Medical Billing and Coding Education in Delaware - DE

By Joanna Pelletier, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 8 2010

Delaware is first at just about everything: it was the first State to see English settlers, ratify the Constitution, see a steam railroad, and have Betty Ross's American flag fly proudly in its sea-hewn winds. Delaware will have to be among the rest, however, when it comes to the boom in health care employment. The United States Bureau of Labor statistics has predicted a 20 percent influx in medical billing jobs through 2018 (www.bls.gov), which will occur as a result of the increase in the number of tests, treatments, and procedures performed by health care facilities across the Nation.

How to Become a Medical Billing Specialist in Delaware

1. Get a general education degree (GED) or high school diploma. Certificates and degrees in Medical Billing and coding and Medical Office Technology are offered through community colleges, which require their students to have a secondary education before they begin any sort of a program for medical billing and coding certification in Delaware. Students who plan on becoming Medical Billing Specialists should develop strong mathematical reasoning, communication, and analytical skills, which they can obtain by doing well in their English, communications, mathematics, and science classes.

2. Obtain a Delaware medical billing certificate or comprehensive medical billing and coding certification in Delaware. Medical Billing Specialists can begin entry-level work with a certificate in medical coding, medical billing, or a combination of the two. Certificate programs in medical billing and coding typically concentrate on building a student's understanding of billing and coding practices and procedures, and focus on providing them with a full knowledge of health care laws, rules, and ethics.

3. Acquire an Associate's degree in Medical Office Technology (optional). An Associate's degree is not a necessary foundation for becoming a Medical Billing Specialist in Delaware, but it can help students advance even further in their careers and gain higher pay. Associate's degree programs combine career training classes with liberal arts classes, which will give students a  full-bodied educational experience.

4. Get certified through AHIMA. The American Health Information Management Association regulates certification programs and provides leadership, volunteer, continuing education, and advancement opportunities for its members. AHIMA members must go through a program that is either accredited by AHIMA itself or the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Initial membership usually involves an exam, an application, and an application fee.