A May 2006 survey conducted by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Hospital Association Central Office, with support from the American Medical Association, confirms the critical need for qualified medical billing and coding professionals, and reveals the value employers place on experience and credentials.
Employers report challenges in filling open medical billing and coding slots with qualified candidates. Of the 59 percent of respondents who had open positions in the preceding 12 months, 76 percent reported having a difficult to extremely difficult time filling the slots. Two-thirds of all respondents said their region lacked qualified medical billing and coding professionals. Shortages exist nationwide, predominantly in the Southwest and Northeast.
More than half of employers (58 percent) surveyed cited lack of experience as a barrier for new medical billing and coding graduates. Another barrier is lack of credentials. Nearly half of employers (45 percent) reported that their preferred credential for employees is AHIMA’s Certified Coding Specialist, and another 29 percent preferred their employees hold Registered Health Information Technician credentials.
The message to aspiring medical billing and coding professionals? Once you've completed a formal education program, pursue certification, and seek internships and any additional hands-on work experience available. |
