8:10 AM
indigo
When all is said and done the objective of any interest in medical
coding is being able to land a job in a dynamically growing career. The
American healthcare industry is growing by leaps and bounds and the need
for medical coders
has increased along with it. It’s all well and good, but a primary
concern is understanding specifically what it takes to secure one of
those desired jobs.
Job descriptions can give some needed clues. The US Bureau of Labor
Statistics has a general explanation of the types of duties that people
in medical coding and/or medical records are required to do on a daily
basis. The Bureau’s overall job description gives an idea of the work
environment and the job outlook as well. While this is an important
source of information about what it takes to be a medical coder, often
the qualifications will vary from job description to job description.
Still, it is a start.
It is pretty much a given that a medical coder has to have an
acceptable level of proficiency in medical codes. ICD – 9 codes are used
extensively, but a new and much larger set of codes, the ICD – 10, will
come into use in late 2013. Anyone looking for a medical coding job
would be wise to get thorough training in ICD – 10 codes and show a
good knowledge of medical terminology as well. Solid knowledge in the
codes can be effectively demonstrated if the job applicant has a certified professional coder (CPC)
designation. The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) can
provide both the training and the CPC designation (this, of course,
comes after the successful completion of the CPC examination). Another
medical coding related certification is offered by the American Health
Information Management Association (AHIMA). Known as the registered
health information technician (RHIT) certification, this is a
particularly good qualification for those who are seeking management
positions.
Work experience is a very common employment qualification for any
job, and medical coding is no exception. A problem for most medical
coding students is a situation that puts the cart before the horse –
i.e. how can one get the right amount of job experience without the
right job qualifications beforehand. There is a very simple remedy for
this and it is internship. Student interns work for free in exchange for
gaining needed job experience. The AAPC has the Project Xtern program
that offers internships in a large number of participating facilities.
The AHIMA also offers internship opportunities for students. It should
be noted, though, that membership in the organizations is a basic
requirement to gain access to any of the offered internship programs.
Another means of getting experience in a roundabout way is to work in a
health care setting without actually being a medical coder. It would be
possible to say in a job interview that work experience was gained through activity in a job related to medical coding.
There is one final way to meet any work experience requirement, and
that would be to have one or more academic degrees. It is often the case
that an associate degree in medical coding or medical records can be
substituted for one or two years of hands-on experience. It all depends
on the needs of the employer and what that company’s job description
demands of a candidate.
The qualifications for entry level employment in medical coding
are not that difficult to achieve. A person ought to take a look
beforehand regarding general requirements and map a job search with that
information in mind. This is a growing field with a great number of job
opportunities. Taking a look at medical coder job descriptions of
various health care facilities can educate a person on what, at the very
least, are the basic qualifications for the position.
