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Associates Degree Medical Coding - CONFUSED


Posted: May 07, 2010

Im so confused, I keep reading on different forums on line how hard it can be to break into medical coding.

Does having an AA degree help?  Is that a plus?  I see some on line colleges that are accredited offer AA degrees, AABS degrees, etc.....whats the difference?

Is it better for a newbie to go straight to AHIMA and take their cluster of courses or take an on line billing class through one of the on-line universities, then go test at AHIMA and AAPC? 

AA degree - workingmt

[ In Reply To ..]
An AA degree might help you get a job but if you were still unable to code it wouldn't make much difference. You need more than a billing course, you need medical coding training. There are a lot of schools that have programs, some of them offer distance learning. The AHIMA and AAPC tests are difficult so learn well.

I understand I need Coding Training but... - Confused

[ In Reply To ..]
I am really just comparing AHIMA and APAPC to the on line accredited universities.

It seems to me that I would learn more and at a slower pace if I took a coding training program through AIU University or Allied On-line university, then upon completion of THAT....ordered some pretest samples from AAPC or AHIMA before I sat for the certification exams.

What do you think about this route?

Training - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
AAPC and AHIMA both have good programs, AHIMA is self-paced if you want it to be. I am in a distance learning program and the pretest samples are included in the course curriculum. I'm not familiar with the schools you mentioned. If you are asking if I recommend a coding training program prior to attempting the test, the answer is yes.


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