Medical Billing and Coding Schools in Texas (Programs & Salary Information)

The unemployment in Texas appears a bit higher than in other states, but the demand for professionals outside the agricultural field is on the rise.

The healthcare sector saw a steady need for personnel, even in the administrative sector.

Medical coding and billing are one of the easiest and surest professions to find a job in, and here you can learn more about it!

Medical Billing – Requirements, Exam, Certification

Patients would not be able to pay for their medical bills if it wasn’t for the professionals preparing them.

The requirements for this profession are:

• Graduating from a specific training program
• Having an Associates degree
• Knowing anatomy
• Knowing medical terms
• Pathophysiology knowledge
• AAPC membership
• Obtain a minimum score of 70% on the certification exam

AAPC is the institution that created the medical billing field.

AAPC also administers the medical billing exam which costs $399, but candidates can retake it for free in less than 12 months.

A passing score means receiving the certification as a professional biller (CPB).

Medical Coding – Requirements, Exam, Certification

AAPC also created medical coding which made the billing process faster and easier.

Medical coders need to translate the information from medical records into shorter code which can then be used in other reports, to create invoices, and not only.

There are 4 types of coding specialists:

• Certified Outpatient Coder
• Certified Inpatient Coder
• Certified Risk Adjustment Coder
• Certified Professional Coder

In all these specializations, the coder will use these following codes the most:

• CPT,
• ICD-10-CM,
• HCPCS Level II

If you want to become a medical coder, you must:

• Have a high school diploma – it can be replaced by GED
• Know anatomy
• Know medical terms
• Earn the AAPC certification

Scoring at least 70% on the test overseen by AAPC is how you’ll earn the medical coder certification, regardless of specialization.

The exam comes with 150 questions and a time-frame of 5 hours and 40 minutes.

This is an open-book type of exam, and the books allowed are:

• AMA’s CPT Professional Edition
• An ICD-10-CM code manual
• An HCPCS Level II code manual

Training Programs

As a future medical coder and biller, you’ll find the best source for training at AAPC, but other schools and colleges also provide good classes for these professions.

The classes include:

• Medical billing
• Medical coding
• Anatomy
• Medical terms
• Pathophysiology

It’s very common for individuals to want to earn the certification for billing and for coding at the same time.

To do so, you’ll need to enroll in both training programs and pass both exams mentioned earlier.

While enrolling at one of the schools below, you can also earn a degree, which can help with your future career.

There is a difference between studying at AAPC and at a college, and that is the ability to study at your own pace.

The classes a future medical biller will have, include:

• Medical codes
• Types of insurance plans
• Local and national coverage determinations
• Payer policies,
• Billing rules and regulations in the healthcare industry
• The life cycle of a medical bill claim

No matter the type of diploma future medical coders will earn, their coursework includes:

• The sets of codes they’ll work with
• The rules these follow
• The organization of the code
• Anatomy
• Medical terms

Expected Salary and Other Information

In Texas, the average salary for a medical biller and coder is pretty low compared to the rest of the country, but accumulating more years of experience and having 2 certifications will reflect in a higher salary.

The cities where the salaries are higher include Houston, Dallas, Plano, and Austin.

Residents of Texas who received certification for medical coding and billing can seek employment at these facilities first:

• Austin Surgical Hospital
• Abilene Regional Medical Center
• Big Bend Regional Medical Center

These employers offer perks such as time off, at least one retirement plan, usually the 401(k), along with various health and life insurance plans.

Medical Billing and Coding Classes by State