Online Medical Billing and Coding Degrees: A Complete Guide

A career in the medical industry doesn’t have to involve hands-on care. You don’t have to administer vaccines, diagnose contagious diseases, or provide emergency care. There will always be a need for these jobs, but other options exist to contribute to the medical industry. If you don’t want to work with the sick and injured, an online medical billing and coding degree may be perfect for you.

ARTICLE NAVIGATION:

• What are “Medical Codes” and “Medical Coding?”
• Levels of Online Medical Billing and Coding Degrees: Certificate | Diploma | Associate | Bachelor | Professional Certificate
• Accreditation for Online Medical Billing and Coding Degrees
• Can Online Medical Billing and Coding Degrees Meet Licensing or Certification Requirements?
• Licenses and Certifications for Medical Coding and Billing
• Career Options with an Online Medical Billing and Coding Degree
• Expected Salaries with an Online Medical Billing and Coding Degree

The medical industry uses a system of letters and numbers to organize procedures, services, diagnoses, and equipment. These codes can be complex. It’s the duty of medical records specialists to apply these codes correctly. They pull information from reports, assign codes, and create insurance claims. A medical coder is a medical records specialist who concentrates on codes.

Because these codes are connected to the billing process, billing and coding classes are often paired. This is why so many schools offer programs such as a Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding or Diploma in Medical/Insurance Coding.

Certificate

One advantage of becoming a medical records specialist or coder is that you can start with just a certificate. This is one of the fastest post-secondary educations available.

These online medical billing and coding degrees can help you become a trained health-coding professional in about a year. The certificate from the University of Cincinnati, for example, has 30 credit hours. Students can finish it in one year including a summer term. The Medical Coding & Billing Specialist Short-Term Technical Certificate from Sinclair Community College only requires 24 credit hours. It additionally qualifies graduates for CCS credentialing through AHIMA.

The programs only require a high school diploma or equivalent for enrollment. This makes them an ideal choice for recent high school grads who want a fast track to a rewarding career. They are also useful for working professionals who want a new career without a lengthy two- or four-year degree.

Diploma

Students with no college experience who want to enter the healthcare industry can consider an online diploma in medical coding and billing. These programs allow you to learn about the industry with no in-person requirements.

Once complete, graduates of these diplomas can work as medical insurance and coding specialists. They may work in medical offices, clinics, and hospitals.

Diplomas vary in size, but you can finish most in about a year. The Medical Coding and Insurance program from Minnesota State Community and Technical College, for example, requires a total of 50 credit hours. Diplomas can be completed with attendance in summer, fall, and spring semesters, resulting in graduation in just one calendar year.

Associate

These online medical billing and coding degrees prepare you for top positions in medical billing and coding. While certificates and diplomas are the base-level education for medical coders, some positions require an associate’s degree. They prepare graduates for work in doctor’s offices, insurance companies, health clinics, and more.

They are available fully online and require two to three years of study. An associate’s degree requires 60 credit hours to complete.

They require no previous college experience, and accredited online medical billing and coding degrees will qualify graduates for credentialing. For example, the Associate of Applied Science in Medical Billing & Coding Technology from East Mississippi Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Its graduates are eligible to become Certified Coding Associates through AHIMA.

Bachelor

A bachelor’s degree in medical billing and coding can lead to numerous options in the industry. Grads can work for medical offices, insurance companies, clinics, hospitals, and more. These online medical billing and coding degrees can also lead to positions other than just medical coding. They will also prepare you to work in management, such as a health services manager. These leadership positions require a bachelor’s degree and roughly five years of experience.

A bachelor’s degree requires four years of study. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration / Healthcare Reimbursement from Cambridge College, for example, includes 120 credit hours delivered through 40 courses.

Bachelor’s degrees include general courses in classic academic subjects such as history and literature, as well as core-specific classes. They can also be specialized. The online medical billing and coding degree from Cambridge College, for instance, focuses on reimbursement.

Professional Certificate

Available fully online, a professional certificate will build your knowledge of medical coding and the healthcare industry as a whole. An online medical billing and coding degree will qualify you for positions as a medical coder and medical records specialist.

They only require a high school diploma or equivalent to apply. This makes them ideal for people who want fast access to a rewarding career. People who have already worked in healthcare roles can also use these certificates for career advancement.

