Medical Biller & Coder Career Overview

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The medical billing and coding field is a highly specialized field suitable for those who wish to have a fulfilling career in healthcare but don’t necessarily want to engage in activities that require dealing with and taking care of patients in a direct manner.

As with most fields in healthcare, being a medical biller and coder requires utmost accuracy. On the whole, the job is mainly geared towards ensuring the proper recording of patients’ health services, diagnoses, and clinical procedures.

Another closely related but slightly different field to medical billing and coding is the health information technician field. While health information technicians do often take on the tasks of medical billing and coding, they also perform additional functions which are not necessarily part of a medical biller and coder’s area of expertise.

Medical Billing and Coding Duties

It is the job of a medical biller and coder to carefully perform the following functions:

  • Organize and update patient information in appropriate clinical registries and database

  • Record key data for future retrieval and analysis

  • Employ the appropriate classification systems regarding codes for patient data analysis

  • Review clinical recording for absolute accuracy and completeness

As mentioned earlier, being in the medical billing and coding field allows the luxury of not having to directly deal with patients, although there is still a need for constant communication with nurses and other healthcare workers to ensure smooth transfer of key information regarding patients’ health.

Accreditations for Medical Billing & Coding

To qualify for a medical billing and coding assignment, one would typically need a postsecondary certificate or associate degree. Additionally, one would also have to acquire appropriate professional certification.

The American Health Information Management Association clarifies that an associate degree paves way for more opportunities, but of course, a postsecondary certificate is great for faster workforce entry.

It is also worth iterating the importance of accreditation when it comes to choosing a program. A lot of employers and organizations will only consider your candidacy if you have an accredited degree.

Accreditations are usually spread across national, regional and programmatic levels. An accredited school or institution will typically have this information on their website, but it never hurts to verify for yourself.

Offline Programs for Medical Billing and Coding

Training schools for medical coders and billers vary significantly, particularly in their mode of teaching. For those with a particular interest in brick-and-mortar institutions and face-to-face learning, we touch on some of the most pertinent options below.

  • Oakton Community College offers an associate degree through its health information technology program that allows for both part-time and full-time students. The program is based in Des Plaines, Illinois, and costs $137 per semester credit hour for its district residents and $367 for non-district residents.

  • The medical coder//biller certificate at Santa Fe offers postsecondary credential for entry-level candidates, and also provides full-time and part time options. The program is located at Gainesville, Florida, and costs $77 for every credit hour for district residents.

  • Lastly, Coppin State University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management. The program is highly successful and many of its students boast of a high employment rate. The program costs $395 per unit for fees and tuition.

All of these programs are accredited by CAHIM.

Online Programs for Medical Billing and Coding

Since medical billing and coding is a highly computer friendly field, there are quite a few options around for those looking to gain proficiency and appropriate certificates online. Here’s an overview of some of the very best options in this regard.

  • Albany State University offers an online associate of science degree in health information technology. The program accommodates a large array of career specializations under health information technology including health data analysis, patient information coordination, and physician practice management.

It costs $118 for every credit.

  • The second option on our list is the online Bachelor of Science program at Dakota State University. It specializes in computer information systems along with medical coding and analysis. The program is highly selective, as acknowledged by the school itself. It is located in Madison, South Dakota, and costs $340.05 for every credit hour.

  • Lastly in the online certification category is the online certificate in medical billing and coding from none other than Drexel University. They offer a six-course postsecondary certificate that can be completed a hundred percent online.

The campus is located in Philadelphia and costs $834 for every credit hour.

Credentialing for Medical Billing and Coding

A number of employers and organizations will only employ medical billers and coders with certifications. This is different from the basic level postsecondary certificate. Below are three of the most common additional credentials that a medical biller and coder should strive to obtain as fast as possible.

RHIT - Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

An advanced AHIMA credential, the RHIT requires a relatively more stringent set of requirements than most other certificates. For this reason, it is probably the most desired.

CCA - Certified Coding Associate

This is an entry-level AHIMA credential accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). It is available strictly for medical coding specialists and requires a high school diploma along with a scaled score of at least three hundred out of four hundred on the exam.

CCS & CCS-P - Certified Coding Specialist & Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based

CCS is for coders who work in hospitals and is geared towards mastery in medical information classification. CCS-P on the other hand is also a certification like the CCS, but with a specific target for those who work in physician-based environments like group practices or doctor’s offices.

Career Outlook & Employment Variables

The job prospect for future medical billers and coders is extremely high. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be a 9 percent rise in openings on a national scale. This is due to a host of reasons including continuous advancements in health technology, industrial changes, reform in health care, and of course the existing shortage that already exists in the field.

To obtain edge over the field, applicants can distinguish themselves through professional certification, technical skills acquisition, and of course even more continuing education activities for bi-yearly recertification.