Medical Coding and Billing Training

Become a certified medical coder by earning your Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) credential, the most recognized medical coding certification in the healthcare industry. The CPC is the gold standard for medical coding in physician office settings. Over 105,000 certified professionals help maintain compliance and profitability within medical practices through accurate medical coding and documentation.

According to AAPC’s 2017 Salary Survey, the average salary for a CPC was $54,106. Keep in mind that a CPC’s annual salary varies based on location, years of experience, how many credentials held, the employer, and other factors.

Through rigorous examination and experience, CPCs have proven mastery of all code sets (CPT, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II), evaluation and management (E/M) principles, surgical coding, and adherence to documentation and coding guidelines. CPCs represent excellence in medical coding.

Outpatient ambulatory coder jobs are trending faster than ever before. As physicians move away from private practices and join hospital groups, career opportunities in outpatient facilities, such as ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) or hospital outpatient billing and coding departments, are opening for coders. The Certified Outpatient Coder (COC™), formerly CPC-H®, exam validates your specialized payment knowledge needed for these jobs in addition to your CPT®, ICD-10, and HCPCS Level II coding skills. Invest in your future with the COC medical coding credential.

Because an outpatient coder has special requirements for reporting facility services and helps to sustain the revenue cycle, they earn a good living. The average salary for the medical coding professional averages at $52,441. The COC credential is one of the highest paying credentials, making $60,806 annually, so it’s a great medical coding area to get into.

The new inpatient medical coding certification standard, Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC™), is the only credential dedicated exclusively to inpatient hospital/facility coding. The CIC validates expert level knowledge and experience in abstracting information from the medical record for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding, and it signifies specialized payment knowledge in Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) and the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Invest in your future with the CIC™ credential ― certified coders earn 40 percent more than non-credentialed coders.

The new inpatient medical coding certification standard, Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC™), is the only credential dedicated exclusively to inpatient hospital/facility coding. The CIC validates expert level knowledge and experience in abstracting information from the medical record for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding, and it signifies specialized payment knowledge in Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) and the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Invest in your future with the CIC™ credential ― certified coders earn 40 percent more than non-credentialed coders.

The greater the disease burden of the patient, the higher the patient’s risk adjustment score; if the patient is healthy, the risk adjustment score is lower. A patient’s health status reflects the costs of their healthcare needs. CRCs must ensure provider documentation is up-to-par for HCC coding and that disease processes are coded accurately to follow risk adjustment models.

Invest in your future with the CRC credential — certified coders earn 40 percent more than non-credentialed coders.

Because HCC coding for risk adjustment requires medical coders to help providers document thoroughly all chronic disease processes and manifestations in the patient's medical record, CRCs must have a clear understanding of guidelines, regulations, diagnosis coding, and risk adjustment. According to AAPC's 2017 Salary Survey, the average salary for the medical coding professional averages at $52,441. The CRC credential, however, makes $62,310 annually, so it's a great medical coding area to get into. Depending on where you live, your responsibilities, and the place of employment, a CRC's salary will vary. Click here to calculate the average CRC salary in your area.

Designed for experienced coders, the AAPC's specialty credentials enable coders to demonstrate superior levels of expertise in their respective specialty disciplines. These specialty credentials are stand-alone certifications with no requirement to hold the CPC® credential. They allow coders to validate their knowledge in a specialty with unique coding, reimbursement and compliance challenges

Specialty exams aptly measure preparedness for “real-world” coding by being operative/patient-note based. In addition to questions regarding the correct application of ICD-10-CM, CPT®, HCPCS Level II and modifier coding assignments, examinees will also be tested on specialty-specific coding and regulations.

The Certified Professional Biller (CPB™) credential prepares medical billers with skills to maintain all aspects of the revenue cycle. Without expertise in medical billing and the nuances of payer requirements, healthcare provider reimbursement may be compromised.

Through rigorous examination and experience, CPBs have proven knowledge of how to submit claims compliant with government regulations and private payer policies. They follow-up on claim statuses, resolve claim denials, submit appeals, post payments and adjustments, and manage collections. The CPB medical billing credential is vital to the financial success of the professional healthcare services claims process.

According to AAPC's 2017 Salary Survey, the average salary for a CPB was $52,037. If you want to see how much earning potential you have with medical billing expertise, click here to calculate the average CPB salary in your area, based on your job responsibility. Keep in mind that a CPB’s annual salary varies based on the size of the practice you bill for or whether you work in a large facility. Other factors include years of experience, how many credentials held, and your location.

Advance your career with the Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA®) credential. Medical auditing is a critical piece to compliant and profitable physician practices. Whether it's Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) audits, private payer denials, or just peace of mind, more physicians plan to have audits conducted regularly. The risks of being non-compliant with documentation and coding are too great. As a CPMA, you will be able to use your proven knowledge of coding and documentation guidelines to improve the revenue cycle of nearly all healthcare practices.

With tighter regulation on reporting healthcare services and payer compensation for those services, CPMAs must have a clear understanding of when a practice is at risk for non-compliance. That is why CPMAs are valuable to healthcare practices and organizations. They help keep healthcare providers out of harm's way of fraudulent activity. According to AAPC's 2017 Salary Survey, the average salary for a business of healthcare professional was $52,441, a CPMA's earning was much higher at $64,634 This average fluctuates depending on location, years of experience, how many credentials held, and the employer type. Click here to calculate the average CPMA salary in your area.