The medical billing and coding field is expected to grow seven percent between 2021 and 2031 according to the BLS. You too may be considering learning about medical billing and coding, but you have no idea how to earn your certificate. You may ask yourself, can I really earn one online?
Yes! You can earn a medical billing and coding undergraduate certificate program online, even at an accredited university. With your certification, you can explore many exciting career paths, working as a certified medical biller and coder, a pro fee coder, or inpatient coder.
This guide will answer all your questions about earning a medical billing and coding certificate online, including what it takes to get your degree and how long you will spend in school.
A certificate program in medical billing and coding is an undergraduate college-level program. The program will prepare you to sit for your certification exam, showing mastery of your skills.
While a college curriculum will vary depending on the school you select and the courses you take, you can expect to learn a myriad of medical skills during your time in the certificate program.
Those will include basic concepts such as medical terminology, patho-pharmacology, anatomy & physiology, and the electronic health record.
Your classes will also encompass such subject matter as healthcare reimbursement and insurance, electronic recordkeeping in healthcare, and medical coding.
You’ll learn various types of medical coding, including the Healthcare Common Coding System or HCPCS, Current Procedural Terminology or CPT, and the International Classification of Diseases or ICD.
By earning medical billing and coding certifications such as through the American Health Information Management Association or AHIMA, you’ll be a well-rounded and appealing candidate to job prospects.
Some online universities even afford concurrent education opportunities so you can work on both your certificate in medical billing and coding and your associate’s degree at the same time.
Now that you have a better understanding of what a certificate program in medical billing and coding entails, your next question will naturally be how long will the program take me?
That depends on several factors. The first is how far you plan to take your medical billing and coding education, and the second is the school you select.
For example, if you are pursuing your medical billing and coding certificate online as well as your associate’s degree, then that’s going to be faster than doing it one at a time.
You will spend roughly one year in a certificate program. In that time, you’ll acquire just enough knowledge to find an entry-level job in medical billing and coding without dedicating years to study.
Should you decide to pursue your associate’s degree, it could take a total of two or three years.
Not only can you take online classes in medical billing and coding, but this is a preferred way of earning your certificate. Here’s why.
We’ve dispelled the myth that online education is less than the education you’d receive at a traditional college.
You’ll receive an education that will prepare you to excel in your job as a medical biller or medical coder.
If anything, some online universities might afford you even more opportunities than a traditional college would, such as the chance to take your AHIMA certification exam and preparation for the exam ahead of time.
Attending a traditional college can be a huge time suck. If you don’t live on campus, you’ll commute to and from school.
Then there are all the expenses, such as residential living fees, dining fees, parking fees, fees for clubs and activities, and the list goes on and on.
If you enroll in an online university, you can forget all those additional fees. Many students find an online college education more affordable if book costs are included in their tuition fees, which saves you money semester after semester.
Learning online is a flexible experience catered to you and your needs.
You’re still expected to show up for classes and do the assignments asked of you, of course, but you’re able to learn where you’re most comfortable.
Flexibility allows you to put your education first. If you have other obligations that prevent you from being able to attend college at traditional times, you can still work your way toward your certificate.
Online colleges such as Bryan University allow students to take two courses at a time. With each course lasting eight weeks, it’ll only be a matter of time before you graduate with your medical billing and coding certificate.
Upon passing the certification exam, you’ll be ready to enter the working world!
When that day comes, your online education will present many appealing opportunities.
You could be hired by physician’s offices, college health departments, home health agencies, public health agencies, nursing homes, surgery centers, hospitals, law offices, military facilities, insurance companies, health product vendors, rehabilitation facilities, and urgent care clinics.
If you’re eager to begin your education with a medical billing and coding certificate online, Bryan University is for you!
The Medical Billing and Coding Undergraduate Certificate program will put your certification in your hands faster as you learn all the ins and outs of medical billing and coding online.
Included in the program is preparation to take the AHIMA Certified Coding Associate or CCA exam. Bryan U will even pay for your first exam attempt!
You’ll gain the experience that hospitals and medical facilities are looking for; so you could be hired to work as a certified medical biller and coder, medical records technician, medical office assistant, or medical secretary.
As a student at Bryan University, you can also concurrently enroll in our Associate Degree in Health Information Management program to work toward your degree faster.
In this program, you’ll learn additional skills such as healthcare information systems, organizational and human resources management, healthcare data analysis, EHR compliance, project management, and more.
One attempt at the Certified Coding Specialist or CCS and the Registered Health Information Technician or RHIT exams through AHIMA are offered apiece as part of your tuition, and preparation for these exams is part of your degree education.
Learn about Medical Billing and Coding at Bryan University today!
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