South Dakota Medical Billing and Coding Schools - SD

Community colleges, trade, and vocational medical coding schools in South Dakota offer programs that will train you sufficiently for the career. The most important factor when choosing medical billing schools in South Dakota is that it is AHIMA-accredited. A list of such training programs for medical coders and billers is at www.ahima.org/careers/college_search/search.asp . Ask those who currently work as medical coders and billers where they trained, and receive recommendations from former students and references from the Better Business Bureau before selecting your program.

Courses you will take in a training program for medical billers and codes include medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, ICD-9 coding, CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) surgical and non-surgical coding, healthcare laws and ethics, insurance compliance, insurance abuse, and insurance fraud.

After you have worked in the field for a while and decide to take certification examinations, they will cover the basics, including CPT, HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System), and ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification) diagnosis codes. All of these are the basic methods used by medical coders and billers to bill medical services to private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid.

In a poll taken of hospitals in South Dakota in 2006, it was found that 93% of them did not use electronic medical records. As South Dakota currently (2008) has the largest number of workers in positions involving medical records or health information technology (of which medical billers and coders are a part), with 1050 residents of the state working in the field, it is evident that positions in medical billing and coding will be on the rise in years to come. South Dakota's medical billers and coders make about $30,000 yearly, reflecting the median national annual salary for this profession.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Medical Billing and Coding Professionals in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen and Watertown, South Dakota may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Sanford USD Medical Center, Rapid City Regional Hospital, Avera Saint Luke's Hospital and Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.