Medical Coding Training

Overview

Medical coding is the process of converting a patient's medical diagnosis and the procedures into a universal code numbers. Diagnosis and procedures are the most common type of codes, and the sources for them are usually taken from the doctor's notes, laboratory results and radiologic results. These codes are used to track and categorize the diseases from chronic to contagious. Other types of codes are pharmaceutical and topographical codes. The role of the medical coder is to check medical charts for accuracy and completion, verify signatures, cross check medical data in computers, clarify information, communicate with healthcare providers, and utilize computer software to analyze data.

You can enroll in medical coding courses in local community colleges, technical schools, or online. Medical coding degrees are mostly available as associate degrees or certifications, while only certain colleges offer bachelor degrees in medical coding. Also, many medical coding degrees are combined with medical billing courses. The curriculum of medical coding degrees includes advance keyboarding, records management, medical terminology, introduction to computers, anatomy and physiology, word processing and medical terminology. Other courses that may be included are vocational book keeping, health information science, medical office procedures-coding 4, advanced coding, human relation, and customer service. The duration for medical training course certifications ranges from nine to twelve months to complete, and for associate's degrees it can take two to three years for completion.

Benefits

A medical coding degree provides many benefits to the students. A great salary package is the major benefit one can obtain by pursuing this degree. You can expect a salary of $39,000 to $46,000 per year on average, in the first year itself. Also, you can work in different industries ranging from hospitals to individual practitioners or insurance companies. Job titles also vary, such as health information coder, medical record coder, abstractor, and coding specialist. The job profile gives you a lot of flexibility in working. You can either choose to work for companies or become a freelance medical coder depending on your convenience to work. After a few years of experience in this field, you can then become an entrepreneur.

Costs

The cost of medical coding degrees depends on the college or university you want to study at. The average tuition fee for associate degree courses ranges around $2,800 for 15 credit hours. The tuition fee for the certification program costs $3,000 to $4,000 on an average.

Schools

There are various schools that offer medical coding degrees in the Unites States. Stratford University, Remington College, and the University of Phoenix are some of the colleges which provide diploma and associate degrees in medical coding.

Testing & Preparation

Unlike other degrees, a medical coding degree does not require any standardized test for the admissions. But, certain colleges do conduct interviews for admitting you in the program of your choice. If you happen to be an international student, then you should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and pass with a reasonable score. In addition to an associate's or bachelor's degree, many companies require coders to pass the Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) exam from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA.) You are also expected to get certified by American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

Financial Aid

You can also apply to the American Health Information Management Association Foundation of Research and Education (FORE) for a scholarship. Private banks such as Citibank and Fifth Third Bank provide student loans. Students planning to study at Heald College can visit the financial aid office for financial assistance.