that incorporates ICD-9, HCPCS, and CPT coding. Include some scenarios common in your practice as well as some few complex questions that will test the candidates’ knowledge of various topics within the coding.
- Verify Credentials
Coding certifications usually have a positive impact on a coder’s resume. Therefore,it’s always a good idea to verify the candidate’s certification claims. Ask potential candidates for their membership or certification number. Once you have done that, check the certifying body’s website to verify if the candidate’s certification is legitimate.
