Interview questions for Medical billing Coding

An Overview

As the healthcare industry moves toward electronic health records over the next five years and starts recruiting for HITECH, billing will need to keep up, so be ready to discuss your experience with electronic medical records (EMRs) or electronic health records (EHRs). “If [you’ve] worked on paper and electronic claims, that’s ideal,” Crawford says. Medical Coding is a specialized language for the medical and insurance industries. Medical coding is transformation of health care diagnosis, procedures, medical services and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. The diagnosis and procedure codes are taken from medical record documentation . It includes patient’s condition, doctor’s diagnosis , prescription and turn that into a set of codes which make up a crucial part of the medical claim.

1. What Are Medical Billing Codes?

Medical billers take the coded medical record, and bill the insurance company. Medical billers work in doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals. It is possible for a medical biller to work at home as well. If you enjoy working in front of a computer, data entry, and keeping up with the latest health insurance rules and regulations, then this would be a great career choice for you.

2. What have you learned from mistakes on the coding specialist job?

Candidates without specific examples often do not seem credible. However, the example shared should be fairly inconsequential, unintentional, and a learned lesson should be gleaned from it. Moving ahead without group assistance while assigned to a group project meant to be collaborative is a good example.

3. What Is Medical Billing Code 045.00?

ICD 9 Cm Code 045.00- Acute paralytic poliomyelitis specified as bulbar, poliovirus, unspecified type.

4. In Medical Terms, Which Is More Serious: A Code Red Or A Code Blue?

There are no standard definitions or conventions for the use of “Code” designations. While “Code blue” does refer to a cardiopulmonary arrest at many hospitals, it doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing everywhere.

5. Describe a typical work week for coding specialist position?

Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions. It should be obvious that it’s not a good idea talk about non-work related activities that you do on company time, but, I’ve had applicants tell me how they are often late because they have to drive a child to school or like to take a long lunch break to work at the gym. Keep your answers focused on work and show the interviewer that you’re organized.

6. What Is Icd-10-am, Achi And Acs?

a. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for worldwide use in translating the narrative descriptions of diseases, injuries and procedures contained in medical records into alphanumeric codes
b.  In Australia the classification system is ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS (International Classification of Diseases 10th revision Australian Modification Australian Classification of Health Interventions and Australian Coding Standards)
c. The National Casemix and Classification Centre (NCCC) is the Australian body which prepares, updates and publishes new editions of the coding volumes in book and electronic format.

7. What coding certifications do you have?

A certified medical coder will have a greater level of expertise than a non-certified coder and will be a greater asset to your practice. Certification courses also train prospective coders in specific types of medical coding, such as inpatient versus outpatient coding.

“I’m currently a Certified Outpatient and Risk Adjustment Coder and am currently taking a qualification course to become inpatient certified. Whenever I can, I take qualification courses to increase the breadth of my knowledge.”

8. What Is A Clinical Coder?

Clinical coders convert information from a patient’s medical record into alphanumerical codes according to a health classification system. The health classification system used in Australia is the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), the Australian Classification of Health Interventions (ACHI) and the Australian Coding Standards (ACS). These codes form part of a data collection that is used for research, funding and health care planning. The use of a classification system makes it easier to store, retrieve and analyse data.

9. What medical code sets are you familiar with and trained to use?

You will want to check if the applicant is familiar with the particular codes for the medical services used at your practice. While all health care providers use CPT codes to report medical, surgical and other physician services and experienced coders should be well versed in these, not all medical coders will be familiar with HCPCS Level 1 codes as those are only used for medical equipment or non-physician services.

“I’m very familiar with CPT and HCPCS Level 1 codes, having used them during the past few years at my last employer. I’m currently training for the CPC-A Practicum so that I can learn how to code ICD-9 as well.”

10. What Are The Types Of Medical Billing Coding Systems Specific To Healthcare?

o Diagnostic codes,
o Pharmaceutical codes,
o Topographical codes
Are types of medical coding. Diagnostic codes are used to determine decease, pharmaceutical codes are used for identifying medicines. Medical coders will convert the notes of physician into appropriate codes.

11. Define Write-off In Medical Billing?

Write off is the difference between total charge and the allowable amount by the insurance. Write off is the difference between total charge and the allowable amount by the insurance.

12. Did the salary we offer attract you to this coding specialist job?

The interviewer could be asking you this question for a number of reasons. Obviously, the salary is an important factor to your interest in this job, but it should not be the overriding reason for your interest. A good answer to this question is, “The salary was very attractive, but the job itself is what was most attractive to me.