Medical Coding Role in Healthcare System

In the framework of coding and billing prospects, it is possible to point out a series of trends that are likely to influence these fields in the nearest future. It is necessary to note that the majority of transformations that take place in the relevant field are connected with the progress in the technology and innovation market. Therefore, the development of new computer systems and software performs a significant contribution to the solutions of the most critical problems.Medical Coding Role in Healthcare System

First, and foremost, it is essential to focus on the changes implemented in the code set of the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology. Although this set has already overcome significant transformations within the past decade, it seems that the reformation progress is still in progress. According to the experts’ assumptions, more than thirty-five new codes in the oncology field are likely to be introduced next year. Meanwhile, the changes in this sphere are not an innovation, and the medical workers have already managed to get used to them. The idea of pairing codes has been widely discussed by various health care organizations. For instance, the American Medical Association’s Relativity Assessment Workshop put a request for uniting codes in groups of two and three last year (Hoyt and Yoshihashi, 107). The relevant change is supposed to have positive outcomes as it simplifies the set of codes, by uniting them in groups.Medical Coding Role in Healthcare System

Secondly, the transition from the ICD-9 to the ICD-10 coding system is also apt to have a positive impact on the healthcare field in general. Some organizations currently report the shortage of high-quality professionals in the coding field. The ICD-10 coding system is specifically designed to eliminate the biases and discrepancies that exist in the system, making it more systematic and consistent. Therefore, many specialists believe that the employment opportunities in the relevant field can grow significantly due to the switch from the ICD-9 to the ICD-10 (Beik, 82). However, this switch will touch upon not only employees but all the groups of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, payers, software vendors, and third-party billing services.