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Patient medical records contain a wide range of information about patient symptoms, examinations, test results and reports, diagnoses, treatment plans, and outcomes. Medical Coding Specialists, known as Health Information Technologists in the allied health industry, are responsible for keeping those medical records up-to-date and complete.

Medical coding for insurance claims is a specialty within the field of health information technology. Medical coding and billing specialists work with classification manuals and use computers to assign the accurate “diagnosis-related groups” (DRGs) that determine insurance coverage and reimbursement for each doctor's or hospital bill. As in other insurance-related businesses, medical bills submitted for insurance coverage are called "claims."

Medical coding and billing specialists typically have an associate degree from a community college or technical/vocational school. Because of the high demand for medical coding and billing specialisits, the number of training programs is also on the rise. Many schools and colleges are developing medical coding and billing programs as a part of their allied health curriculum.

If you graduate from a 2-year program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), you can then take an exam to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Many employers prefer to hire people with this designation, so you will likely increase both your job opportunities and your pay when you invest in the formal training and earn the RHIT certification.

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