Medical Coding Course (2023): Fees, Duration and Certification

Sensing the growing curiosity of youngsters to know about the Medical Coding course, I decided to do a deep dive into this promising career path. Initially, I was under the impression that it involved programming just as IT coders do, but my research revealed otherwise. So, what exactly is Medical Coding?

What is Medical Coding?

Medical Coders extract patient information from their medical records such as doctor’s notes, lab results etc. and transform them into universally accepted alphanumeric codes. Doctors then use this codified information for further diagnosis and treatment every time the patient visits the healthcare facility. This information also helps insurers evaluate the accuracy of claims or even the government to formulate effective health policies.

Is that all that they do or there’s more? Let’s check out…

What do Medical Coders do?

Here’s a glimpse of the job profile of medical coders:

Assign codes to patient’s medical information in compliance with all legal requirements and coding guidelines, such as ICD (International Classification of Diseases) and CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes

Conduct audits and coding reviews to ensure all documentation is accurate

Liaise with the Billing department to ensure the correctness of the bills

Work closely with the insurance companies to resolve coding errors and claim disputes

Consolidate patient data and share with relevant departments for statistical analysis

Overall, medical coders are the mainstay of the health sector and contribute towards designing a satisfactory healthcare experience for patients. This explains the pivotal role played by medical coders, but why is this career receiving so much attention? Let’s examine…

Why is Medical Coding getting so popular?

One factor contributing to the growing demand for medical coders is the boom in the health sector, a fallout of the Covid pandemic. Another important catalyst has been the growth of India as the second-largest destination for healthcare outsourcing due to the availability of a large talented pool capable of analysing huge volumes of medical data, identifying trends, and discovering hidden correlations.

Understandably, therefore, 80% of US hospitals, healthcare facilities, and businesses outsource to India. This spikes the demand for medical coders, particularly certified coders.

Certification is definitely a powerful tool to further your expertise in this field, but that is not all. There are some skills you must possess to be a successful coder. These skills include:

What skills do medical coders need to possess?

Attention to detail: Medical coders need to have a sharp eye for detail so that they can spot any coding errors. Left unnoticed, these errors can impact the diagnosis and treatment of patients, lead to issues in insurance claims, and billing problems – all of which lead to unsatisfactory healthcare experience for patients and all relevant stakeholders.

Effective communication: Medical coders need to work closely with doctors, insurance agencies, and billing departments, which requires robust communication skills. Asking the right questions, listening attentively, and retaining the relevant information becomes crucial to avoid any goof-ups.

Handle challenges: It may so happen that doctors or insurers reject claims for various reasons. Under such circumstances, the medical coder needs to review the case patiently, maintaining calm, and not getting perturbed or stressed.

Adapt to technologies: Coders work on multiple software systems for coding, billing, document management, and performing other operational activities. Therefore, being a quick learner and adapting to new technologies come in good stead.

Now that you have a fair idea about the skills needed to excel in the Medical Coding career, it is time to understand how you can master the necessary knowledge of the coding procedures and guidelines. This is where Medical Coding training institutes play a crucial role. However, while selecting the training provider, be mindful to ensure that you receive adequate support and mentoring to ace the certification exam.

At this point, let me assure you that Medical Coding courses are not expensive; instead, they are moderately priced to make them affordable to a wide section of aspirants.

Medical Coding Course Fee

The Medical Coding course fee depends on the type of program, whether it is a diploma or certificate training program, and the duration of the course. Generally, it has been noted that in India the course fee ranges between Rs. 5000-80,000 for different institutions.

Medical Coding Course Duration

Just as the fee structure, the duration of a Medical Coding course depends on the type of program – Diploma or Certification. In general, the average course duration is 150 hours with classes spanning from 2 - 8 months of study.

Medical Coding Course Certifications

With data from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics proving that certified coders earn 20% more than non-certified, it would be prudent to join a Medical Coding training provider who can help you on the certification journey. AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders), which defines the gold standard in the health sector, offers the following certifications:

Certified Professional Coder (CPC): Confirms your proficiency in the accurate application of CPT, HCPCS Level II procedure and supply codes, and ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes used for coding and billing for medical claims of patients visiting a doctor’s clinic.

Certified Outpatient Coding (COC): Validates your command on the same codes listed above for patients vising the Outpatient Department (OPD) of any health facility.

Certified Inpatient Coding: Authenticates your expertise in the application of ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes used at the time of coding and billing of insurance claims when patients visit the inpatient department of hospitals or health facilities.

Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC): Confirms your competence in the correct application of ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for risk adjustment payment models.

Speciality Coding Certification: These specialized certifications enable coders to demonstrate their command in their chosen field

Winding Up

You now have exhaustive information on the courses, fees, duration, and certifications of Medical Coding to be able to launch this lucrative career option. Leveraging this know-how you can now make the right start in the right direction and write your own success story.