How to Become a Medical Coder and Biller in Washington
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If you’re considering becoming a medical biller or coder in Washington, this guide will help you understand how to enter the field and what you can expect as a medical biller or coder.
What is Medical Billing and Coding?
Medical billing and coding are essential to the health care revenue cycle, which health providers use to track and manage the money they earn for their services. The cycles starts when a patient makes an appointment and ends when the provider—for example, a hospital or clinic—gets paid for that visit.
Many health care providers, especially smaller practices, combine billing and coding into a single position. Combining the two helps streamline the revenue cycle process and requires individuals to be proficient in coding and billing tasks. Both medical billing and coding are essential health care in the United States. They ensure that providers are compensated for their services while complying with health care regulations.
Medical billers and coders play a crucial role in the healthcare industry by:
- Facilitating communication between health care providers and insurance companies
- Ensuring proper reimbursement for medical services
- Maintaining accurate medical records for patient care and research purposes
- Contributing to the overall efficiency and financial health of health care organizations
Medical Coding
Medical coding involves translating health care diagnoses, procedures and services into standardized codes.
These codes are essential for billing and insurance purposes, serving as a language that health care providers and insurance companies use to communicate. Coders extract information from clinical documentation, such as doctors’ notes, and convert it into codes using coding systems like ICD-10, CPT and HCPCS.
Medical Billing
Medical billing is the process of submitting health insurance companies and following up to ensure healthcare providers are reimbursed for their services. Billers use the codes coders provide to create claims, which are then sent to insurers for payment approval.
They are responsible for verifying the accuracy of the claims, managing denied claims, and ensuring that patients are billed correctly for any remaining balances after insurance payments. Medical billers play a crucial role in the financial health of a health care practice by optimizing revenue performance. They must understand medical records, insurance requirements, and the claims process to effectively manage the billing cycle from patient registration to final payment.
Steps to Become a Certified Medical Biller or Coder in Washington
Although medical coders and billers are not required to be licensed in Washington—meaning the government does not regulate medical coding and billing—most employers prefer medical coders and billers to be certified. When Washington's state government, for example, hires medical coding specialists, they prefer candidates to have associate's degrees, experience and a CPC certification from the AAPC.
Below, you will see how to become a certified medical biller or coder in Washington.
Step 1: Take a certification preparation course
Enroll in a medical billing or coding certificate course and prepare for the certification exam. Many community colleges and training organizations offer certification training programs for medical coding and billing. When choosing a class, look out for programs that have AAPC-trained instructors or have been approved by AHIMA. Here are a few programs located in Washington.
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In addition to local programs, there are many programs that offer medical billing and coding certifications online.
Step 2: Pass Certification Exam
The two most accepted certifications for medical coding are AAPC’s Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification and AHIMA’s CCS exam. Often, candidates take both the CPC exam and the Certified Professional Biller (CPB) exam at the same time.
Learn more about medical coding and billing certification exams here.
Step 3: Find Job in Washington
Finding a medical coding or billing jobs is like finding any other job: you can apply directly to employers, search for jobs on job boards or rely on your network. Washington State offers numerous opportunities for medical billing and coding professionals, with several large health systems serving as major employers. Some of the largest employers include Providence Health & Services and MultiCare Health System. Other significant employers in this sector are Swedish Health Services in Seattle, PeaceHealth, UW Medicine, and Seattle Children's Hospital, each employing thousands of health care professionals, including those specializing in medical billing and coding. Or you can keep an eye on medical billing and coding job boards, such as:
Step 4: Maintain certification
Once you've earned your certification, you'll need to keep it in good standing to demonstrate that your skills are up to date. To maintain your AAPC certification, for example, you are required to complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every two years. CEUs can be earned through webinars, workshops, or other educational events and must be reported via your account to receive credit. The number of CEUs required depends on how many certifications you hold, with specific credentials requiring specialized CEUs. Additionally, you must pay your annual membership dues.
Career Paths and Opportunities after Becoming a Medical Biller and Coder
After starting a career in medical coding or billing in Washington, there are two main paths to advance your career. The first is to specialize further and obtain further certifications. According to AAPC's salary survey, here's how much medical coders and billers earn depending on their certification.
Average Salary in Washington by AAPC Salary
The other path is to obtain further education, such as a degree in health information management or healthcare administration. These degrees can open doors to higher-level positions such as HIM directors, compliance officers, or health care executives. For instance, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in HIM can lead to roles in data analytics, informatics, or health information system management, where professionals can influence health care delivery on a broader scale.
Bottom Line
Whether just starting your career or looking for a change, medical billing and coding in Washington presents a solid opportunity to enter the health care field without direct patient care responsibilities. Many training programs take just a few months to complete. Check out the following articles and tools to learn more about medical billing and coding or to find a class.
