Medical Coding Specialist

 

Career Description

Medical coding specialists convert doctors’ bills, services and prescriptions into alphanumeric codes that then can be stored electronically. There are two types of medical coding specialists. Clinical coding specialists (CCS) typically work in hospitals and primarily use the International Classifi cation of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) coding system. Clinical coding specialistsphysician (CCS-P) typically work in doctors’ offices, group practices or multispecialty clinics and use current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. Coding specialists can become certified in either specialty.

Annual Salary

Entry: $28,309	Midpoint: $35,360	Experienced: $31,803
Source: Kansas City Metropolitan Healthcare Council, 2006 Salary Data

Hourly Wage

Entry: $13.61	Midpoint: $17.00	Experienced: $20.50
Source: Kansas City Metropolitan Healthcare Council, 2006 Salary Data

Academic Requirements

Medical coding specialists must have a high school diploma. Some college courses or an independent study course in medical coding is preferred. Coding specialists should work in the field for two years before taking the CCS or CCS-P exam administered by the American Health Information Management Association. Both certifications represent mastery in clinical coding and must be maintained on an annual basis.

Schools

Concorde Career College
816/531-5223

High Tech Institute
866/502-2627

Penn Valley Community College
816/759-4000

Techskills — Kansas City
913/342-7100

Wright Business College
800/555-4003

Professional Associations

National
American Health Information Management Association

State
Missouri Health Information Management Association

Additional Information

Learn More About Health Information, Communication and Administration