Medical Billing & Coding Careers

Combine your love of technology, appreciation for science and desire to work in healthcare by exploring medical billing and coding careers. See how you may put IT to work in healthcare through the following medical billing and coding careers and more when you partner with DeVry University to chart your course forward.

The titles listed below are potential career pathways which may be considered by students in Medical Billing and Coding. Some of these positions may require additional qualifications, including education, certification, or experience.

Completing the medical billing and coding program at DeVry can enable you to:

Our medical billing and coding program can help you prepare to pursue roles in multiple industries and healthcare settings like:

Those who study health information and medical billing and coding may pursue careers such as:

Medical Billing and Coding or Health information degree programs may prepare you to pursue some of these opportunities.

A certified coding specialist classifies medical data from patient records to ensure efficiency and proper billing.

Requirements: In most instances, employers prefer certified coding specialist candidates that have passed the CCS exam and have an undergraduate degree in an IT or healthcare field.

Where You Might Work: Most certified coding specialists work in hospitals, though some are employed by physicians' offices and other healthcare providers.

Claims coding specialists focus on managing billing claims to the proper party. Their function is critical to every party in the healthcare process, provider, patient and insurer, as they ensure that claims are properly submitted and billed on time.

Requirements: Claims coding specialists often have more than a year of experience working in the medical billing and coding field, an undergraduate degree in an IT or healthcare field, and a CPC or CCS certification.

Where You Might Work: These professionals work in a variety of healthcare provider locations such as hospitals and physicians' offices, and may also work directly for an insurance company.

Also known as health information management clerks or HIMs, a health information clerk organizes and maintains medical records for their employer.

Requirements: These professionals have a health information and technology background, and excellent data entry, computer and organization skills. Most HIM jobs typically require an associate degree, and prefer candidates with a degree in health information technology. A certificate is not required to become a health information clerk but having one may help you stand out in competitive job listings.

Where You Might Work: Most health information clerks work at a healthcare provider's office at a hospital or clinic. A smaller percentage of health information clerks work at insurance companies.

Medical coding specialists apply proper codes to medical procedures provided to a patient during their visit to a hospital or doctor's office. They code the services, diagnoses, treatments and procedures received by a patient, track payments and correct rejected claims.

Requirements: Many employers require medical coding specialists to have at least a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification and an associate degree in health information technology from an accredited college or professional school.

Where You Might Work: Most people with this title work at the office of a healthcare provider, such as a hospital or doctor's office.

A medical records analyst manages, analyzes and organizes healthcare records. They use this information to improve the efficiency of the provider and work to develop ways to better share information between parties in the healthcare process.

Requirements: To become a medical records analyst, you will likely need to possess a bachelor's degree in health information technology or a related field. Candidates are preferred to have some level of prior experience in the field at an insurance company or healthcare provider office.

Where You Might Work: Medical records analysts tend to work for a healthcare provider at their office. Some are employed by insurance companies.

Medical records clerks manage office records for a hospital or clinic. They ensure that the correct parties receive the correct information about a patient to guarantee proper care is provided to the patient.

Requirements: Candidates should have excellent organization and analysis skills, as well as an associate degree in health information technology or a related field.

Where You Might Work: Most medical records clerks work in a hospital or clinic.

Medical records coordinators ensure that health information is properly processed and doled out to the relevant parties for each patient. They are of a senior level and typically coordinate other employees.

Requirements: People interested in pursuing this career may find that employers prefer candidates that have at least a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Because this is a senior level position, a certification in medical billing and coding, such as a CCS certification may help candidates stand out.

Where You Might Work: These professionals work in healthcare offices at hospitals and clinics.

A medical records technician works in a medical office setting as a record keeper.

Requirements: While some medical records technician positions may only require high school diploma or equivalent, having an undergraduate certificate in medical billing and coding or a related discipline can help show employers that you have established knowledge and skills in this area. Oftentimes, people in this field also have a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification.

Where You Might Work: A majority of medical records technicians work in hospitals, clinics or doctors' offices.

If you're considering a career in medical billing and coding, review the following information to gain a better understanding of this exciting career field:

To pursue medical billing and coding jobs, you may need to have relevant post-secondary education. You can pursue a certificate program to help prepare you to pursue the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam offered through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exams through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). These exams require demonstration of knowledge in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, billing guidelines and industry standards, and show employers that you have the skills you need to perform essential job tasks.

Credentials such as CPC, CCS, Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) must be rectified every two years. You can do so by taking formal educational programs, participating in tele-seminars, delivering presentations, publishing academic work or conducting an independent study.

Here are examples of healthcare programs that can prepare you to pursue certification exams and advance your knowledge in the healthcare field: