Pennsylvania Medical Billing and Coding Schools - PA
Medical billing and coding specialists utilize their knowledge of diseases and medical procedures as well as classification systems or diagnosis-related groups (DRG) to assign the proper code to a patient’s diagnosis and procedure. Those who specialize as cancer or other disease registrars compile data associated with those patients and their treatments, which may be used in research studies or compiled as statistics.
At this time Pennsylvania does not require special licensing for those working as medical billing and coding specialists. However, achieving professional certification is an excellent means to differentiate yourself from other job applicants. In addition to certification, attending medical billing and coding schools in Pennsylvania can greatly improve your chances of being hired rapidly. Medical billing and coding specialists typically have an associate degree from medical coding schools in Pennsylvania or a distance learning program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Courses typically cover medical terminology, statistics, physiology, anatomy, computer science and coding standards. Additional courses in biology, math, chemistry and health are advisable.
Medical billing and coders can hold pre-degree certificates, associate degrees, baccalaureate degrees and even master degrees. Those interested in this profession have several options to pursue their career. The following are two popular career paths.