Over the past few years, more and more people have discovered CPC Medical Coding as a decent profession laden with opportunities. And with the changes in the United States’ health care systems taking place, the demand for Certified Medical Coders continues to increase. To many people’s delight, this means more jobs in the Medical Billing and Coding profession! However, one has to go through a process before becoming a Medical Coder.
What is A Medical Coder?
A Medical Coder is someone who works side by side with the people in charge of Medical Billing Salary. Many people confuse Medical billing and Medical coding as the same thing when in fact, they are quite different.
A Medical coder takes care of identifying a doctor’s diagnosis about a patient and assigning a corresponding code to it. These codes are recognized all over the US and even outside (though some letters in the codes may change). It helps health care providers everywhere make an accurate reading of a person’s medical history.
On the other hand, Medical billing uses these codes and other transcribed medical information to bill hospitals. These important data is also sent to insurance companies for medical reimbursements.
To qualify for a CPC, the AAPC (American Association of Professional Coders) imposes the following requirements for exam-takers:
* An associate’s degree is recommended.
* An examination fee is to be paid when you submit your application.
* To be able to take the exam, you must be a member of the AAPC. For non-members, you can register during the time of your application. Membership must be renewed every year.
* Exams will be reported with 65% scores or less.
* A Certified Professional Coder is also required to have 2 years of experience as a Medical Coder.
* A 36 CEU (Continuing Education Units) is also required every 2 years to verify expertise in the field.
If you want to take the CPC exam, you have to pay around $300 for it. There are 150 questions in the exam, involving topics from different medical fields such as Anatomy and Biology. There are also questions involving Medical Terminologies and Database Security.
The AAPC website also provides other tips before taking the exam, as well as a list of approved study manuals.
Passing the Certified Professional Coder exam could open up a lot of opportunity for you, especially because most medical companies nowadays only hire CPCs. Also, if you decide to proceed with your
education and earn a Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree, you can take on a Senior Managerial position in the Medical Coding and Billing field.
CPC Medical Coding can be a very satisfying profession for anyone who works hard for it.
What is A Medical Coder?
A Medical Coder is someone who works side by side with the people in charge of Medical Billing Salary. Many people confuse Medical billing and Medical coding as the same thing when in fact, they are quite different.
A Medical coder takes care of identifying a doctor’s diagnosis about a patient and assigning a corresponding code to it. These codes are recognized all over the US and even outside (though some letters in the codes may change). It helps health care providers everywhere make an accurate reading of a person’s medical history.
On the other hand, Medical billing uses these codes and other transcribed medical information to bill hospitals. These important data is also sent to insurance companies for medical reimbursements.
To qualify for a CPC, the AAPC (American Association of Professional Coders) imposes the following requirements for exam-takers:
* An associate’s degree is recommended.
* An examination fee is to be paid when you submit your application.
* To be able to take the exam, you must be a member of the AAPC. For non-members, you can register during the time of your application. Membership must be renewed every year.
* Exams will be reported with 65% scores or less.
* A Certified Professional Coder is also required to have 2 years of experience as a Medical Coder.
* A 36 CEU (Continuing Education Units) is also required every 2 years to verify expertise in the field.
If you want to take the CPC exam, you have to pay around $300 for it. There are 150 questions in the exam, involving topics from different medical fields such as Anatomy and Biology. There are also questions involving Medical Terminologies and Database Security.
The AAPC website also provides other tips before taking the exam, as well as a list of approved study manuals.
Passing the Certified Professional Coder exam could open up a lot of opportunity for you, especially because most medical companies nowadays only hire CPCs. Also, if you decide to proceed with your
education and earn a Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree, you can take on a Senior Managerial position in the Medical Coding and Billing field.
CPC Medical Coding can be a very satisfying profession for anyone who works hard for it.