The health care industry is growing extremely rapidly, each year that passes there is more of a demand for medical services, medical supplies, medical testing, and rehab. Because of this demand there is much more jobs that are available.
Medical coding is one of those jobs that need many positions filled. Medicaid, Medicare and insurance companies have put many new strict guidelines that need to be followed so that the doctor's can get paid. So this is why it's important that an experienced individual fill these positions.
If you are not sure what a medical coding job entails then let me explain. Medical coders are responsible for reading the doctor's notes and transferring the patient's information using codes into the patient's medical records. If the patient had a special procedure done, then it would need to be put into a code in his/her medical chart. Another example, if the patient came in for a pap smear then it needs to be in her medical chart. These codes are universal alphanumerical. These codes are the first step to billing and if they are incorrect then they will be charged the wrong amount.
If you wanted to start a career in medical coding then you would want to take courses and get a certificate. I say it that way because it is not uncommon for people without a certificate in this field to get a job, but it will be harder and you wouldn't get paid as much.
There are many codes that you would be responsible to know, as well as many strict guidelines that you would need to know. If you made one mistake, that you may think is a small little mistake, can cause the doctor a large sum of money that they cannot get because you put the wrong code in. So you can see the importance of having an in-depth knowledge of these standardized medical codes.
Completing the medical coding course can take you anywhere from 3 months to one year. It all depends on how much time you have to devote to completing the courses. But it's a short period of time when you can get your certificate and begin potentially making a starting salary of $31,000. That's a good starting salary wouldn't you say? There are plenty of online courses that you are able to take and complete it at your own pace - Drexel or Allied Medical School are two good schools.
The courses you will take will teach you medical terminology, anatomy, medical procedures and much more. All of these courses are very important to complete the duties of a medical coder, and for them to complete them accurately.