5 Reasons Why You Should Get Your Medical Coding Certification Online
Medical coding is one of the hottest healthcare career options post-COVID-19, as medical coders play a vital role in healthcare delivery. More than 75% of hospitals and other healthcare providers in the US outsource to certified medical coding and billing professionals, clearly indicating that the demand for these professionals is high and increasing.
Medical knowledge is a must for medical coders but is not a sufficient condition. Aspirants must undergo proper training to gain an in-depth understanding of medical codes and related tasks. Joining an Online Medical Coding Certification program is one of the preferred ways to learn this complex process easily and quickly.
If you are keen to become a medical coder but don’t know where to start, this article will help clarify your doubts and explain why you should get your Medical Coding Training Certification Online.
What is Medical Coding?
When a patient gets treated by a doctor for any reason, a record is created for them. The record includes symptoms, blood tests, x-rays, diagnosis, and any treatment that may be required. Let’s say you injured your right lower leg while running down a hill and tripped, causing extreme pain and a blood-curdling scream. You were rushed to a hospital, and the doctor can see that your leg is misaligned or bent at an odd angle; he moves it around and then performs an x-ray. Sure enough, the x-ray shows a broken bone. So, the doctor loads you with pain medication, realigns the bone, and puts it on a cast. Now, not only is this entire experience documented, but it is also then coded from those documents.
So, what exactly is medical coding? You see, doctors get paid for seeing and treating you. But how do they get paid? They get paid by what are called diagnostic and procedural codes. First, your “Help, I think I broke my leg” complaint is put into medical language. The medical coder translates that medical language into numbers as the patient has a fracture. It is a standardized coded language that insurance companies, healthcare facilities, and government agencies can understand. In the example mentioned above, the billable ICD-10 code to specify a medical diagnosis for an unspecified fracture of the right lower leg is “S82.91XA.”
Coming back to the definition of medical coding! Medical coding is the process of translating medical procedures, diagnoses, and treatments into alphanumeric codes that healthcare providers, insurers, and government agencies can easily understand and process. These codes represent the specific medical services and procedures that patients receive as well as the diagnoses and conditions that they have.
Three books are followed for medical coding purposes. The first book is the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to code the diagnosis. The next one is Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), developed by the American Medical Association (AMA) to code the procedures. And the last one is the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to code the supplies. By extracting knowledge from these books, coders convert the medical records into codes. Joining an Online Medical Coding Course can help you acquire this complex knowledge quickly and effectively.
Medical coding is important for several reasons. It helps healthcare providers and insurers accurately document and track patient care; ensures that patients are billed appropriately for the services they receive; and helps government agencies monitor public health trends and allocate resources more effectively.
You can use many online tools and electronic medical records to help you apply the correct codes. However, most coders prefer using their tried-and-true techniques acquired from their certification. This is where the real value of an Online Medical Coding Certification lies. Coders derive their professional strength from it, whereas employers place their trust in candidates who have an Online Medical Coding Certification to their credit to a far greater extent than they do in candidates with no such training.
Benefits of Earning a Medical Coding Certification Online
Obtaining a medical coding online certification can provide several benefits, including:
1. Increased Job Opportunities: Many healthcare employers prefer to hire certified medical coders over non-certified candidates. So, having a certification can make you a more competitive candidate in the job market.
2. Higher Earning Potential: Certified medical coders may be eligible for higher salaries than non-certified coders as certification demonstrates higher expertise and knowledge.
3. Flexibility: Online certification programs allow you to study and complete coursework at your own pace and on your schedule, which can be convenient for individuals who work full-time or have other obligations.
4. Recognition: Certifications from reputable organizations are widely recognized in the healthcare industry and can provide a sense of professional achievement and recognition.
5. Continuing Education: Many online certification programs require continuing education to maintain certification, which can help you stay up-to-date with changes in coding systems and healthcare regulations.
How to Become a Medical Coder?
Becoming a medical coder requires education, training, and certification. Here are the steps:
1. Obtain a Diploma or Equivalent: A diploma or equivalent is typically required for entry-level medical coding positions.
2. Complete a Medical Coding Program: You can enroll in a medical coding certification program at a community college or technical school or online. These programs take anywhere from 4 weeks to 2 years to complete and provide training in medical terminology, anatomy, and coding systems such as ICD-10 and CPT.
3. Gain Work Experience: Many employers prefer to hire medical coders with some work experience, so gaining experience through internships or entry-level positions may be helpful.
4. Obtain Certification: Certification is not always required, but it can increase job opportunities and earning potential. The most common certification for medical coders is the Online Medical Coding Certification by ER.
5. Maintain Certification and Continuing Education: Medical coding certifications must be maintained through continuing education, which means staying up-to-date with coding systems and changes in healthcare regulations is important.
Overall, becoming a medical coder requires a commitment to education and ongoing learning as well as attention to detail and the ability to work independently.
Career Prospects in Medical Coding
Let’s discuss the hierarchy in the field of medical coding. After completing your Online Medical Coding Training, you start as a newbie at a company. When you gain some experience, you will gain the status of a medical coder. With some more experience, you become a senior medical coder or a subject matter expert (SME) as we call them. From here, you can go up to become a team leader, quality analyst, manager, etc. So, the growth prospects in the medical coding field are immense. You grow with experience.
According to Glassdoor, the national average salary for a Medical Coder is $38,628 in the United States.
Medical coders are trained professionals who assign codes to medical records and other healthcare documentation. They can be designated as outpatient, inpatient, and emergency department coders according to the departments they work for. Due to the very serious nature of the work, medical coding is a very demanding profession. Make sure you have looked into all aspects of it before deciding to step into the field of medical coding.
The career prospects for medical coders are quite promising as the demand for skilled medical coders grows. With the increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and other digital technologies, medical coding has become an essential part of the healthcare industry.
As a medical coder, you can work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, private practices, and insurance companies. You may also have the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of healthcare, such as radiology or cardiology, which can help you develop niche expertise and increase your earning potential.
Medical coding is a career that can be pursued with relatively little formal education as many entry-level positions require only a diploma and a certification in medical coding, making it an attractive option for individuals who are looking to enter the healthcare industry but may not have the time or resources to pursue a more extensive education.
Also, medical coding doesn’t have much of boundaries. You can seek employment across the world, like in the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Malaysia. There is a huge demand for medical coders in all these places as also in the United States of America, from where the work is procured. Your growth prospects depend on which country you’re working in. For instance, if you work in Dubai, the hierarchy and growth prospects are much better than in the South Asian countries.
Conclusion
Becoming a medical coder can provide a rewarding and stable career with opportunities for growth and flexibility. But for that, obtaining an Online Medical Coding Certification is a must. A certification will help you establish yourself as a qualified and knowledgeable medical coder and give you a competitive advantage in the job market.