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.

Medical billing and coding online schools offer certificate or associate degree programs that can take one to two years to complete. You can find programs that are accredited through AAPC through online universities such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University of Everest College. These online colleges feature low monthly payment plans of 65$ a month for a total of two years.

How Online Programs Work

You can sign up for a program online and will need to meet the minimum requirements of a high school diploma or GED. To begin your education you will need to wait one to two weeks for the ICD9 manual and other study materials to arrive in the mail. Once you’ve received these materials you can begin right away by logging onto the schools website, checking the syllabus and finding out which section to begin with. After you have completed each section you’re required to take a section exam. This is done from the study manual with the student filling out answer sheets that are provided by the school. The student will then need to mail in the completed test sheet and can expect to see test results online within a week. For final exams, this is done online and open book. The study materials included involve the ICD9 manual, anatomy flashcards, a medical coding software program, test sheets and a study guide for the assigned section.  

You can go at your own pace to complete one of these programs, however, some schools will give the student a sixty day requirement per section and will charge a fee should the student turn their work in late.

After you have completed a medical billing and coding online schools program you can find local testing centers that will administer certification exams, through your online school.

Required Continuing Education Courses and Alternatives for Medical Billers and Coders

As a CPC you will be required to earn thirty six hours of continuing education in order to qualify for license renewal every two years. To earn these required hours you can enroll in online courses through the university you’ve graduated from and receive a significant discount or they may even offer free exams or classes that will count towards the required hours.

To earn hours a professional can choose to take the online training courses or they can attend conferences or workshops related to the medical coding and billing profession.  Specific guidelines for the required amount of hours can differ depending on which organization you go through to obtain your certification.  To count towards the mandatory hours the hours of continuing education will need to be relevant towards the specific credentials that are being maintained. When the CPC attends lectures, seminars and workshops they will need to have signed proof of attendance.