coding certificationIf you have ambitions to be a medical coder, already at work in the profession and wish to improve your prospects, a great way to achieve your aims is to gain a medical coding certification.

There are many different medical coding training programs out there, and coding staff gain their knowledge from on-the-job experience as well as their education. But the purpose of certification is that it validates the standard of your expertise for a prospective employer, and also can provide you with a source of continuing education, employment opportunities and support such as networking.

Because medical coders often target a specific area of knowledge or pursue their careers in a particular sort of workplace, there are different kinds of specialized certifications — so obviously it makes sense to choose one that focused on your professional concentration. The major associations, such as the AAPC, may offer a variety of credentials to suit different types of employment situation: for example, working in an outpatient hospital, a physician’s practice, or a medical auditing company. They may also awarded specialist credentials in areas such as

  • Anaesthesia and pain management
  • cardiology
  • cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
  • dermatology
  • gastroenterology
  • haematology and oncology
  • obstetrics
  • otolaryngology
  • paediatrics
  • rheumatology unit
  • urology

Coding Certification Providers

We’ll look at some of the principal organisations offering medical coding certification and examine the different types of credential available.

The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)

Founded in 1988, the AAPC is, along with AHIMA, one of the best-known organisations providing certification and education opportunities in the medical coding profession. Its main credentials include:

  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) — designed for coders working in physicians’ offices, more than 60,000 people hold this credential, and the AAPC claims that they typically earn 20% more than their non-credential counterparts
  • Certified Professional Coder — Hospital Outpatient (CPC-H®) — more and more doctors are moving away from private practice into hospital groups, giving rise to extensive job opportunities in outpatient facilities
  • Certified Professional Coder — Payer (CPC®) — the payer field includes a wide variety of different health plans, and this credential is suitable for people working in this environment who want to validate their knowledge and experience of medical coding from the payer’s point of view
  • Certified Interventional Radiology Cardiovascular Coder (CIRRC®) — this is a sufficiently important field requiring specific knowledge and expertise that a specialist credential is now offered. It’s asserted that the potential for coding and charging error is high in the sector of interventional radiology, and skilled and certified professionals in this area often have a high earning potential

Th AAPC also offers some 20 specialist credentials in medical areas such as those listed above. Visit their website for more details.

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

Health informatics and information management professionals can find a variety of credentials available from AHIMA, including

  • Certified Coding Associate (CCA) — a broad-based certification of coding skills and competencies for physician based coders and those working in hospital environments
  • Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) — this is a mastery level certification focusing on coders who are skilled in extracting and classifying medical data from patient records
  • Certified Coding Specialist — Physician Based (CCS-P) — also a mastery level credential, this is appropriate for candidates with at least three years experience who wish to focus on working in doctors offices, specialist clinics, or group practices

The Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists (PAHCS)

The PAHCS currently offers specialist coding credentials for important areas of medical expertise similar to those listed above. It also awards the Certified Multispecialty Coding Specialist (CMSCS) credential to applicants who successfully meet the requirements in examination for at least three of the specialist areas.

The Board of Medical Specialty Coding and Compliance (BMSC)

  • Specialty Coding Professional (SCP) — this may be appropriate for coders who have at least two years experience working in a physician’s office and a good general knowledge of coding and billing matters. Specialist focus is available in a number of the major areas of medical care.
  • Advanced Coding Specialist (ACS) — those with at least three years experience on the job and a more extensive and thorough knowledge of practice issues may be ready to take this certification examination
  • Home Care Coding Specialist — Diagnosis (HCS-D) — this is a practical specialist certification for those with a minimum of two years experience working in the area of home care

Having the appropriate coding certification for your area of experience and expertise is an important part of demonstrating your competency and professionalism to a prospective employer. Surveys have shown that there is often the advantage of greater income potential for those who have attained a specialist certification, combined with experience and successful work history.