Technical Certificate in Medical Coding

Medical Coding is a 31 -credit hour program offering specialized training in the review of medical documents for the assignment of ICD-9-CM and CPT codes used for medical billing and insurance purposes. All credit is applicable to the AAS Medical Office Administration Degree. Graduates are trained to complete the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Certified Professional Coder (CPC), American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Certified Coding Specialist- Physician (CCS-P) and Certified Coding Associate (CCA) examinations. 

Career profile of a medical records specialist
Medical records specialist — a term used to describe a variety of positions tasked with managing patient revenue in the various healthcare settings — ranks high in job opportunities and career advancement potential. The income range is competitive and far exceeds the required financial and time investment compared with preparing for many other professions. What's more, working with healthcare providers in the medial field offers a career path rich in personal reward.

Yearly growth projected at 7%
U.S. governmental data also indicate that opportunities for medical records specialists continue to grow: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) projects 7 percent average yearly growth in the healthcare business industry, compared with 5 percent average growth for all career professions.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects job growth for medical records specialists to grow 7 percent through 2031. Unemployment rates continue to drop annually. We are the lowest rates since the pandemic with a 2.9 percent overall decrease for medical records specialists since last year.

Income trends based on location
The trend of improving incomes continues, as 10 states report increases of at least 10 percent, an improvement over last year’s nine states seeing gains of 9 percent or more. The remaining 38 states all saw gains of up to 10 percent.

The three states reporting the biggest gains in 2023 are Indiana (21.8 percent), California (13.4 percent), and Rhode Island (13.1 percent). Other states with 10 percent or greater improved incomes: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Maine, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington.

What 2023 data tells us about remote work
Employers of medical coders, billers, and other healthcare business professionals are part of the remote work trend, as shown by a whopping 63.3 percent of the AAPC 2023 Salary Survey respondents reporting that they work remotely full time. As recently as 2017, approximately 70 percent of medical records specialists worked exclusively at an onsite office. 

Academic Map - Medical Coding (Technical Certificate)

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