Medical Coding Degree

A medical coding degree will train a professional to sort patient records for reimbursement. A medical coder might also be known as a coding specialist or more broadly and formally as a medical records and health information technician. A medical records and health information technician is what a medical coder will begin as before specializing in medical coding. In medical coding, a patient’s medical record must be classified according to a number of different systems and then given a code. The codes tell health care companies and the government whether or not a health care provider should be reimbursed and for how much. Reimbursement might come from Medicaid, Medicare, or other forms of insurance.

Professionals who are best suited for medical coding are people who can keep a secret. Due to privacy laws and the work involving patients’ records, medical coders must be able to separate their personal life and their work life. Although some companies strip identifying information out, medical coders should not bring their work home. They also cannot share any information about any records they have seen or worked on. A medical coder should have a reasonable understanding of computer science. They will need to be able to understand and work with databases.

Entry-level positions for medical coders usually require at least an associate’s degree. For management positions, a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree is often considered the minimum.

Coursework in medical coding programs is heavily oriented towards the computer science and medical fields. Common course topics are:

• Anatomy
• Data analysis
• Database management
• Database security
• Health care reimbursement
• Medical terminology

Although there are no license requirements, most health care employers strongly prefer medical coders with certifications or credentials. Credential requirements vary, but most organizations ask for 1 to 3 years of experience coding before allowing a professional to apply.

A Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) credential is available from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). This is a broad credential for all medical records and health information technicians. This is one of the first credentials a medical coder might choose to pursue. RHIT credentials are only available to professionals who graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). RHIT applicants must also pass an examination from the AHIMA.

A number of credentials are also available specifically for medical coders. The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) provides a broad certification for medical coding. Specialty coding credentials are available from the Board of Medical Specialty Coding (BMSC) and the Professional Association of Health Care Coding Specialists (PAHCS).