The micro-credential is the foundation you can build on to achieve your goal. Participating institutions will accept the courses you complete for academic transfer credit, so you can accelerate your journey and spend less while you earn a certificate or a degree.
Enroll Now. Medical Coding Practice and Career Preparation. Healthcare Delivery Systems 2. Healthcare Data Content and Structure 3. Introduction to Healthcare Technology and Information Systems 4.
Medical Law and Ethics 5. Reimbursement Methodology. Course Descriptions. What is a micro-credential and how is it different than a certification? A micro-credential is a flexible and affordable option for expanding your knowledge and skills in a specific area of study. This micro-credential demonstrates medical coding competency for the course material, which helps students make early and incremental progress toward their career goals, while at the same time preparing them to pursue an academic certificate or degree.
Achieving a micro-credential is not as rigorous of a process as earning a certification, but a micro-credential may be used towards meeting certification or even recertification requirements. While certifications typically expire after a predetermined amount of time, micro-credentials do not.
Search for a medical coding class near you. The average salary for medical coders in the U. Medical coders who possess more than one AAPC certification earn significantly more, as do medical coding managers who oversee the work of CPCs.
So, yes, medical coding is a great career choice in terms of job demand and the financial stability an in-demand profession offers. Job security is an important quality-of-life factor, which is one reason medical coding is a good career choice.
Despite economic fluctuations that impact unemployment rates for most professions, the need for healthcare professionals, including medical coders, is at an historic high. Not only has the U. Given the rise in chronic conditions prevalent among this population, the Association of American Medical Colleges AAMC anticipates a shortage of nearly , physicians by This deficit extends to medical coding specialists. CPC training provides an education in physician-based, or professional fee, coding.
This knowledge is foundational to all types of medical coding, such as outpatient coding, hospital coding, and risk adjustment coding. Many medical coders enjoy lifelong careers with their CPC credential, while others choose to build on their education by training in a physician-based specialty or becoming certified for hospital coding.
Medical coders work in every type of healthcare facility, including physician practices, ambulatory surgical centers, long-term care facilities, hospitals, labs, and insurance companies.
CPCs are trained in professional fee coding, which encompasses all physician and clinician-based services. As such, CPCs are qualified to work in medical offices, walk-in clinics, telehealth groups, labs, and insurance companies. Medical coding is primarily completed on a computer, and direct contact with patients is not required, which makes the potential option to work from home a possibility. AAPC offers free career counseling to help you make the best decisions for your situation and needs.
Our career counselors are available at your convenience and eager to answer your questions, lay out your career training options, and support you on your journey in professional medical coding.
Feel free to call to speak to a career counselor or have a career counselor call you. Call or have a career counselor call you.
Training Toggle Menu. Overview Medical Coding. If you live near the campus, you can engage in face-to-face learning with instructors, which is invaluable in a subject as complex as medical billing and coding.
If you are going to pursue an online degree, try to find a program affiliated with a nonprofit public school or university. Many schools now offer courses and degrees online. Always consider schools that offer financial aid before looking into private, for-profit institutions. Both of these professional organizations offer courses in medical billing and coding. However, since they're not education bodies, they can't be accredited.
Taking courses from these organizations can be expensive, though. When you're exploring online medical coding schools, make sure to look for accreditation and a dedicated program to health information management HIM , health informatics, or medical billing and coding.
You should also make sure that each accredited online medical billing and coding school offers courses in the healthcare process, anatomy and physiology, and general medical terminology. If you're going to invest in a degree or certificate, make sure you get the full spectrum of the medical billing and coding professions. There are some accredited online medical billing and coding schools with financial aid for students who qualify.
Contact each prospective school to see what types of medical billing and coding financial aid are available through scholarships and grants. You can also find scholarships through professional organizations, such as the AAPC. Medical billing and coding students must hold good academic standing and demonstrate financial need to become eligible for this type of financial aid.
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