How to Become a Medical Coder

Steps that will help you understand what is required to be a coder and what jobs are available.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• ICD-9, CPT, and HCPCS textbooks
• Medical terminology and anatomy knowledge.

1. Enroll in an approved American Academy Professional Coders (AAPC) course. Go to www.aapc.com for approved facilities. The AAPC certifies you to become a Certified Professional Coder (CPC). A CPC codes for outpatient(physician)charts. You can work in a medical clinic, doctor's office, insurance company, or at a coding company.

2. When in your course do your homework in your study guides. Any approved course will give you approved study guides. Passing the national CPC exam will be much easier if you do all your homework and reading from the study guides. Know your ICD-9(diagnosis codes), CPT (procedure codes), and HCPCS (equipment codes), books like the back of your hand. Focus on the guidelines for each book.

3. After passing the exam and if you don't have any coding work experience, call coding companies and apply for jobs not in coding. Most coding companies only hire experienced coders. If you pass the exam and you don't have experience you will receive a CPC-A certification, which means you are an apprentice. You want to get your foot in the door, so enter doing something different and when you see a chance to talk to a coder grab it and let them know you are interested in working as a coder. You'll have a better chance to code this way than just applying right off the bat for a coding position, especially if you have never coded.

Tips & Warnings

• A CPC-A designation does not open many doors for you as it let's employers know you don't have experience. You will need to remove that "A" as soon as possible. Working as a coder for 1 yr will allow you to remove the "A" as long as you took a course that was approved by the AAPC. If you didn't then you'll need to work for 2 yr. to remove it.
• If you have worked as a coder and will get a CPC certification go directly to coding companies. They are always looking for coders. The jobs may be temp, but again get that foot in the door and you can move up quickly. Coding work is always out there. Be willing to travel.
• If you have no experience consider calling the AAPC for externship positions. They have a list of facilities that take externs. Be willing to work for free as many don't pay or pay very little.
• On exam day don't take all the 20 min given to you for breaks. You really don't have the time to take a break. Go to the bathroom if you must, but make it quick. The 5 1/2 hr long exam goes by faster than you think. Take 2 hrs for section 1 then move to sec. 2 and spend 1 hr there. Go to sec. 3 and spend 1 hr there. Use the remaining 1 1/2 hour to go back to questions you had a problem with. Don't leave ANY blanks at all! Guess if you have to but never leave blanks.
• Go to local chapters after you pass the exam to network for possible jobs. The AAPC will give inform you of your local chapter.
• If you want to be an inpatient coder go to www.ahima.org for information on that.
• Do not enroll in non-approved schools. They will charge you thousands and they don't have approved instructors nor do they have the current curriculum. These schools are your big highly advertised trade schools. Go to the AAPC website for approved facilities.
• Don't extern in a place that makes you file or answer phones. Report them to the AAPC.

[luv2blog]

on 5/29/2009 Great information for starting medical coding career. thanks!