June 10th, 2010 
Health Guardz 
What is written in my medical records?
Have you ever left a doctor’s office or hospital with unanswered questions about your health condition or medical treatment? Given our current health care system, in which most doctors or medical providers spend only a few minutes with their patients, it is not uncommon for the patients themselves to have little or no information regarding their own healthcare.
While the health care provider may not provide much information directly to the patient, the patient’s medical record often contains important information regarding the patient’s health. When it comes to ensuring you are receiving the best medical care possible, obtaining copies of your medical records is a terrific way to meet this goal.
Why is having a copy of your medical records important?
Most people have more than one doctor involved in their health care. While your primary care physician usually acts as the manager of your health care, often your specialist physicians do not communicate with each other or do not receive important information about your medical history. Lack of communication between your physicians can lead to mistakes and problems. One of the best ways to avoid problems and to ensure that all of your medical providers have the information they need about your medical history is to keep copies of your own medical records and bring them with you to medical appointments. This doesn’t mean you need to carry around stacks and stacks of medical records. However, it is suggested you have your most up-to-date medical records with you at your medical appointments. It is not safe to assume that your specialist physicians, such as cardiologist, orthopedists and endocrinologist, have seen your medical records or have all the information they need regarding your health.
How do you obtain copies of your medical records?
You ask! The simplest way to obtain copies of your medical records is to ask your doctor’s office for copies following each appointment. Even if they are not immediately available, you should request your records or test results be mailed to you as soon as they become available. You will be required to confirm your request for records in writing and sign such request.
The laws in New York State allow a patient to request their own medical records from any medical provider or health facility. For example, the “Patient’s Bill of Rights” allows a patient to review their own hospital medical record without charge and to also obtain a copy of such records for a reasonable fee. The hospital is not permitted to deny you a copy of your medical records just because you cannot afford to pay the charged fee.
Other “qualified persons” can also gain access to medical records and obtain copies if requested. Such “qualified persons” include parents of minor children, attorneys, holders of health care proxies for living people and distributees of a deceased family member.
Did the doctor of hospital give me the records I asked for?
The quick answer is maybe, or maybe not. In the “old” days, medical records were kept in actual medical charts, on real paper, and were stored on shelves. However, those days are gone. You have probably noticed that many doctor’s offices and hospitals have computers, which the doctors, nurses and receptionists use to record everything that occurs during your doctor’s appointment or hospital stay. Many times the record or note of your medical appointment is only available on a computer system and is never printed off and placed in your “paper” medical chart. While computers have aided the medical community in sharing information about patient such as you, often times medical providers don’t know where to look for a patient’s medical records. One doctor may only look at the computer records and not the paper medical chart itself, when there could be valuable information found only in the paper chart, and not on the computer, or vice versa.
That is why it is very important that when you request to view or copy your medical records, you also request copies of any computer or electronically stored materials that relate to your health. For example, laboratory test results or radiology reports may only be available by searching a computer database, and not recorded in the paper chart, so you want to make sure to specifically request all records, not just those that are contained within your “paper” medical chart.
“Cheat Sheet” for your health
It seems like everyone today has a Blackberry®, IPhone® or at least a computer they use everyday. Why not create a “cheat sheet” of your medical information for quick use at medical appointments or in case of a medical emergency? It can be as simple as a list of what medications you are currently taking (including dosage and frequency) and the name, address and phone number of all of your current treating physicians. You may also want to include your health insurance plan information and the name and contact information of your heath care proxy, if you have one.
With your “cheat sheet” available, you can have confidence that your medical providers will have basic up-to-date information at each appointment. You can even provide the nurse or doctor with a copy of your “cheat sheet” to save time and ensure accuracy.
