The medical coding industry goes through rapid changes round the year. A lot of procedure and diagnosis codes get changed or modified, which usually get announced in the month of January every year. As a medical coder, you are expected to understand well the CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS codes. At the same time, you have to comply with the federal and payer guidelines to stay away from fraud allegations. To drive in the reimbursement for your office without calling falling prey to compliance issues, stay alert at all times.

Compliance traps are many and to ensure you don't fall into any of them, follow these medical coding study [http://www.codingcert.com/] guidelines in all your claims:

• Neither overcode nor undercode. Undercoding strips your office of its rightly-deserved reimbursement, and overcoding amounts to committing fraud. Get a firm knowledge of medical procedures, diagnoses and terminology to ensure you code correctly.

• Get the updates for your specialty at the right time. Without them, you're likely to get the codes wrong.

• Mistakes are common, but can be avoided if you develop careful observation.

• Learn how the payers handle the codes. It'll help you use more specific codes and get closer to the point.

• If you are not aware of the narrative descriptions in the CPT - locate them at the back of the CPT. Keen observation skills once again!

• Go through whatever resources you have. You'll see there's a sharp rise in the reimbursements for your office.

These medical coding [http://www.codingcert.com/] study guidelines prove their worth with you gaining a deeper understanding of the subject. If you're an experienced coder and wish to improve your earning potential, and at the same time, demonstrate high accuracy - go for a certification program or even a training camp designed to help you pass the CPC exam easily.