Medical billing and coding are very competitive professions in the healthcare industry. If you’re thinking of entering the workforce with some education and experience, it’s worth it. To get the best education, you need to choose a good school. The more valuable the medical billing and coding palette, the more likely your certification will be accepted. But how do you know if a medical billing and coding school is accredited or not?
Make sure that the school you choose to study the curriculum is accredited. Otherwise, your degree in this subject will also not add value to your medical billing and coding career.
See also: Top Medical Coding and Billing Scholarships 2022
Evidence of medical billing and coding school accreditation
You must check this eligibility when choosing a suitable school for admission. There are three steps you need to follow and some additional steps. that is,
1. Know what accreditation is
Accreditation means that the school you attend meets specific standards, as do your other students. It is one condition that a school must meet. That is access to federal financial aid options and the ability to transfer loans to another institution. A well-regarded medical billing and coding school must be held accountable for meeting the standards of its academics & the quality of its students’ performance.
It means that both the school and student sectors are moving forward with updates to medical billing and coding programs. Having a degree from a highly regarded school or institution is likely to be of the highest value to your employer. Someone who has studied at an accredited school is up-to-date on the latest information in electronic health records, medical billing, and coding.
2. Check with institutions
Here you should check the respective school with three institutes. Namely, Medical Billing and Coding, National Authority on Health Information, and Health Information Management are such institutions. That is, we can identify several educational institutions that are included in these institutions. They are the American Association for Health Information Management and the American Academy of Physicians and Surgeons.
3. Verification of learning institutions
It is your last step in determining if a medical billing and coding school is accredited. It is a very crucial step. That’s why we call it “safeguard.” There should be several authorities for final verification. They are,
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- North West Association of Schools and Colleges
- Central State Association of Colleges and Schools
The three above are the necessary steps you need to take to have a medical billing and coding school accredited. But as an additional step, you can choose the best school according to the accepted rankings. However, remember that the school you choose is vital to your success in the medical billing and coding career.
Why is Accrediting a Medical Billing and Coding School Important?
As mentioned above, when you attend any medical billing and coding school, you must attend an institution accountable for your education’s quality. Those schools are accredited to provide you with such a high-quality education. They go to great lengths to prove it to you. Now let’s look at its importance to you and your schools.
It’s a great way to save on tuition costs for you. The government and institutions have allowed some schools to operate without accreditation. However, federal majors and credits are available for schools accredited by the state. In addition, schools are also able to receive state funding by obtaining accreditation.
Another advantage you will get is that you will be highly regarded when applying for job positions. Another opportunity to find out if the school you attended is accredited is when hiring managers.
How to Accredit a Medical Billing and Coding School?
For a school to complete accreditation, it must adhere to various standards set by the respective accrediting body. As mentioned above, the relevant criteria are updated regularly. That is, accredited schools continue to evolve with the industry.
To earn the relevant accreditation, that school must apply to an external agency. Also, they are subject to review, which may include site visits. Progress reports and periodic reviews may ensure that the program or school conforms to applicable standards.
What is the contrast between an accredited and a non-accredited school?
The main difference is that an accredited medical billing and coding school has completed a thorough review and approval process. But an unaccredited school is not in such a position. Imagine that an organization or company sees that a particular job applicant has a medical billing and coding certificate from an accredited school. Then they will be confident that the program provided opportunities for that candidate to learn frequently updated medical billing information.
Then they will be confident that the program provided opportunities for that candidate to learn frequently updated medical billing information. If a school isn’t accredited, it is tough for the employer to determine the level of education that the candidate has received.
Licenses and Accreditations
You know that the colleges and universities we have discussed require accreditation. The best examples of such colleges and universities are schools like Penn Foster, Bryan, and Everest. But AAPC is not a college or any university. Or, neither are non-university coding schools. For such reasons, they are not accredited. But they need proper enforcement. For that, schools must obtain a license from their state to issue those types of coding charts.
A licensed school has received the seal of approval after meeting state requirements. Such schools have obtained their government licenses. However, the credential you get through them is nationally recognized. Also, the certificate you receive from AAPC or AHIMA has nothing to do with the state in which your school is licensed. However, until it reaches the state, it is recognized by all other states.
Find out more about: Accredited Medical Billing and Coding Schools 2022
