Medical Coding Associate Degree Programs

<p>With a degree in this field, you could work as a medical coder, which is also sometimes called a medical coding specialist. As a medical coder, you would be responsible for assigning codes often used for insurance purposes to patient medical records. These codes might pertain to the patient's medical conditions, as well as medical treatments. You would input this information into medical record databases, where you can also organize and verify it. For this reason, you would need to be familiar with common coding and classification systems that help determine how medical practices are reimbursed by insurance or government health programs. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Online Availability</b></td><td> Fully online programs available</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td> Anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical office administration</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Registration</b></td><td> Passing an exam to become a registered health information technician may improve employment opportunities</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Mean Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $48,270 (<i>for medical records and health information technicians</i>)*</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-2029)</b></td><td> 8% (<i>for medical records and health information technicians</i>)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatCanIExpectFromADegreeProgram">What Can I Expect From a Degree Program?</h3> <p>This degree program is available in both online and on-campus formats. It can usually be completed in 1-2 years and combines general education courses with business and medical courses. You'll need at least a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for enrollment, while high school classes in biology, business or computer science could help you prepare for study. The following are examples of classes you might find in the curriculum: </p> <ul><li>Anatomy and physiology </li><li>Pharmacology </li><li>ICD-9 coding </li><li>CPT-H hospital coding </li><li>CPT medical coding </li><li>Medical terminology </li><li>Healthcare ethics and legal issues </li><li>Health information technology </li><li>Medical office administration </li></ul><h3 id="section---DoINeedAnyOtherTraining">Do I Need Any Other Training?</h3> <p>While it is not required, you may improve your employment chances if you are a registered health information technician (RHIT). You can become a RHIT by passing an exam administered by the American Health Information Management Association (<i>www.ahima.org</i>). However, you must have graduated from a school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) in order to qualify for this credential (<i>www.cahiim.org</i>). </p> <h3 id="section---HowMuchMoneyCanIMake">How Much Money Can I Make?</h3> <p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that medical records and health information technicians, including medical coders, had a mean annual salary of $48,270 in May 2020 (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). Those working for the federal executive branch earned $57,690 a year, while coders who worked in offices of physicians earned $43,080. Junior colleges, federal executive branch, advertising, public relations, and related services and insurance carriers were some of the top-paying industries for medical coders.</p>