Watch the video related to medical records
you’re breakin in so late that no one sees or so you think all you wanna do is street fight a pair of coin inserts are glowin’ red like demon’s eyes do you got a pair to insert all you wanna do is street fight in the corner hidden with a warning sign fighting is forbidden playing is a crime our machine is broken so don’t pay the price it takes more than your token do you really wanna street fight i heard eleven played and every one disappeared and since it happened the arcade paused it for 17 years vega ken dhalsim ehonda sagat bison zangief and blanka balrog guile and ryu your just a child and now you too if your lookin’ for a fight then you come to the right place make a new name now your old one’s erased enter your age and your weight your height (medical records and your blood type) the arcade at night is a stage where you’ll have to fight you think you hear a sound comin’ from the street or is it just the pound of your heartbeat (beat) when you turn around the sight that takes your breath at the door is a silhouette now you’re gonna have to street fight
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The main objective of medical billing and coding training is to prepare yourself for getting employment in healthcare and insurance facilities with an emphasis on insurance billing, coding, medical records, and administrative front office responsibilities. Usually students of these programs get trained in using Medisoft software, ICD-9 and CPT books, as well as the Microsoft Office Suite products. Regarding job opportunities there are quite enough opportunities out there. Most of the training firms like http://www.mticollege.edu/medical_bc_specialist.html provide placement assistance too.
Above all you should look for cheap.
Medical Coding/Billing is a minimum wage kind of job. Don't go into student loan debt.
I teach Billing and Coding and can tell you that there are many skills which will over lap our Billing and Coding Specialist focus more on transcribing and using ICD-9 and CPt codes to develop billing plans and superbills. Medical Insurance Specialists work more in the end product dealing with doctor's offices and insurance companies while the billing and coding folks work as a step between the patient care and billing. However with your background you would probably still be eligible to take the NCCT certification for Billing and Coding and become a certified Billing and Coding Specialist opening up more jobs for you.
A biller deals at the front office with the patients directly, you need excellent communication skills to deal with people who are more often than not unhappy with the charges and rebates their health fund gives them. You process accounts, and health fund claims and take payments. Most insurance claims are done electronically at point of service.
A coder has to put the treatment/procedure into code and send the data to the relevant department, medicare etc. You work independently and have no dealings with the general public.
I worked in a medical centre, we had a small day hospital. I had a huge manual to help with the hospital coding. Everything had to be accurate. The data had to to sent directly to medicare. A coder is totally different to a biller in my experience.
For the most part medical billing and coding clerks in Southern MS make around $20,000 per year, some as low as $12,000 per year, and a few higher. Don't be mislead by the hype on the internet about people making upto $40,000 a year at home.
First HIPPA has made transmission of the information much more difficult, and many clinics do not want to deal with those issues. Secondly, you have to set up a dedicated office in your home (not used for any other purpose, and secure from your family for patient confidentiality) to use as a HIPPA approved billing office. Then most of the agencys that profess to help you set up home billing and coding charge $15,000 or more and there is no guarantee you will ever get a client.
It is in your best interest to work in an established office when you first get out of school. If, after you have gotten some experience, and have contacts in the local medical community, you might consider investigating whether any of them would consider using you in a home based capacity.
I will tell you, I have always hired people I knew to do my billing and coding, and usually trained my front office people and hired new people to replace the reception staff.
You'll be able to get office work in a medical setting. Either in hospitals or doctor's offices. If you like desk work/computer entry, and possibly calling insurance companies, it would be good work to have as your "day job"
I don't know of too many reputable schools that promise work after you graduate so I'm sure U.S. Career does not promise a job. It looks like from their website that they offer accredited training in many fields.
I find it interesting that you don't have enough "time or patients for stupidity" but enough time to spout off without facts. . . If you did some research you would already know that Medical Billing has been done from home for years and Medical Coding (yes a separate skill set) is usually done in office. . . just saying.
Happy trails!
Just a word to the wise that there aren't supposed to be too many jobs for the medical assistant or medical biller or coder despite what those private $$ tech schools proclaim. The field is saturated with graduates of both fields and with medical billing, a lot of companies are outsourcing to Asia/India which is exactly what happened to my cousin who was laid off from her billing job of five years.
I believe that the MOS essentially learns what a medical office assistant does with a similar (or same) curriculum, most likely, consisting of similar topics of clinical MA though without learning hands-on technique for giving injections, performing EKGs (electrocardiograms) tests, drawing blood (phlebotomy) and such. The MOS probably learns the very basics of medical billing and billing as well as medical transcription, making appointments and other office procedures.
If still intested in training, please consider the more affordable county vo-tech school or community college as long as it's accredited within the industry.