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Students who want to work
in health care and who love the idea of dealing with the fast-paced
work of the medical office may want to explore medical coding schools.
Medical coding schools provide students with the education needed
to handle medical coding in most medical facilities, including hospitals
and doctors' offices. The information below provides an overview of
what students should look for in medical coding schools and what they
can anticipate after completing their education.
Medical Coding Schools: The Basics
Medical coding schools come in a variety of types. Many are vocational
institutions which also provide training in a variety of other careers.
Others are alternative distance education programs which can be
completed at home.
Regarding of which of these medical coding schools a student chooses,
the school should provide a curriculum which includes the following
courses: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, Pathology
and Disease Processes, Introduction to ICD-9-CM Coding, and Health
care Laws and Ethics. Medical
records software and medical
billing software packages are also usually taught as part of
the curriculum.
The ICD-9-CM Coding may eventually be replaced with the newer ICD-10
coding method, according to the American Health Information Management
Association (AHIMA). This newer coding method is already used in
99 other countries, and the organization is pushing for it to be
adopted in the United States as well, particularly because the other
ICD-9 system is nearly 30 years old.
Medical Coding Schools: The Future
Students who graduate from one of these medical coding schools
should have good job prospects. There is a growing demand for
medical coders. However, students can increase their chances of
employment by becoming a Registered Health Information Technician
(RIT). This requires students to complete a 2-year degree from
an accredited medical coding school and to pass an exam given
by the AHIMA.
Salaries for medical coders vary considerably. On the low end,
medical coders earned less than $20,000. Some, especially those
who had received advancement and who were RITs, earned close to
$40,000.
More Information About Medical Coding Schools
To learn more about medical coding schools, visit the AHIMA's
web site, read "Area
of Study: Medical Coding and Billing", and review "Medical
Records and Health Information Technicians". To learn about
other health care careers, read "Medical
Transcription Schools," "Medical
Billing Schools," or "Medical
Jobs."
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