While medical billing and coding certification is not state required in order to enter the profession, earning the medical billing and coding certification will provide you with the basic credentials that a potential employer will want for entry-level positions. To earn certification as a billing specialist you will need to complete a certificate or degree program and take the exam through professional associations such as the AHIMA or the AAPC.
The Significance of Certification
Although it isn’t necessary to obtain certification to land employment in this field, it will greatly increase your chances of landing a job. The employer will prefer an applicant who can provide proof that they have specific knowledge and skills that are crucial to working in this part of the health care field.
While a medical biller is not required to earn a degree prior to taking the certification exam, the programs are designed to not only provide hands on experience through clinical work in a medical setting, but they also cover extensive courses that train students on the material that’s covered in the certification exam. By having completed a certificate program or obtained a degree, you will show a potential employer that you possess a broader knowledge of the field in comparison to those applicants that have no formal training.
Coursework for Certification Programs
When choosing an accredited program, you should look for one that teaches basic and advanced courses in coding and features up-to-date billing and coding software program training. A course will teach students how to use the international classification of diseases manual, also referred to as the ICD9 coding book. This manual is periodically updated to incorporate advances in medical procedures. A new manual is scheduled to be released in the next year so students should find a program that teaches coding procedures for both the ICD9 and the ICD10. This type of program will give the student an advantage over those that have no formal training for the newer procedure manual.
The AAPC, AHIMA and the AMBA can offer the best medical billing and coding accredited programs that offer both certificate and associate programs online or in-class.
The certification exam will consist of 200 multiple choice questions, with students having two hours to complete the test. Should a student fail to pass the exam they will have a chance to retake it within a year’s time, free of charge. To maintain licensure the medical billing specialist will be required to earn a total of thirty six hours of continuing education credits to qualify for certification renewal every two years. CE credits can be earned by enrolling in an online or in-class study course or by taking AAPC approved exams through their website.
