Certificate programs for those interested in working in the billing and coding field will includes a one year program that can be found through vocational schools, online universities or community colleges. The medical coding classes included can vary depending on the institution and the billing and coding organization they are accredited by. Here we will take a look at the medical billing and coding classes involved and the clinical programs offered.

Core Classes for the Medical Coder for Certificate Programs

These certificate programs will provide a student with the overall understanding of the duties they can expect to perform when working in a medical facility. The student will learn how to schedule appointments, transcribe medical records and physician orders, bill patients and how to correspond with medical personnel and insurance companies.

Classes offered in this type of program will cover such topics as medical procedures, terminology used in the medical field, intro to health management, ICD coding systems, basic principles of disease, anatomy, physiology, ambulatory coding systems, advanced coding systems, physician coding and professional practice experience.

In these classes the student will learn how they can transform a medical procedure and treatments provided into shorthand code that is used to communicate with insurance carriers for record keeping and billing purposes. They will also learn about different coding technologies, keyboarding and software programs commonly used in this field. These programs are designed to prepare the student for entry level positions in a variety of medical facilities and will also prepare the student to take the certified professional coder exam once the program has been completed.

How These Programs Work: How to Know They’re Accredited

You can choose to enroll in an online program, in-class program or a blended program.  There are several online programs for medical billing available; however, the student will need to ensure the program is accredited by the AAPC prior to making an academic commitment. Some of these programs will advertise these classes as a way to interest individuals that want to work from home. Ten years ago it was common for medical billers and coders to work from a home office, however these days it’s almost impossible to find a medical facility that will hire off site coders.

Be wary of coder courses that focus their program advertisement as a way to be self-employed, these schools usually do not offer accredited AAPC programs, meaning you could waste a couple of thousand dollars on an education that will not qualify you for the field.

An easy way to ensure a program teaches an approved coding course is to check the AAPC’s website where you’ll find listings of accredited programs by state or learning institution.

A medical coding specialist will review and read medical documentation that’s provided by doctors or other health care professionals in order to learn detailed information regarding their injury, disease, medical procedures and surgical operations.  The detailed information is then translated into a code used from manuals such as the ICD9.

Specialist Work Environment

Using a coding manual the medical coder specialist will need to be sure to use correct code selections for compliance with the insurance carriers and federal regulation requirements. The medical codes used are for reimbursement purposes for the medical facility’s and physician’s claims for Medicaid and Medicare insurance payments.  The information that’s gathered by the coder is used in order to prepare statistical reports that are used by hospital administrators for marketing, planning and other management purposes. State and federal governments will also use this type of information in order to identify health care concerns that are critical to the public as a whole. Coders will need to know about the medical and business side of health care is essential in this field of health information management.  

A specialist will work in surgery centers, hospitals, clinics, home health care agencies, consulting firms, dental offices, government agencies and long term care facilities.  A specialist will typically work under the supervision of the chief financial officer or the health information manager.

Education Requirements for the Specialist Field
Students those students that are interested in a career in the medical coding field will need to take courses in high school for biology, algebra, data processing, English, computer skills, and typing. After graduating high school the student can enroll in a certificate program or enroll in an associate’s degree program.  To earn certification you will need to pass the exam that’s offered by the American Health Information Management Association of the AAPC, also known as the American Academy of Professional Coders.

The majority of specialists will work in an office building or in the back administrative offices of a hospital or other type of medical facilities. The coding specialist will spend several hours analyzing coding patient’s charts. They will also devote a significant amount of time on their computers working with medical coding software programs, electronic health records and other types of applications. In order to resolve diagnostic questions the coding specialist will use codebooks like the ICD9 or the ICD10. A coder will primarily work by themselves but may need to clarify services provided with the attending physician or supervisor. The specialist will work full-time at forty to fifty hours a week. When working in an in-patient setting the specialist will sometimes work evenings and overnight shifts.

Certification for this profession is voluntary but is worth pursuing.  Applicants with AAPC or AHIMA credentials are highly preferred by potential employers and will typically earn more than those that have no certification. The APPC estimates that specialists who hold certification as a coding specialist can earn 30% more than those that have no certification. This type of AAPC certification will also require a mandatory amount of CEC.