Do I Need Medical Background Before Taking Online Medical Coding and Billing Courses?
Medical Coding and Billing: A Growing Job Field
Anyone who has visited the doctor recently or listened to news about health care has heard about electronic health records (EHR). As hospitals and physicians switch to EHR the need for medical coders and billers will increase, creating even more jobs in the field of health information. By 2018, estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics say there will be a need for 20 percent more employees in health information careers. If you are considering becoming a medical coder or biller, you may be concerned that you need a medical background before taking online medical coding or billing courses. In fact, anyone can enroll in these courses even without any prior medical experience or knowledge. Learn what is required to join this growing job field.
Learn About Training Prerequisites
Medical coders and billers are not required to have previous medical training or even medical office experience prior to taking online medical coding and billing courses. Certainly a background in a medical area is beneficial to this career, but you should not rule out pursuing either of these health information careers if you lack that knowledge base. The only requirement is a high school diploma or a GED. Depending on the type of program you are entering – through a community college, or a baccalaureate or graduate school – there may be certain standardized tests you are required to take. It is important to thoroughly study the requirements of your chosen program.
Know Your Program Requirements
Once you are enrolled in a program, most individual online courses will have prerequisites once you get beyond the initial, introductory classes. With previous academic or job-related experience, some programs may let you bypass certain courses. It is important to carefully follow the requirements of your online program. In addition, it is recommended that you have a strong background in basic computer skills before starting any online medical coding or billing training. This means you should be capable of performing such tasks as:
- Keyboarding
- Web browsing
- Emailing
- Word processing
If you are not confident in any of these computer skills, it is wise to pursue a class in one or all of those areas first.
Seek Classes that Provide Helpful Experience
Many programs offer courses that will give you insight into how a medical office works. If you do not have at least six months of previous experience in this type of work environment, find a class that will give you an idea of how a medical office functions. These sorts of classes and/or programs will provide background for:
- Medical keyboarding
- Medical terminology
- Guidance on coordinating a medical environment.
Medical Terminology and Anatomy
Finally, during your online training to become a medical coder or biller expect to learn a great deal of medical terminology. Your course of online study will also include information about anatomy and human physiology. If you have previous training in these areas, or have the opportunity to pursue that knowledge or experience prior to starting online medical coding and billing courses, it would be beneficial, but it is not required.
About our expert. Jan Jacobs has worked in medical offices since the early 1980's. Ms. Jacobs has worked for M.D.'s and D.O.'s in primary care and specialty care. She is employed as a senior medical biller and has been at her current job for nearly 10 years, where she uses three different billing systems.
