Medical Coding Scams Focus on Education and Training

Many individuals are drawn to the medical coding field because of the opportunity to work from home.

Home based medical coding jobs do exist; however, this aspect of the medical coding career has been over sold as well.

The large amount of individuals who are attempting to enter the medical coding field must seek education first, and this had drawn the attention of some deceitful individuals who are now taking advantage of aspiring coders through education scams.

Education and medical coding training scams often sell an overpriced education package, which are often in adequate training programs as well. These organizations also oversell the medical coding career, making claims that right after graduation you can work from home, or they guarantee job placement.

Any institution making such a claim should be scrutinized and avoided.

It is also not necessary to take a medical coding training course at an associate degree level, or to take an education program that spans several years.

Courses of this duration usually cost thousands of dollars in education. Individuals who have invested in such an education often find themselves with more debt than an entry level coding position can pay for.

Medical coding training courses may also boast things like "national certification", this is also a useless claim. There is an organization that certifies individuals in multiple areas of expertise and they have coined the title "National Certification". Employers do not recognize such certifications however.

If an individual aspires to be a medical coder, the only two medical coding certifications that are recognized nationally by almost all employers are the CPC and the CCS certifications.

A proper medical coding training course or education program will specifically prepare individuals for one of these two certification exams.

Courses should run between 6 months and 1 year in length. Medical coding training courses shorter than this have a lower success rate on the certification exams and in the job market. Due to the large amount of information and practice required shorter courses tend to force students to "cram" instead of learn the material.

Medical coding training course costs should range between $1200.00 and $2000 for an adequate course as well. These courses should either include or require a pre-requisite of gross anatomy and medical terminology as well.

Course curriculum should follow either the CPC exam format or the CCS exam format, depending on which certification students are sitting for.

Curriculum should also include lost of practice material and timed examinations, since both the CPC and CCS exams are timed.