Business Office Management and Technology - Medical Records, AAS

A person who works with medical records is responsible for assembling patients’ health information. A medical records employee must ensure all forms are present, properly identified, and signed; the also ensure all necessary information is on a computer file. A medical records technician assigns a code to each diagnosis and procedure, consults a classification manual, and relies on knowledge of disease processes. A technician then uses a software program to assign the patient to one of several hundred “diagnosis-related groups.” This determines the amount of reimbursement to the doctor/hospital if the patient is covered by Medicare or other insurance programs. A technician who specializes in coding is called a health information coder, medical recorder, or coding specialist. NOTE: This program is not designed to meet all of the requirements for accreditation, licensure, and certification for Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), or other medical accrediting agencies.