To become a medical coder without a degree, one can obtain a postsecondary certificate or associate degree. Medical coders analyze clinical statements and assign medical codes. There are no formal education requirements but most employers seek candidates with a certificate or degree. To become a coder, one needs a high school diploma and can then obtain medical coding training and certification, which demonstrates competency in skills like ICD coding, billing, and terminology. Maintaining technical skills through continuing education can help coders advance their careers.

1. How to Become a Medical Coder without a
Degree
A medical coder – also known as a clinical coding officer, or
medical coder – is a health information professional with the
main duties to analyze clinical statements and assign standard
codes using a classification system. Medical coders have an
important role in the healthcare system.
There are no formal education requirements for a person to
become a medical coder. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), most of the employers are seeking candidates
with:
 Postsecondary certificate
 Associate degree
A person with one of these credentials can be a medical coder
in the USA.
How to become a medical coder?
Medical coders play an important role whenever there is a
doctor’s appointment, the physician, or the nurse’s records
notes for the procedures that took place or the results of the
diagnosis.

2. Medical coders use their knowledge of thousands of medical
codes, payment policies, and government regulations. Medical
coders use medical records and code them for billing,
insurance, and several other purposes. You can become a
medical coder by following 5 simple steps as given below:
Step 1. Meet the basic prerequisites:
First and foremost, to become a medical coder you need a
high school diploma or an equivalent degree. You will need to
pass a background check. If you have a criminal history
involving drug offenses or sexual crimes, your application will
be turned down.
Step 2. Medical Coding Training:
Next, you’ll need to start a complete coding training. This
training is provided at different institutions in different
tenures. Most of the time it is for 09 months or up to 01 year
depending upon the institution.
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Medical coding courses:
Following are the medical coding courses that you can study
to be a fine medical coding professional:

3.  Coding Foundations
 ICD-PCS Coding
 ICD-CM Coding
 Ambulatory Care Coding
 Revenue Cycle and Billing
A solid understanding of the field and gaining practical
training will allow you to grip your profession as early as you
enter the field and get your first medical coding job. Medical
coding training is also available online to fit it into your busy
schedule.
Step 3. Get your Medical Coding Certification:
Graduating from a Medical Coding Certificate program is
required and after achieving this you need to be certified. This
certificate shows the employers you’re a competent and
dedicated medical coder who has demonstrated all of the
important skills required to be a successful medical coder. You
have a choice to select specialize in medical coding, but
according to BLS states, it can have a positive impact on your
job prospects.
Common Medical Coding Certificates:
There are a few certifications for medical coders to choose
from which are given as follows:
 Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
 Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

4.  Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
After gaining some experience in the relevant field, you can
decide you’d like to specialize in your coding career. Then you
may consider pursuing specialty medical coding certification
in an area such as:
 Ambulatory care
 Anesthesia
 Family practice
 General surgery
Step 4. Improve your in-demand medical coding skills:
You need to brush up on your medical coding skills before
you start applying for coding jobs. You should have a better
understanding of what employers are exactly seeking from a
medical coder. You should prepare yourself accordingly and
then apply for the job. Being a medical coder needs to keep a
balance between hard and soft skills.
Top Technical skills for Medical Coding:
According to the Real-time job analysis software, after
examining almost 30,000 medical coding jobs posted over the
last year, the following technical skills are preferred by the
employers:
 Health information technology (HIT)
 ICD-10
 CPT coding

5.  Inpatient coding
 Customer billing
 Anatomy
 Outpatient coding
 Physiology
 HCPCS coding
 Medical terminology
Top Transferable skills for medical coding professionals:
 Communication
 Computer literacy
 Collaboration
 Research
 Microsoft Office
 Attention to detail
 Organization
Your medical coding training will help you out hone these
technical skills to be a perfect fit for the job.
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