Definition: What is medical coding and billing?

Medical coding and billing is the process of translating information from patient records—treatments, tests, procedures, and diagnoses—into the standardized codes used to bill patients and third-party payers such as insurance companies and Medicare.

Work-at-home outlook: What is the job market for medical coders and billers?

The U.S. Department of Labor’s 2014-2015 report on the medical records and health information technology field, which encompasses both medical coders and medical billers. The report predicts:

• A growing job market as industry employment is projected to grow by 22% from 2012 to 2022. In addition to these new jobs, there will also be open positions as people retire or leave the profession.
• A high demand for coding services, sustained by an aging population and the increasing number of tests, treatments, and procedures.

In addition to this growth, there is also already an existing shortage of medical coding professionals. This shortage is estimated to be about 30% and is expected to increase to at least 53% with the industry’s shift to ICD-10.

What is ICD-10 and how has it affect the medical coding industry?

The change to ICD-10 has intensified the need for medical coders nationwide. With Career Step’s Professional Medical Coding and Billing with Applied PCS program, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills you need to stand out in the job market and excel in this field.

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Medical Coding and Billing Opportunities

If I work from home, how much can I earn as a medical coding and billing professional?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report—encompassing both inpatient and outpatient medical coders and billers—states that the middle 50% of professionals in the field earn between $25,570 and $42,170 a year.

However, it is important to remember that as you gain credentials and experience, your earning capacity increases. Industry organizations have published the following average salary information.

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)This recent survey reports the average coder salaries by credentials offered by AHIMA. Career Step graduates are eligible to sit for the CCA credential directly after graduation.

CCA certified coders have a reported annual salary of $40,196.

American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)This recent survey is more focused on outpatient coding and reports that entry-level, certified coders earn $34,551 annually, while those who have earned the CPC credential (which Career Step graduates are eligible to sit for directly after graduation) earn an average of $45,347 annually.

Do I have to be certified to work from home?

The Career Step courses are specifically designed to prepare students for national, entry-level coding certification exams, even though certification is not always a prerequisite for employment.

The exams most commonly taken directly after graduation by Career Step graduates are the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Although graduating from a Career Step medical coding and billing training program does not automatically award you a coding credential, the courses are specifically designed to help you gain the foundation and skills you need to earn the appropriate credentials, and you will receive a voucher to take the exam of your choice upon graduation (a $300 value).

In a recent Career Step survey, 90% of respondents who had taken a certification exam after graduation from Career Step’s training programs reported passing the exam and earning their credential.

Medical Coding and Billing Opportunities

What are the advantages of training online with Career Step?

Career Step has been providing quality healthcare education for over 20 years, and we’ve trained over 13,000 medical coding students since 2004. Our online training format allows you to study at your own pace and on a schedule that fits your busy lifestyle.

Our Professional Medical Coding and Billing with Applied PCS course was built by experts who have decades of experience working in and teaching medical coding to ensure you gain the skills you need to excel in this field, and you’ll also be trained on ICD-10-PCS codes, which can help you stand out to employers.

Career Step’s program has been evaluated by the largest professional association in the industry and they determined that program graduates are well prepared to earn their credentials and start working at entry-level medical coders.

With Career Step’s Professional Medical Coding and Billing with Applied PCS program, you’ll train on the CPT, HCPCS, ICD-10-CM, and ICD-10-PCS code sets.

Most entry-level coding programs don’t include training on the PCS code set, so this will help you stand out to employers. You’ll graduated prepared to earn national certification and start working right away.

To work from home, what kind of skills and experience do I need to enter the Career Step program?

In order to be admitted, you must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or a General Education Development Certificate (GED). There are no specific skills or experience that are considered prerequisites for entry into the Career Step training program.

How is the Career Step program structured to make it easy to work from home?

The Career Step program is offered entirely online, providing 24/7 access to all material and allowing you to progress through the curriculum on your own schedule and at your own pace.

The program is broken into modules, or course subjects, and has been designed by experts with decades of experience working in and teaching medical coding. This experience has led us to a 3-part program design:

• Foundations – This first section of the program will teach you things like computer fundamentals, the health information management process, and reimbursement methodologies to ensure you thoroughly understand how medical coding fits within healthcare and have the basics down.
• Biomedical sciences – In order to correctly assign codes, you’ll need a good understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, pathophysiology, and pharmacology, and this section of the course teaches all of that from a coding perspective.
• Code training – This final section introduces you to all of the different code sets and teaches you how to use them. You’ll practice coding actual medical records and reports (provided by our employer partners) and use the 3M encoding software so you have lots of hands-on experience and graduate ready to earn your credential and start working.

We’ve specifically designed this medical coding training program to ensure you gain exactly the skills you need to start working as a medical coder, and with our applied PCS training you’ll stand out to employers.

Medical Coding and Billing Opportunities

If I want to work from home, what type of student support does Career Step offer?

Career Step student support includes access to:

1. Student Support Instructors and Advisors have professional experience in the industry and are uniquely qualified to answer questions about both the curriculum and the industry. They provide timely answers to questions about the program material and offer a number of personal consultations throughout the training to help students master important concepts.
2. Technical Support Advisors are knowledgeable, experienced, and available six days a week to help you work through any technical or computer issues encountered within the training program.
3. Graduate Support Advisors help you transition to the workforce after graduation. Your Graduate Advisors will help prepare the best resume, develop solid interview skills, and teach you valuable job search techniques.

Though the course is entirely online, you’ll never be on your own. Career Step’s student support team is available to offer personal, ongoing support all the way through the training program.

Medical Coding and Billing Opportunities

How long does it take to finish the course if I train from home?

The Professional Medical Coding and Billing with Applied PCS program includes 640 hours of curriculum.

Since the program is completely self-paced and the online training format allows you the flexibility to study as much or as little as your schedule allows, the time it takes you to complete the course will vary from other students.

Some students are able to complete their training program in as little as 4 months (working on the course full-time, 8 hours a day 5 days a week) and others, who are more limited in the time they can devote to the course, take longer (for example, students who can devote about 20 hours a week may finish in about 8 months).

Every student who enrolls in Career Step’s Professional Medical Coding and Billing with Applied PCS program receives an initial 12-month period of enrollment.

Though the programs are designed to be completed in 4 months of full-time study, you’ll have a full year to complete your training. If you need extra time to complete the course after your initial one-year enrollment, we have 4-month extensions available for purchase.

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Career Step offers personalized, post-graduation resources for your job search, including:

1. Personal consultation with a Graduate Advisor
2. New job opening notifications
3. Personalized interview tutorials and training
4. Individual resume and cover letter review, tips, and advice
5. CCA or CPC certification exam voucher upon graduation (a $300 value)
6. Access to Career Step’s help hotline for a full year after graduation

These resources offer the personalized help you need after graduation to transition to the workplace.

With this individualized help and attention, the majority of our graduates are hired within a few months of graduation.