• Certification: 1 year to complete
• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete

Overall, most individuals working in the medical billing and coding industry have an associate degree, but some have only a certification. The certification takes about one year to complete, while the associate degree in medical billing and coding takes about two years to complete. While studying, students should also experience as much work experience as possible in this field. An internship or direct job experience will provide students with very valuable information that will help them succeed in the medical billing and coding industry.

Some of the coursework that individuals can expect to study while pursuing this degree include healthcare reimbursement methods, database management, data analysis, clinical classification and coding systems, and database security. All of these courses offer valuable information that is vital to this field of work, and will be practiced on a daily basis. In addition, technology is constantly evolving in the medical industry, so it is up to medical billing and coding workers to stay on top of these changes.

Once a student has completed his or her medical billing and coding educational program, they do not need to achieve any additional certification before they can start working. However, more and more hospitals, physicians' offices, and clinics prefer to select candidates who have successfully passed the Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) certification, which requires that applicants pass an exam. (BLS)

Accredited medical billing and coding programs train students to work in healthcare facilities as reimbursement specialists. These professionals use their skills to obtain payment for healthcare services from private insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid. In order to bill insurance providers, medical diagnoses must first be assigned a corresponding code, which may vary depending on the particular type of medical coding software. Along with specific courses in coding and billing, most degree programs also require students to take a set of foundational liberal arts courses, in subjects like English, math, social studies, and the humanities.

In order to read and understand documents and diagnoses in the healthcare setting, students are required to take classes in basic medical science. Courses in medical terminology teach students the language of the medical office, and a class in anatomy or biology includes an introduction to the musculo-skeletal system. After these foundational classes, students take a number of courses in specific medical coding methods. Classes in the international classification of diseases (ICD) and current procedural terminology (CPT) cover some of the major coding systems used in medical software. Classes in accounting, medical software, and insurance procedures round out the degree program and give the student experience in billing, as well as medical coding.

Many programs do require an internship in a healthcare facility, since medical work is fast paced and students could benefit from real-world billing and coding experiences. Other than this internship, the coursework in medical billing and coding programs is easily adapted to the online format, and distance learning programs don't usually require on-site classes.

Several other degrees also prepare graduates for support roles in the healthcare industry. Accredited degrees in medical transcription train students to perform another very specific set of skills, transcribing doctors' recordings into written medical records. Individuals interested in performing a variety of tasks in the medical office could check out the medical assisting program; these degrees teach students both clinical and administrative techniques. Degree programs in health information management usually include some coursework in billing and coding, as well as many classes in healthcare information technology.

Those interested in a supervisory administrative role could look into a bachelor's program in health services management. Those with a desire to become involved in the treatment and diagnosis process might want to look into nursing associate's or bachelor's degree programs.