Medical coding professionals come from all walks of life. The requirements to enter this profession are generally lower than for other healthcare workers, such as nursing professionals. However, employers do tend to prefer to hire individuals with a relevant degree. You can also earn a medical coding certification, a path that requires attending in-service training. Certification is not required; however, if you prefer to be certified, you can take courses through the Registered Health Information Technicians Organization (RHIT).
Medical coders typically attend on of the following:
1) a one-year PCAP (Professional Certificate Approval Program)
2) a two-year associate degree program in health information management at a community college
3) a four-year bachelor of Science in Health Information management at a university. Graduates of these program often seek related coding certifications. Employers do prefer to hire individuals with a relevant degree and/or certification.
Immediately after graduation with a relevant degree, it may be possible to find a position that offers on-the-job training. However, it is common for aspiring medical coders to earn a certificate first from a medical coding program. These programs are offered online or in the classroom and may be completed on a part-time basis. For internship programs, the best way to look is to communicate with your career counselor at school. Career counselors can help you find the most efficient options by providing a list of available programs.
After graduating from the certificate program, individuals may opt to enhance their career qualifications further by passing a certification exam. Although this is not mandatory, it does increase one’s competitiveness in the job market. Medical coders can take certification exams administered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Some of these programs can take as little as nine months. The training covers analyzing health records and insurance forms, medical billing and engaging with patients.
- CCA or CCS certification: Certified Coding Associate (CCA®) and Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®) follow a typical path for certified coders:
- 6 months coding experience directly applying codes
- Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program (PCAP Program-typically a one-year community college program)
- Completion of other coding training program to include anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural and basic CPT® coding
- RHIT certification: Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT®): must meet eligibility requirements and pass an exam.
- RHIA certification: Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA®) work in various roles within the healthcare industry from entry level analyst to upper level management positions. RHIAs are work as medical coders typically in the acute care hospital setting. RHIAs complete a four-year bachelor of science in Health Information Management program or a master’s degree in health information management at a university.
If you feel that a career in medical coding is a good fit for you, you can get started by earning a preparatory degree at Grand Canyon University. The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program is ideally suited to aspiring medical coders, with a curriculum that covers medical terminology, clinical data classification and management, procedural data classification and data governance. Click on Request Info at the top of your screen to explore our dynamic learning community.