Medical Coding Books

No matter what type of education you pursue, one of highest expenses related to getting an education is the cost of books. Medical coding books are no exception. However, most of the books you'll purchase for training will be the same books used daily in your work as a medical coder.

Building Your Reference Library of Medical Coding Books

While there are hundreds of medical coding on the market, there are some books which are considered to be absolutely necessary for your reference library. Here are some of the reference books considered vital to the profession of medical coding:

• CPT books provide the language and terminology to describe current procedural terminology.
• ICD – 9 – CM books provide the necessary codes describing patient diagnosis.
• HCPCS texts provide code changes, deleted codes, modified codes and new codes.
• HIPPA (Health Information Portability and Privacy Act) texts provide information about maintaining the confidentiality of the patient's record while also describing what and how various parts of the medical record can be shared for the purposes of billing, research and ongoing health care to the patient.
• DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) provides the coding required by Medicare for reimbursement.

These are general descriptions of the books used by medical coders but depending on the setting in which you work such as a hospital or physician's office or the specialty area of health care then you will find reference books for medical coding pertinent to those areas.

Medical coding books range in price from $75 - $125. Some professional associations offer discounted rates for members and some used texts can be found at online book sale sites.

Though computers have provided an excellent means of medical coding, there is still a high reliance on medical coding books. Just as most businesses keep back up copies of their electronic records, most medical coders consider books to be their back up reference to coding software as codes are sometimes wrongfully imputed or outdated in the software.

The cost of medical coding books is steep but each book you purchase is an investment in your education and career.

Medical Coding Nexus, conceptualized in Feb, 2005, is an online portal which provides up-to-date, pertinent information about medical coding and billing. Copyright @2005 Honlyn Limited All Rights Reserved

In no event shall Medical Coding Nexus be liable to anyone for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions with respect to the information for any damage arising therefrom or occasioned thereby, or for the results obtained from the use of the information. By accessing this site , you are agreeing to the terms of use .