Medical Coder Salary

The medical coder salary range starts about USD 20,000 per annum to USD30, 000 per annum. As with all other professions the salary varies withexperience, education, qualification, location and position. Medicalcoders code data from medical records and are employed by hospitals,physicians offices and other health care institutions. So what does ittake to be a good medical coder?

To be a good medical coder you must possess basic reading, writing andcritical thinking skills. You must be computer literate and proficientin word processing applications. You most certainly need a workingknowledge of medical terminology and anatomy without which you would belike a fish out of water. As a trained medical coder you would berequired to accurately code data from medical records. Codes areprovided on claim forms and on numerous medical record abstracts sothat third party payers and outside agencies can utilize thisinformation. Other parties that may use this information areinstitutions for quality assurance activities, case-mix management andother administrative and research activities who also use coded datainternally.

Now how does one become a medical coder salary earner? There arecourses in the Medical Coder ATD programs that address training inclinical classification systems including International Classificationof Diseases (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Physiciancoding and medical billing concepts are also covered. These courses areof 18-24 months duration based on part-time enrollment. Courses areavailable online via the Internet as well so check those out as well.The required courses follow the guidelines prescribed by the MedicalCoder certification programs published by the American HealthInformation Management Association (AHIMA).

Eligibility criteria for students applying to medical coder certificateprogram include a physical examination within six months prior toenrolling in the first coding course verifying satisfactory healthstatus. This includes all immunizations, tests and healthverifications. These courses are required to be completed to start thefirst coding course - Completion of Basic Computer and InformationLiteracy, Medical Terminology, Human Anatomy, Anatomy &Physiology, Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab.

In addition to SPC graduation requirements, students must meet thesespecial graduation requirements: A grade of C or better in all MedicalCoder Certificate courses and in all support courses. The courseworkincludes laboratory work in Health Information Management, HealthInformation Technologies, Professional Practice Experience, Basic ICDCoding, Advanced ICD Coding, basic CPT Coding and Advanced CPT Codingand Reimbursement.

Happy coding!