Types of Medical Coding Certification

Here we list the different medical coding certifications, take a look and if you are not certified yet, choose which certification suits you best.

• AHIMA Medical Coding Certifications:
  Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
  Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
  Certified Coding Specialist-Physician-based (CCS-P)
  

• AAPC Medical Coding Certifications:
  Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
  Certified Professional Coder-Hospital (CPC-H)
  Certified Professional Coder-Payer (CPC-P)

The right medical coding training program will certainly provide you with the medical transcription skills and training necessary to successfully sit for and pass a medical coding certification exam.

Certified Medical Coders Make More!

It turns out that Certified Medical Coders make more money than their non-certified counterparts – as much as 17% more, according to the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Additionally, medical coding career advancement opportunities are far more plentiful for certified medical coders than for those without a medical coding certification.

There are two national organizations that certify medical coders:
1. AHIMA – American Health Information Management Association
2. AAPC – American Association of Professional Coders

Both of these organizations are reputable and respected and offer widely recognized medical coding credentials. Both organizations also offer entry level medical coding credentials as well as advanced medical coding credentials. Once a medical coding certification is achieved, credentialing organizations typically require that members maintain their credentials through rigorous ongoing continuing education. Over time, most professional medical coders will continue to improve their status by completing advanced medical coding certification requirements.

The Importance of a Medical Coding Certificate

It is not a requirement that you be certified to be employed as a medical coder – not yet anyway. However, because of the magnitude of money that changes hands every day in the healthcare industry, medical coding has become a very highly regulated and tightly supervised activity. Medical coding is also subject to frequent and rigorous audits to ensure accuracy in the medical billing process as there are literally billions of dollars at stake.

As a result of this intensive regulation, most employers of medical coders have a strong preference that their employees involved in the medical coding process be in possession of a valid medical coding certification. An entry level or advanced medical coding certification while not a prerequisite, is extremely desirable for entry into the medical coding profession.

Health Information Industry and Medical Coding

The medical coding job outlook is rosy indeed. According to the US Department of Labor, the healthcare information industry is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations over the next decade. This rapidly growing segment of the economy includes medical coding professionals.

As mentioned earlier, medical coding professionals are in extremely high demand. In fact, medical coding is one of the fastest growing segments in the rapidly growing health information industry. And demographic trends in the United States and around the world suggest that this growth in medical coding employment will continue for many years to come. A rapidly aging population, combined with advances in complex treatment options almost guarantees solid job prospects for medical coding professionals well into the future.

The Promising Career of Medical Coding

Medical coding offers an exceptionally promising career path for individuals willing to invest in medical coding training and acquire entry level or advanced medical coding certifications. In fact, the 2007 Medical Coding Salary Survey published by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) indicates that the average salary for medical coding professionals increased to almost $34,400 in 2007 – up from just over $30,000 in 2006. Salaries for managers and administrators increased dramatically as well.