Medical Billing and Coding Resources

(I-Newswire) August 16, 2010 – Allied Medical School is helping coding professionals keep their careers on track with the introduction of their new ICD-10-CM Comprehensive Coding course. Online and self-paced, this course prepares students to successfully pass the mandatory ICD-10 proficiency exam, which is required by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) in order to maintain professional coding credentials.

The U.S. health care system will transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 as the HIPAA mandated code is set to begin on October 1st, 2013. Anyone who is new to health care, or professionals already working in the industry, will be affected by the new coding system, which will go from 13,000 to 68,000 codes. In fact, new coding rules and guidelines mean industry-wide changes.

Nationally recognized associations, such as AHIMA and the AAPC, are suggesting that early training is the key to a successful transition. Allied’s ICD-10 online course is a flexible training option for individuals who understand the major benefits of early preparation, including increased career marketability over those who wait. “We are excited to be one of the first schools to offer ICD-10-CM training online. We have set up special pricing for coders and because the course is online and affordable, we plan on being the largest provider of ICD-10 training in the industry,” said George Achenbach, president of Allied Medical School.

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Here’s further indication that a medical coding career can be recession proof: salaries for certified and non-certified medical coding professionals increased from 2008 to 2009. An annual salary survey, conducted by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), showed yearly gains for medical coders nationwide.

In fact, in the last year, certified medical coder salaries rose four percent to an average of $44,750 annually; non-certified coders reported a two percent average salary gain, bringing the salary to $38,290.

This is good news for existing and future medical coders. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasting 3 million new health care jobs between 2006 and 2016, these numbers further solidify the fact that medical coders will continue to experience solid career opportunities – even when the rest of the economy seems to be struggling.

Want to learn more? Here are other findings from the AAPC survey:

• Education level significantly impacts salary level – a coder with a bachelor’s degree earns $51,820 on average while a coder with a high school diploma earns $40,746
• Location also affects salary – comparing urban, rural and suburban areas, those in urban areas earn an average salary of $45,631; suburban areas, $44,551; and rural areas, $38,930
• Salary varied from region to region, ranging from an average high of $50,143 in the Pacific region to low of $40,713 in the Mid-Atlantic region

• Medical coders with multiple specialty credentials earn an average of $52,777.14

• Medical coding isn’t always a part-time career – 58 percent of coders work an average of 31 to 40 hours per week; 38 percent work an average of 41 to 71 hours per week, and only 5 percent work 30 hours or less per week

• Many medical coders go to the office – 81 percent work at the office each day, one-third may work from home some days of the week; and half say they work flex-time schedules

The findings went further. According to the 2009 Salary Survey, the type of credential can make a difference in a medical coding career when paired with work environment. Those who work in the insurance industry are more likely to make more than those in smaller doctor’s offices. Also, being certified can add more than $7,000 to the average salary than being non-certified.

Salary can also vary based on specialty. The largest number of responses came from medical coders working in family practice. These professionals earn an average salary of $39,900. More specialized specialties, such as radiology and rheumatology, earn higher average salaries, $49,328 and $48,501 including respectively.

More than 10,000 medical coders responded to the annual salary survey, conducted this summer over the Internet by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). The findings paint a positive picture for medical coders nationwide. While education, certification, specialty and geographic factors are important, there seems to be opportunities for all types of coders throughout the nation.

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