Quest for the Right Medical Coding Training Program

There are definitely a wide variety of options for someone interested in receiving medical coding training. It can be challenging, however, to find the right medical coding training program.

The first question you should be asking yourself is: “What are my primary objectives?” Your primary objective is probably not to receive medical coding training for its own sake – unless you are just a true renaissance person. If you are like most people, your hope is that a medical coding training program will lead to a really great medical coding job! Sure! That is what it is all about isn’t it? Medical coding employment. Something that will bring in a paycheck and set you on a path for financial success as a trained medical coder.

Let's face it, medical coding training requires an investment. But investing time and money in the wrong medical coding training program can result in a less than positive experience.

Medical Coding Where?

Most medical coding work is still performed by medical coders working in hospitals or clinics. Medical coders work in a professional environment and perform a vital behind the scenes billing support activity.

There is a trend toward outsourcing of medical coding work to third party vendors. As this trend catches on, more medical coding work will be done in homes and medical coding will evolve to become more of a home based career – much like medical transcription is today. It is believed that as technology continues to evolve and remote medical coding platforms are developed, the outsourcing model will begin to take hold in the industry. However, at this point it is important to point out that most medical coding is still performed in hospitals and clinics.

What do Medical Coders Do?

Medical coders review patient medical records to identify reimbursable or billable events and activities. Once a reimbursable event has been identified the proper numerical code is input into a healthcare reimbursement system. Proper coding will ultimately determine the amount the healthcare provider will be reimbursed by Insurance companies or by Medicare or Medicaid. It is of paramount importance that the medical coder accurately codes each patient chart. Errors and omissions can be costly and burdensome to the healthcare system.

Define: Medical Coding

Medical coding is essentially the process of assigning formal, standardized medical codes to patient medical records. When a patient goes into a clinic or hospital a medical record is created. This medical record will include patient identifying and demographic information. It will also include a description of the chief complaint, any procedures that were performed, medications prescribed, a diagnosis, and follow-up instructions.

The diagnostic and procedural information contained in the patient medical record must be converted into simplified numerical codes by trained medical coders. These numerical codes allow complex medical procedures and diagnoses to be recognized quickly and easily by health care computer systems where they can be electronically processed for payment by third party payers – Insurance companies and Medicare, for example.

Medical Coding in a Hospital

Hospitals tend to be more rigid and bureaucratic in their approach to medical coding employment than smaller, more nimble medical clinics or physician groups. However, their pay rates can also be higher.


Hospitals tend to require a higher level of inpatient coding skill and certification. On the other hand, large hospitals can offer medical transcription employment benefits which far outweigh those provided by smaller organizations. These benefits may include overtime pay, flex-time, sick leave, paid vacation, and perhaps most importantly - generous health care benefits. Also, if you are interested in pursuing a long-term career as a Medical Records Director or Hospital Administrator, a large hospital system will typically provide more opportunities for upward mobility.


Medical clinics and physicians offices tend to operate under relatively normal business hours. This allows medical coders employed by these organizations to enjoy a traditional and fairly stable medical coding work schedule. However, if medical coding job flexibility is important to you, you should consider a medical coding job in a hospital setting. Most hospitals are open 24 hours per day 7 days per week and often offer significant flexibility to medical coders in terms of flex schedules and shift work.

Find Medical Coding Jobs Here!

Medical coding jobs can be found in a variety of organizations, including:
* Large hospital systems
* Private hospitals – small and large
* Government hospitals
* National medical billing & Coding service providers
* Clinics and Physician Groups
* Nursing Homes & Rehabilitation Centers
* Home Healthcare Agencies
* Insurance Companies
* Law firms and Consulting firms



The path you ultimately take on your medical coding job search will depend on a number of factors. Some of these factors include:
* Level of Experience and Proficiency
* Income Requirements
* Benefit Requirements
* Importance of Freedom and Flexibility
* Personal Motivation
* Risk Tolerance

So how do you find a Medical Coding job?

Of course, you can look in the classified ad section of your local newspaper in search of medical coding job opportunities. However, you are always at the mercy of the timing of postings. It is not our preferred method. You should be aware that there are a lot of medical coding industry publications where medical coding jobs are routinely posted. Advance Magazine, an AHIMA (American Health Information management Association) publication, is an excellent resource. Also, in this day and age, there are many medical coding job boards dedicated to opportunities and information in the medical coding field.


If you are not bashful, one of the best ways we can think of to identify medical coding job opportunities is to call or visit the medical records department of local hospitals or clinics. If you ask to speak directly to the medical records director or medical coding supervisor, you may be fortunate enough to catch them at an opportune moment and make a brief introduction. Finding the best medical coding job requires a little networking and proactivity on your part.

Get a Job As a Medical Coder!

The options for medical coding employment are extremely varied. But most of them lead back to the same place – a medical coding job with a medical clinic or hospital. Fortunately, unless you happen to live in an extremely out of the way locale, opportunities for medical coding jobs should be plentiful. The supply of medical coders has not been sufficient to meet the demand for medical coders for many years now and the supply-demand imbalance in the medical coding industry is only getting worse. This is good news for a newly minted medical coder looking for a medical coding job.