Steps in Obtaining Medical Coding Certifications

If you want to explore a career in the health care industry but do not want to get involve with the more clinical aspect of the industry, then a career in medical coding and billing may be the right fit for you.

Medical coding and billing ensure the financial health of the health care industry. Without dedicated medical billers and coders, the whole health care business will be in chaos.

Assuming that you’d rather pursue coding than billing, here are some of the steps that you needed to do in order to become a medical coder:

1. Medical Coding Career Training

Training is your first step to starting a career as a medical coder. Start by finding local classes. It’s up to you if you want to get into a coding certification program or obtain an associate’s degree. You can check with your local community college or trade school too if they offer medical coding classes.

E-learning institutions also provide quality medical coding training if you prefer to study at home. Meditec for one is a leading career training provider in the United States that caters to aspiring allied health care professionals. You’d be surprised at how much money and time you can save from these portals.

Now the next step is to determine the type of certification you wish to go for, meaning, if you’d want to be certified as a medical coder for a hospital or physician. By the way, in case you didn’t know, you can also work as a coder for an outsourcing company.

Whatever the case may be, a medical coding training program usually includes the following basics:

• A Study of the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act
• Medical Terminology
• Pharmacology
• Diagnostic Coding (ICD-9 or ICD-10)
• CPT or Procedural Coding
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Healthcare Reimbursement
• Basic Computer Software

2. Internship

On–the-job training may also be offered by your training provider, in partnership with a testing center or employer. Although unnecessary, you can find internship opportunities in local healthcare institutions to increases your chances of getting hired in the long run.

3. Select the Certifying Body.

The next step for you is to select the national certifying body whose exam you’ll be taking. In the US, you can choose to take your exam with the American Academy of Procedural Coders (AAPC) or the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). These two certifying bodies have different criteria for the certification exam.

4. Passing the Certification Exam

Finally—on to the exam. If you review hard enough, you should be prepared to take the exam. Remember that when you pass your certification—whichever you chose—your certification will get your foot right in the door.

Just to give you an idea of what to expect from the exams, the AAPC and AHIMA consists of over 100 multiple choice questions. The coverage, as you may expect, focuses on coding terms, billing, reimbursement and solving medical records cases. You will be notified of your status if you passed or failed the exam. Then you will receive your certification in the mail.

Medical coders will only become more in demand in coming years. Good luck on your endeavor!