Medical coding and billing is the process of translating information from patient records—treatments, tests, and procedures—into the standardized codes used to bill patients and third-party payers such as insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid.

You’ll play a vital role in the healthcare ecosystem, helping to ensure that third-party payers are billed correctly so healthcare providers can get reimbursed. You’ll review and manage patients’ electronic medical records and assign codes to diagnoses and procedures that have been performed. And you’ll be the liaison between healthcare facilities and billing offices.

The salary for a medical coding and billing professional will vary by employer, location, and experience. But the median salary is $46,660 with potential for traditional employment benefits.*

Medical billing and coding jobs are plentiful. In fact, there’s a nationwide shortage of people with this critical skill set. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 7% employment growth in 10 years.*

While certification isn’t mandatory, most employers prefer their employees to be certified. Especially in the highly regulated and privacy-driven field of healthcare. Certification may improve your employment opportunities and earning potential. Our medical billing and coding training prepares you for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam and includes the cost of the exam and the AAPC Practicode course so you can fast-track past the apprenticeship level into full CPC status!

After passing the AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification exam, most medical biller and coders will remain credentialed at the “apprentice” level until they have fulfilled a 2-year work experience requirement. To help you get trained, get hired, and get ahead in your new career as a certified professional coder we will cover the cost of the AAPC Practicode course as part of your program. Successful completion of the CareerStep Medical Coding and Billing Professional program and the AAPC Practicode course meets the work experience requirement allowing you to obtain the full CPC certification credential when you pass the AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification exam.

To take the first steps toward starting a medical billing and coding career, you need to be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or General Education Development Certificate (GED). Optionally, you can pass the CareerStep Pre-Training Assessment Test. Then sign up for our medical coding and billing program. Complete your course, take the certification exam, and use our career services to help land that first job!

Great question! The entry-level requirement for medical coding and billing is post-secondary training of some kind. So you can go to a community college or to CareerStep. We think the choice is obvious.

Associate Degrees usually require you to take lots of unrelated courses (in subjects like writing, math, or other general (and irrelevant) fields. Typical associate degrees take two years and cost significantly more in tuition than certificate training.

Certification Programs focus solely on career training for a specific professional or technical field. So it comes with much lower time commitment and cost. This streamlined approach is also the fastest path to a new and improved job and salary.