HIT Coding Specialist FAQ
HIT Coding Specialist FAQ
What do Coding Specialists do?
Coding Specialists are professionals skilled in classifying medical data from patient health records. They review patient health records and assign numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure. To perform this task, they must possess expertise in the ICD-9-CM coding system and the CPT coding system. In addition, they must be knowledgeable of medical terminology, disease processes, and pharmacology.
Hospitals or medical providers report coded data to insurance companies or the government, in the case of Medicare and Medicaid recipients, for reimbursement of their expenses. Researchers and public health officials also use coded medical data to monitor patterns in health care and explore new interventions. Coding accuracy is highly important to healthcare organizations because of its impact on revenues and describing health outcomes.
What are the National Certification Exams available to Coding Specialists?
Three (3) national certification examinations are administered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
CCA (Certified Coding Associate) - Entry-level skills in coding.
CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) - Mastery or proficiency in hospital inpatient and outpatient coding.
CCS-P (Certified Coding Specialist) - Physician-Based) - Mastery or proficiency in physician services coding.
Is Employment Available?
In the Ozarks and on a national level, the demand for medical coders is greater than the supply, and this trend is expected to continue for years. Health information management is among the top 10 professions in demand through 2012 per the U.S. Department of Labor (2005).
What is the range of wages?
Credentialed Coder: $8.77 - $13.46 as of December 2004
Non-credentialed Coder: $ 7.17 - $10.50 as of December 2004
Questions about financial assistance or student services?
Information about student services, refunds, and financial aid is included in OTC's college catalog. An itemized list of estimated program costs is available on request from the Allied Health Office.
Financial Aid is available to qualified students through AHIMA Foundation of Research and Education (FORE), which offers both loans and scholarships. Consult AHIMA's web site, http://www.ahima.org for further information.