How Can I Become an Insurance Coding Specialist?

Research what it takes to become an insurance coding specialist. Learn about education requirements, job duties, average wages and job outlook to find out if this is the career for you.

What Is an Insurance Coder?

Insurance coding specialists code information from medical charts that is then sent on to insurance companies, Medicare, or Medicaid. The codes are used to get reimbursement for treatment provided, or to provide data to analyze the patient population. There is no patient contact involved, and most jobs are done during normal working hours, although shift work may be an option in larger healthcare facilities.

As an insurance coding specialist, you should be highly detail oriented and adept with computer systems. You will need excellent communication skills as you will serve as a liaison between doctors and insurance or government reimbursement departments. You will also need to be able to keep what you see in medical records confidential.

The following chart has more information about the salary, job outlook, and how to become an insurance coding specialist.

Degree Required	Associate's degree
Education Field of Study	Health information technology
Key Skills	Detail oriented, computer savvy, knowledgeable about medical terminology
Job Growth (2020-2030)	9% (for all medical records and health information technicians)*
Median Salary (2020)	$45,240 (for all medical records and health information technicians)*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Does an Insurance Coding Specialist Do?

Insurance coding specialists are health information technicians who use software classification systems to assign codes to information taken from medical records. On a daily basis, your duties will include checking the accuracy and completeness of patient records, and organizing the records and other documents of the whole healthcare facility. You will also use special classification software to assign codes to written records for reimbursement from insurance companies, or for patient data analysis. This job involves interaction with healthcare staff such as doctors and nurses, and extensive use of electronic health records and coding software.

What Classes Will I Have to Take?

Most employers will want you to have an Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology from an accredited college. You will take courses covering anatomy and physiology, insurance reimbursement procedures, medical terminology, pathology and pharmacology. You will also study classification and coding systems as well as ethical and legal issues.

The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (www.cahiim.org) accredits colleges in the U.S. in this field. Insurance coding is a specialty within the field of health information technology, and to be credentialed as an insurance coder you will be required to take specific coursework on coding software systems, acquire work experience and pass an exam. You will also need to complete continuing education to keep up your credentials.

What Is the Demand for Jobs in this Field?

Given our aging population and the ever-increasing demand for healthcare services, in 2020 the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics forecast that this field would grow 9% over the next several years, which is much faster than average for most jobs. In 2020, the median annual salary in this field was $45,240. Employment opportunities are available not only in medical facilities, but anywhere medical records are used, which includes insurance companies, law offices and the government.

What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?

Medical transcription is another administrative career in the healthcare field, and you can find a job as a medical transcriptionist after completing a certificate program. Your job will be to convert voice recordings of physicians into written text, as well as to edit medical documents and interpret terminology and abbreviations. You could also consider a career as an information clerk, which isn't necessarily in the healthcare industry. This career involves doing clerical duties for a company such as providing information to customers or maintaining records.