If you’re interested in pursuing a job in medical administration, you will likely have to answer one or more questions about medical coding. Medical coding is a specialized skill that enables medical administrators to properly sort medical records and communicate with physicians, insurers and patients about the status of their medical bills. It is important to prepare for medical coding interview questions before attending an interview so that you can properly demonstrate your professional expertise and aptitude for medical coding tasks.In this article, we provide a range of medical coding interview questions that you might encounter during an interview plus sample answers that you can use as a guide when preparing your own responses.
E/M coder interview questions and answers 2019.(Evaluation and management)
How do you move forward after a claim denial?
Insurers and doctors may deny medical claims, which you will then have to communicate in a patients file and proceed with billing. This question allows you to explain best practices for helping a patient deal with a denied claim so they can pay their medical bills or proceed with treatment.
Example: “I make sure to find out the reason an insurer or doctor denied a claim, noting it in the patients file. If they believe it is an error or want to dispute the denial, I approach the doctor or insurer directly and ask them to explain the specific policy that led to a denial, then communicate with the patient accordingly.”
In what medical specialties do you have experience coding?
Various medical specialties have different sets of code they work with. Be honest and upfront about the type of coding you have done in the past and your interest in learning different specialties in the future.
Example: “My main experience is in radiology, toxicology and emergency medicine from my time as a medical biller at a local hospital. I am a fast learner and look forward to putting my knowledge of other coding specialties into practice at this clinic.”
How do you determine your priorities when entering billing codes for patients?
Patients rely on efficient medical coding to get their medications on time and pay their medical bills to continue treatment. Your medical coding skills should include the ability to prioritize tasks based on their importance, keeping key deadlines in mind.
Example: “Before performing my data entry each day I scan patient files for any urgent billing needs, such as approving a patients prescription medication coverage so they can proceed with treatment. After that, I address the oldest files first to ensure that patients do not have long wait times as a barrier to receiving care.”
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The answer to the first question is probably ‘yes’. Use of level 4 and 5 codes increased more than 25% in the decade when EMRs went mainstream. We documented more, we billed what we documented, and – ta da – an unintended consequence of EMRs came to be.
Best medical coder interview questions
This section covers frequently asked medical coder interview questions and answers. These questions will be useful for candidates applying for the position of a medical coder, clinical coder, clinical coder officer, diagnostic coder, or medical record technician. Both experienced and fresher medical coders will find this section useful.
1. What is medical coding?
Rationale: The interviewer wants to understand your views on the subject)
Sample Answer: Medical coding or clinical coding is the profession of analyzing a patient clinical statement and translates them into standard codes specified in the classification system. Insurance companies use the translated document to process and reimburse their claims. Government, health care organizations, and research organizations use the data for studies and research.
2. What are skills do you think a medical coder must possess?
Rationale: Medical coding is a specialized field requiring candidates to have a strong educational background, understand medical terminology, and with the required drive to perform their assigned tasks accurately and diligently.
Sample Answer: The main skills a medical coder should possess are,
3. What are the different phrases used in clinical coding?
Rationale: The interviewer will want to know if the applicant is aware of the jargon used in their work
Sample Answer: There are three main phases of clinical coding,
Medical coders should be able to answer the next three questions question easily. You are judged on how quickly and accurately you respond to the questions. It will give the interviewer an idea about your level of training and how much training is required.
4. What do you know about ICD codes?
Sample Answer: ICD code or International statistical classification of disease is a system of codes that was established by the WHO to describe the causes of injury, illness, and deaths. ICD codes are 5-7 character alphanumeric codes beginning with an alpha character. The ICD has two components:-
5. What are HCPS codes?
Sample Answer: HPCS or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System has three levels,
6. When are HPCS modifiers used?
Sample Answer: HPCS modifiers are used by coders when we want to provide extra information about a service or procedure performed on a patient. We use the codes to specify.
7. What are DRG codes?
Sample Answer: DRG codes stand for Diagnostic related groups. This system classifies hospital cases into 500 set groups. DRG codes are used only for inpatient claims from the time of admission to the time of discharge. Many insurance companies pay only according to these classifications, and the coder needs to get it right.
8. How is Medical Coding used in the practical world?
Rationale: The interviewer assesses your ability to translate your knowledge into a practical scenario
Sample Answer: Medical coding has several real-world applications. The code has a financial aspect and helps to collect data for the WHO and governments to run programs to tackle different medical conditions. We use medical coding in,
9. What are some guidelines and tips you will give to a new medical coder who comes to work under you?
Rationale: The organization expects an experienced coder to train a fresher, the question helps the interviewer the coder communication skill and their ability to transfer knowledge effectively
Sample Answer: Some tips and guidelines to work on a medical code assignment are,
10. What medical code sets are you familiar with and trained to use?
Rationale: The question lets the interviewer what terminology you are familiar with using medical codes or whether you will require extra training.
Sample Answer: I am familiar with the CPT and HPCS and have used these codes in the past. I am currently working on CPT.
Medical coder interview questions
Medical coders are responsible for translating physician reports into useful medical codes or the universal codes used by insurance companies.
Coders translate all the information present in a patient medical file – diagnosis, treatment, to the supplies used. They include any unusual procedures done during a patient visit or treatment.
Medical coders must code all the relevant information. After a patient is treated or examined by doctors, the insurance company will require exact data to process the claim. Medical coders pass the information to the insurance companies methodically and precisely.
It is vital to be well prepared for a medical coder interview and exhibit your knowledge and aptitude for medical coding. We have compiled some common medical coder interview questions and answers in this article.
FAQ
What type of coding questions are asked in an interview?
- How can you find the first non-repeated character in a word?
- How can you remove duplicates from arrays?
- How can we check if a number is a prime number?
- How can you check if strings contain only digits?
How do you approach a coding interview questions?
- Visualize the problem by drawing it out …
- Think about how you would solve the problem by hand …
- Come up with more examples …
- Break the question down into smaller independent parts …
- Apply common data structures and algorithms at the problem
Are Coding Interview Questions hard?
