There are a few primary differences between medical billing and coding and health information management.
Those who work in medical billing and coding, who may be referred to as medical records specialists, play a key role in the healthcare revenue cycle, ensuring Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are assembled accurately and entered into health information systems properly. They communicate with healthcare staff, insurance companies, and patients to best represent services provided (coding) and secure payment for those services (billers).
Health Information Management professionals (sometimes referred to as Health Information Technology – HIT) are responsible for maintaining, analyzing, and optimizing these systems. Their role is more on the backend, emphasizing informatics and Information Technology (IT). These professionals create, manage, and analyze the systems billers and coders rely on to maintain the Electronic Health Record (EHR). They can also play a wider role in data analysis, management, protection, and administration of patient health information.
Learn more about the differences between billing and coding and health information management
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.