Medical Billing and Coding Education in North Dakota - ND

By Jennifer Williams, allied health world Contributing Writer
Published: January, 16 2010

Steps to Become a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist in North Dakota

Step #1: State Licensure

North Dakota is one of the many states that do not hold state licensure requirements over the medical billing and coding profession. This is not to say, however, that there are not standards and accountability required from every professional in this field. The work that medical billers and coders do is very tedious, detail-oriented, and includes a wide scope of medical insurance information, making it a suitable career choice only for students that have been thoroughly trained about the ins and outs of medical billing.

Since you know that your particular state does not have a licensing process, you will need to learn what you actually need to do to become involved as a biller or coder. The first organization that you will want to become familiar is known as AHIMA, or the American Health Information Management Association. AHIMA is the national organization for accrediting high-performing schools and implementing standards over the medical billing and coding industry.

Step #2: Education and AHIMA

You should first understand that education and AHIMA go hand-in-hand. You can certainly go to any school of your choice, even if it is not an AHIMA accredited school. However, if you make that type of choice, you will need to be aware of the repercussions.

The American Health Information Management Association is an extremely reputable and well known organization. This is important because your affiliation with AHIMA will speak very highly of your qualifications and competency as a professional.

Step #3: National Certification and Medical Billing and Coding Certification in North Dakota

The next group that you will want to become familiar with is the American Academy of Professional Coders, or the AAPC. This group works primarily on the basis of supplying certifications to students who are well-educated and display a strong retention of knowledge pertaining to their field. In addition, the AAPC is also a great place to learn from supplemental seminars and to get connected with other medical billers and coders.

Upon successful completion of your school or training program, the next step for you to take is to sit for the examination provided by the AAPC. This examination is taken in an attempt to claim the title of CPC, or Certified Professional Coder. Not only does this designation entitle you to more salary annually, roughly 20%, but it also lets employers know that may be a strong asset to their team of medical billers.

If, in the future, you decide that you would be more interested in working in a specific environment of healthcare billing, the AAPC has various specialized certifications, as well.