Online Degrees In Medical Billing and Coding
Medical billing and coding are specialized occupations that are essential in modern-day healthcare practices. Medical coding professionals make sure that correct codes for medications, tests and procedures are applied to patients’ records and bills so that insurance companies can process them accurately and quickly. According to the professional organization, AAPC, more than 141,000 different codes are used for diagnoses and procedures. This behind-the-scenes occupation can be a vital part of a patient’s care process as the documents coding professionals prepare may be used in reference to further treatment.
According to the College Board, medical billers and coders need to be detail-oriented, organized and discreet as the data they deal with needs high levels of accuracy and can be extremely confidential. Both coders and billers must have excellent computer and software skills as patient history is transcribed onto software designed specifically for this purpose.
Careers in health information management can be a good choice for individuals who want to enter the growing healthcare industry, but would prefer not to be involved in direct patient care. Working professionals, high school graduates and career changers may want to consider earning an online degree in medical billing and coding as a way to start in the industry or as a way to prepare for a more advanced degree that can lead to a higher-level (and higher-paying) career in the field of health information management. Online degree programs can give you the advantage of can be completed at your own pace allowing you to balance a job, family commitments and study.
What do medical billers and coders do?
According to the American Academy of Professional Coders, medical billing is a subset of medical coding, and many health information professionals perform both coding and billing tasks. Typical duties include:
- Reviewing patient data, checking it for accuracy, organizing and updating it as necessary
- Using classification software to assign clinical codes for insurance claims and data analysis
- Maintaining patient record confidentiality
- Coordinating with physicians and patients to ensure records are updated with every visit
Occupations and Career Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that the employment of medical coders and is expected to grow as the aging population is likely to require more medical services. Additionally, the use of electronic health records to maintain patient data is expected to grow. The following table lists the occupations related to this field along with job openings, average salary, total employment and job outlook for 2019 to 2029 using data from the BLS.
Career | Employment | Median Salary | Projected Job Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 597,100 | $ 39,000 | 19% |
| Health Information Technologists, Medical Registrars, Surgical Assistants, and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | 59,400 | $51,840 | 8% |
Source: 2020 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2019-29 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.
What degree do you need for medical billing and coding?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most technicians, including medical billers and coders, have at least a postsecondary certificate or an associate degree.
Those who aspire for supervisory roles in this field can consider earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in health information management, according to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The following sections describe the various degree levels along with what classes are required for medical billing and coding and health information management.
Online Certificate Programs in Medical Billing and Coding
What can I expect to learn in an online certificate program?
Online medical billing and coding certificate programs can act as an introduction to the field and students can expect to gain the basic skills needed to understand coding and medical terminology.
Typical duration: Up to one year of part-time study
General prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent
Typical coursework: Topics cover a range of subjects from software applications to anatomy. Courses you may take are:
- Medical terminology
- Healthcare law and ethics
- Healthcare delivery systems and organization
- Reimbursement methodologies
Field experiences may be part of your certificate program allowing students to gain real-life application of what has been taught.
What can I do after earning a certificate?
You may be eligible for entry-level jobs in settings like hospitals, physicians’ offices and more. Potential occupations include:
- Medical records and health information technician
- Medical secretary
Online Associate Degrees in Medical Billing
What can I expect to learn in an online associate degree program?
These programs can help students develop the information literacy and communication skills they need to manage large amounts of data and coordinate between various hospitals, healthcare and insurance agencies.
Typical duration: Up to two years of full-time study
General prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent
Typical coursework: Apart from general education core classes, some classes you may take are:
- Basic diagnosis coding systems
- Basic pharmacology and pathophysiology
- Medical finance and insurance
- Medical reimbursement systems
You may have to complete an externship or a practicum as a part of your degree program.
What can I do after earning an associate degree?
While you may be able to get an entry-level job with a certificate in medical billing and coding, the BLS states that most employers are looking for candidates with at least an associate degree. Entry-level positions you may be eligible for are:
- Medical records and health information technician
- Coder
- Health information clerk
- Medical records clerk
Those who would like to pursue further studies in this field may consider an online bachelor’s or master’s degree in health information management (HIM) explained in more detail below.
Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Health Information Management
What can I expect to learn in an online bachelor’s degree program?
Online bachelor’s degree programs in health information management build on skills learned in an associate degree program in healthcare information or medical billing and coding. These programs can equip students to help healthcare facilities provide better care to their patients by ensuring the proper management of health statistics and biomedical research data.
Typical duration: Up to four years of full-time study
General prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent
Typical coursework: Students are likely to learn about the typical workflow in healthcare institutions, and the legal aspects of health information along with advanced topics in health information management. Topics you may find in your program are:
- Electronic health records
- Health information governance and strategic planning
- Healthcare quality management
- Healthcare management and finance
You may have to complete a capstone project or an internship as a part of your bachelor’s degree program.
What can I do after earning a bachelor’s degree?
A bachelor’s degree program may equip you for supervisory roles in the health information management field. You may be able to find employment in hospitals, ambulatory services, nursing facilities, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare facilities. Occupations that you may qualify for are:
- Clinical information specialist
- Healthcare database administrator
- Public health information analyst
- Health information manager
Online Master’s Degrees in Health Information Management
What can I expect to learn in an online master’s degree program?
Programs at this level usually incorporate different aspects of health information management, such as organizational development and management, human resources and more.
Typical duration: Up to two years of full-time study
General prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree
Typical coursework: You can expect to study management topics along with healthcare-related subjects. Courses may include:
- HIM strategic planning and financial management
- Data management and data quality
- Information protection and security
- Project management of health information systems
- Human resources for healthcare managers
You may also have to complete a capstone project as a part of your master’s program requirements.
What can I do after earning a master’s degree?
A master’s degree may allow you to hold senior management or even executive positions in the healthcare information management field. Potential occupations are:
- Medical and health services manager
- HIM director
- Privacy officer
- HIM consultant
Accreditation
As with many healthcare degree programs, attending an accredited program can be extremely important as it can demonstrate that you have received an education that meets or exceeds the quality standards required by the healthcare industry. Attending an accredited program can also be a prerequisite for receiving professional certifications as well as federal financial aid during the course of your studies. The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) is the agency that reviews and accredits institutions offering health information management degree programs.
Certifications
Most employers prefer their employees to be certified as that can demonstrate competency in the field. You may be able to find online medical billing and coding certification programs that can help you prepare for the examinations for different certifications.
The most common certification for medical billers and coders is the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Other certifications are:
- Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
- Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
- Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®)
Certifications typically need to be renewed periodically.