Do I Need Medical Coding Certification to Get a Medical Coding Job?

If you want to know whether you need certification to get a medical coding job, the short answer is achieving medical coding certification is preferable and it will benefit your career. However, if you do not currently have a medical coding certificate, you will find tips below to help you get your foot in the door of the medical coding job market while you work on attaining credentials.

Four Ways to Pursue a Medical Coding Job without Certification

While achieving medical coding certification demonstrates that you possess the skills needed to perform the job well, certification isn’t required by law. If you have relevant office or billing experience and you can present yourself as an exceptional candidate to employers, you may be able to start down the path of a medical coding career before attaining certification. Use the following tips to present yourself as a worthy candidate for a medical records or coding job:

1. Highlight Transferrable Skills: If you lack certification, search for coding jobs that do not explicitly state a certification requirement — or that indicate the employer is willing to accept equivalent experience in place of certification. Incorporate into your resume all of the professional skills you have gained through internships, volunteer work, or course work that you can apply to the medical coding or billing job. Be sure to emphasize any past experience that speaks to your ability to meet the advertised job requirements, such as having worked in an accounts receivable office or being familiar with medical terminology.

2. Focus on Billing Positions: If you search job boards such as CareerBuilder.com you will find an assortment of medical billing jobs that do not list a certification requirement. Bear in mind that some of these intermediate-level, non-certified billing positions require payment collection as part of the job. Once you land a billing position, you will gain experience in a medical office setting that may benefit you when you seek a medical coding job later down the road.

3. Get your Foot in the Door as an Intern or Entry-Level Employee: If your chief aspiration is to become a medical coder but you lack the certification or experience required for desired jobs, pursue an entry-level job or internship and work your way up. Use this targeted advice to steer your efforts:

1. Internships: While internships generally don’t pay well, you rarely need to have experience or certification to attain these positions and you can use the internship to catapult you into a better paying, more permanent position. Internships are rarely advertised so pursue intern opportunities by calling hospitals and physicians’; offices to ask if they have openings. If you can say you are already enrolled in a medical coding certification course, your calls may receive more attention.
2. Entry-level Positions: Another idea for breaking into medical coding is to look for an entry-level job in the health care sector, such as a medical records clerk or receptionist.

4. Excel at Your Job: If you hope an entry-level post will lead to a medical coding career, set your sights on impressing your employer with your work ethic, ability to spot errors, and ideas for improving processes. Over time, express your aspiration to attain medical coding certification and eventually move into a coding position with the employer. When a position does open up, you’ll have positioned yourself well to land an interview.

Three Reasons to Work on Your Medical Coding Certification:

While some people may be able to break into medical coding with the above tips, earning your credentials is the best way to grow your career. Certified professionals are qualified for a wider variety of positions and they have the potential for higher earnings. If you chose to earn certification, you will notice an immediate boost to your job search efforts. Presenting medical coding certification grabs employers’ attention and helps you to:

1. Jump Over the “More Experience Required” Hurdle: If your attempts to land a job in a medical office are continually met with a kind, but firm “Sorry, you don’t have enough experience,” earning medical coding certification may help you turn the tide in your favor. For example:

1. Adding industry-recognized certifications such as the CPC (Certified Professional Coder) makes your resume worth a second look. Most coding positions advertised on major job boards,careerbuilder.com require applicants to possess a medical coding certification such as the CPC.
2. Since medical coding positions require you to comply with important regulations and keep accurate medical records, the competence conveyed by medical coding certification is unbeatable. When an accredited organization certifies that you have the necessary knowledge to meet industry standards, potential employers will be more likely to agree that hiring you is a safe investment.

2. Downplay Lack of Four-Year Degree: If you search through enough medical coder job advertisements, you’ll start to realize that employers seem to be more interested in whether you have certification than whether you have a four-year college degree. Many medical coding jobs advertised on national job boards, such as Monster.com, don’t limit candidate selection to college graduates — which is another reason why medical coding is a promising career for intelligent people who didn’t attend a university for one reason or another. Whether you studied at a community college or a vocational/technical school — or are still working on your degree — achieving medical coding certification can make a career in medical coding more attainable and level the playing field between you and university graduates.

3. Earn More Money: One of the most compelling reasons to achieve medical coding certification is the return such an investment will bring you. According to the American Academy of Professional Coders, certified medical coding specialists earn 20 percent more income over their non-certified peers.

If you possess the motivation to continue your studies and maintain your credentials, you will have the opportunity to earn pay increases, seek senior coding positions, and enjoy a stable, rewarding career.