Medical Coding Training Cost

• Medical coding training courses are available online for $1,000 -$4,000 total. American Association of Medical Coders offers an online standard certified professional coder preparation course for $1,495. Career Step, an online medical training center, packages two medical coding and billing programs that cost $2,095 -$2,495.
• In-person medical coder certificate preparation programs offered at technical schools and community colleges cost $2,500 -$12,000 depending on residency status of the student. Tuition for the medical coder certificate program at St. Petersburg College, in Florida, is $3,196 for residents and $11,594 for non-residents.
• Medical coding is taught as part of larger healthcare management associate degree programs at some schools. The associate degree programs take 18 months to two years to complete and cost $20,000 -$30,000. Colorado Technical University has a health administration services degree program that costs $27,260 and can be completed in 18 months.

• Medical coder programs should include comprehensive training in one or more of the standardized medical codes including CPT (Current Procedure Terminology), HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System), and ICD-9 (and soon ICD-10).
• In addition the learning standardized medical coding systems, programs should include training in medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, HIPAA compliance and insurance compliance.

• There are a variety of certification tests for medical coders which cover various skill levels and occupations. The American Health Information Management Association, the leading organization in health care management, has coder certification for both medical coding associates for $200 -$300 and for medical coding specialists for $300 -$400. Associates can be certified after completing training, specialists need on-the-job experience to qualify for testing.
• The American Association of Professional Coders provides certification for various coding areas of expertise including for certified interventional radiology cardiovascular coder for $400 and various coding specialties for $245.
• The Association of Registered Healthcare Professionals offers testing to become a registered medical coder for $285. Becoming registered is voluntary but can lead to higher paid positions.

• For degree-based programs, such as those at junior or community colleges, financial aid is available to qualified students. Students can apply for federal financial aid online.
• Fastweb, a subsidiary of Monster, is an online search engine for scholarships and grants.
• The American Health Information Management Association awards scholarships annually for students pursuing careers in health information management.
• Sarah Lincoln Bush Health System provides scholarships to medical coding students.
• American Association of Professional Coders offers discounts on membership and certification testing for students who complete AAPC training.

• The Health Information Careers provides information for finding an ideal coding program.
• The American Association of Professional Coders provides a search of classes for CPC and CPC-H training across the country.
• There are many reputable companies that offer legitimate and rigorous medical training, but be cautious about programs which makes promises of guaranteed jobs or at-home work that sound too good to be true. HomeWithTheKids.com describes common medical transcription/billing/coding scams.

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