Medical billing and coding jobs are on the rise. You can prepare for this high-demand job at a technical school in Kansas.

By Gabby Hyman
RWM Columnist
November 30, 2006

Healthcare professions across the nation are experiencing rapid growth--which means they're also feeling the growing pains from a critical shortage of qualified workers. In Kansas, technical and trade schools have developed vocational programs to prepare medical billing and office personnel for the many vacancies at hospitals, home healthcare facilities, and physicians' offices.

In a federal study, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that health information technicians, medical receptionists and information clerks will see a 30 percent increase in job openings between now and 2014. This adds up to outstanding opportunities for trained Kansas healthcare support professionals.

A Different Kind of Life Support
In every healthcare facility in Kansas, there is high demand for medical billing, office assisting, and medical coding professionals. They chart every patient visit, every diagnosis, and every technical procedure.

A medical trade or technical school program can prepare you for a career in medical records or information technology. You'll need computer skills, as well as a working knowledge of medical and technical terms. Technical schools can provide expert preparation for a job in medical coding; for example, you'll need to master the classification systems for billing insurance companies. Recent federal legislation mandating electronic record-keeping will help boost growth in the coding vocations.

The Future's So Bright…
According to the BLS, medical coding technicians will be in particularly high demand in the next decade. That's because of an increased workload in insurance billing and regulations, along with a greater demand for services by an aging population. Coders, the BLS says, will find a wealth of opportunities through medical-technical services companies. According to the American Academy of Professional Coders, you can increase your salary by almost 25 percent if you earn national certification.

The BLS reports that employers prefer their job candidates to hold an associate's degree or certification in medical administrative assisting, medical billing, or medical coding. Get started today with a Kansas-based technical school or college offering associate's degrees and bachelor's of science degrees in Health Administration.

Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The American Academy of Professional Coders

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.