Medical coders, billers and transcribers are vital pegs in the health care sector. If you plan to enter the healthcare sector, the first thing that you need to do is understand who does what and what their responsibilities entail. Here we take a look at the three key players:

Medical coders: The job of a medical coder is to classify patient records by translating written information from charts and notes into specific numeric codes. Medical coders work in a variety of places including hospitals, clinics, dental offices, long-term care facilities, third-party medical billing services, government agencies, insurance companies and the like.

Medical billers: Just like medical coders, medical billers work in a variety of settings - be it doctors' offices, hospitals, and the like. They are responsible for submitting claims to insurance companies like Medicare, Medicaid and in some cases, patients themselves on behalf of their employers. They must be detail-oriented and accurate in their task and must be familiar with HIPAA.

Medical transcribers: Medical transcribers are key players in the healthcare industry; they transcribe medical records dictated by doctors, psychologists and other medical professionals. Just like medical coders, transcribers should be well-equipped in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. They should possess sound knowledge of computer systems with a high level of accuracy. Medical transcribers can start off from a healthcare setting and after several years of experience can go on to start their own transcription business.

Once you set your foot in the medical coding world, you'll do well to go for a medical coding guide. There are various types of medical coding guides available - both online and offline. You can even choose to register yourself for a one-stop medical coding website which comes stocked with medical coding articles that'll help you in giving the right direction to your career in the healthcare sector.