These online medical billing and coding degrees include 15 courses and can be completed in 12 months. Courses focus on medical coding. Once complete, students are eligible for credentials including Certified Professional Coder (CPC) from the AAPC, Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), and Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) from the NHA.

Accreditation is the act of verifying a school and program’s quality and academic excellence. If you want your education to qualify for licensing and certification tests, make sure your school and program are accredited.

Institutional accreditation is the process of verifying an entire school. This is done by regional groups like the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). There are also groups like the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) offering approval to fully online schools.

For online medical coding and billing degrees, programmatic accreditation often comes from AHIMA. Programmatic accreditation will apply to the degree or department only, not the school as a whole.

Resources:

• US Department of Education - Accreditation
• AHIMA

Yes, an online medical billing and coding degree can be used to get certified. While medical records specialists, including coders, do not need licensing, many employers prefer workers with industry certifications.

These online medical billing and coding programs have the proper accreditation to qualify students for certification tests. For example, the Medical Billing & Coding Certificate from Purdue Global is approved by the AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program (PCAP). This qualifies students for testing as a Certified Coding Associate (CCA).

Resource:

• AHIMA - Professional Certificate Approval Program

The careers from an online medical billing and coding degree do not require licensing. However, many employers prefer candidates who have credentials from groups such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Academy of Professional Coders (AACP).

The certification process is fairly routine. This is how to become registered as a Certified Coding Associate through AHIMA:

1. Graduate from an AHIMA-approved medical coding program.
2. Apply for the exam. The application price is $199 for AHIMA members and $299 for non-members.
3. Complete the exam. Candidates have two hours to take the exam, which ranges between 90 and 115 questions. The passing score is 300 or higher on a scale of 100 to 400.
4. AHIMA will send you the results as soon as possible.

The passing rate is fairly high for these exams. In 2021, the passing rate was 74%. This was down a bit from 85% the previous year. Other credentialing tests have lower passing rates. For example, the Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P) test had a passing rate of 42% for the same year.

Resource:

• AHIMA - Certification Exams

A medical records specialist serves an important role in healthcare. As such the need for these experts is expected to keep pace with job growth across the country. The projected growth for all careers is 5% from 2021 to 2031. Meanwhile, medical records specialist jobs will likely grow by 7%, slightly faster than the rest of the job market. By 2031, there will be roughly 199,000 medical records specialists, so people with these educations should find robust employment options.

Healthcare in general is an industry that hires people all across the country. You can find employment in medical and healthcare facilities nearly anywhere. That said, the highest focus of these professionals is in Alaska, which has 4.76 medical records specialists for every 1,000 jobs. In fact, it has a commanding lead over the runner-up states. South Dakota (2.62), Kentucky (2.31), West Virginia (2.20), and Mississippi (1.87) complete the top five.

For metro areas, Alaskan cities hold the top two spots. Fairbanks is #1 with 6.13 medical records specialists per 1,000 jobs, while Anchorage is #2 with 5.84. After that, cities with high concentrations are scattered about the country. Top locales include cities in Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Ohio, and Virginia.

Resources:

• BLS - Employment of Medical Records Specialists by State
• BLS - Medical Records Specialists Job Outlook

Medical records specialists can expect strong salaries, although they may not be jaw-dropping incomes. The median salary for all medical records specialists is $46,660, which is about $900 more than the median for all jobs. However, remember that this career can begin with minimal education, which is one of the main advantages.

With advancement and experience, you can expect higher salaries, as the top 10% earn over $74,000 a year. Also, records specialists in certain areas can expect higher salaries. Pros in the San Francisco region, for example, have a median salary of $66,980. (Of course, keep the overall cost of living in mind.)

This profession can lead to other careers in medical management, including:

• Health information technologist: $55,560 (Requires at least an associate’s in health information management.)
• Health services manager: $101,340 (Requires a bachelor’s degree and roughly five years of experience.)

Resource:

• BLS - Medical Records Specialists' Pay

If you are ready for a rewarding career as a medical records specialist, then use the resources on GetEducated.com today to find the perfect online medical billing and coding degree. Whether you want to complete a fast certificate or you’re ready to commit to a bachelor’s online medical billing and coding degree, we’ll provide the information and resources you need. Submit your information, and let’s get started right away!