Becoming a Certified Professional Coder requires passing an exam and having work experience in medical coding. Certification can improve job prospects and salary potential. Training programs are available, and passing the exam requires knowledge of medical billing codes, anatomy, and terminology. Work experience is also necessary to become fully certified.
To become a Certified Professional Coder in the field of medical administration, a person must receive certification from the American Academy of Professional Coders and have extensive work experience in coding. Certification involves passing the exam and demonstrating the ability to read and understand medical billing codes. There are two levels of certified professional coder, each certifying a different facility – a doctor’s office or hospital.
While a certification isn’t usually required to work in the billing department of a medical facility, being a Certified Professional Coder is often helpful in landing a job. Certification can also improve salary potential.
To become a certified professional coder, a person must be well-versed in understanding the basic application of codes in the medical billing process. This includes various encoding formats used for medical publication in insurance companies, such as CRT, HCPS procedure and supply codes, and ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. In addition to technical coding skills, a knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology is also required. A high school diploma is required, but a minimum of an associate’s degree is strongly recommended prior to training, testing, and seeking employment in the medical billing and coding field.
There are numerous medical coding and billing schools and training programs – offered online and on a campus – that teach many of the basics of this craft and prepare a person for the national exam. The national exam consists of 150 questions, and there is a fee associated with it. When passing the American Academy of Professional Coders testing process, approved manuals are allowed for use during testing. A complete list of what is allowed is provided on the website. Those preparing for the test are encouraged to look for practice exams, workbooks, and other training tools to augment any course work.
In addition to passing the exam, a person must demonstrate the practical ability to properly understand these complex medical codes. Without proof of work experience, a person who passes the exam will be given apprenticeship status. Those with apprenticeship status must complete additional continuing education credits while gaining work experience. Removal of apprentice designation occurs in two ways. Two letters of recommendation verifying two years of professional experience using CPT, ICD-9-CM or HCPCS codes, or a minimum of 80 hours of coding education and a letter of recommendation from an employer verifying one year of is required to work experience working with one of the code sets.
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