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Medical Coding and Billing in Virginia

The health care sector has grown more in the last few years than it has for quite some time. As the Affordable Care Act provides medical coverage to millions of residents who have not had insurance for years, the workload and patient load at institutions all over Virginia has expanded.

In addition, new federal laws have brought many new insurance companies to Virginia. This means that it is even more important for care providers and institutions to carry out their billing procedures in an accurate, efficient manner. Insurance companies, patients, and government-funded medical plans all benefit from strong medical billing practices.

Legislators in Virginia know just how important it is to track money going into the health care system. In fact, cost transparency is one of the highest priorities in Virginia health care (Roanoke News, 2015). The other main priority for Virginia is building a strong health care workforce.
When you become a medical coding and billing technician, you can help Virginia meet both of these goals.

Discover what medical coding and billing programs in Virginia are looking for by requesting more information from the schools that interest you below.

What to Expect in Virginia Medical Coding and Billing Training

When you start looking into medical coding and billing as a career, you may note that there are quite a few educational options in this specialty. You may graduate fairly quickly in a diploma or certificate program, as these programs only include coding and billing courses, rather than requiring general education courses. Associate’s degree programs, which do include general education courses, usually require two years of study.

Although there are many different training options, the skills and concepts tend to be the same across most schools. As a coding and billing student, you may prepare for your career in courses like Anatomy and Physiology, International Classification of Disease, Medical Billing and Reimbursement, and Microcomputer Fundamentals in Health Care. Being able to understand and properly use health care terminology is a big part of this field, since understanding what doctors do can help you complete your work more quickly and accurately.

Employers, government agencies, and schools are trying to expand the health care workforce of Virginia by making health care careers a more attractive option to students. This means an increase in scholarship and grant programs. The FAFSA helps you find federal opportunities that you qualify for, but you must apply for private grants and scholarships on your own. Health Focus of Southwest Virginia is one of many organizations in Virginia with this type of financial aid program.

Working as a Medical Billing and Coding Professional in Virginia

The need for health care support staff has been growing for quite some time, and this trend is expected to continue for years to come. O*Net reports an anticipated 21% jump in medical records jobs in Virginia by the year 2022 (2015). Currently, medical records technicians in Virginia earn an average salary of $35,700 per year (O*Net, 2015).

In Virginia, you do not have to be licensed to work as a medical coding and billing technician. However, this means that it may be more difficult to prove your skills to employers if they are unfamiliar with your school or its curriculum. This is just one reason that many coding and billing specialists decide to become certified through AAPC. AAPC also offer certification in different specialties, which may be beneficial to you if you want to secure a coding and billing position in a specific medical specialty.

Use your passion for health care to improve the health care experience of people in Virginia. Get started now by contacting medical coding and billing programs in Virginia.