Medical billing and coding training teaches medical terminology, anatomy, insurance claims, and the code sets your program focuses on, usually ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS Level II. The Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies a postsecondary certificate as the typical entry-level education for medical records specialists. Employers may also require or prefer certification, such as AAPC’s CPC or AHIMA’s CCA.
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If you’re comparing medical billing and coding careers, start with this: billing and coding are related but distinct functions, and some positions combine them. This page covers what the classes teach, the main training paths, the exams employers look for, and the continuing education that keeps a credential active.
What Medical Billing and Coding Classes Cover
Certificate and associate programs typically include courses in medical terminology, health data requirements and standards, and classification and coding systems, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In practice, the coursework falls into three groups.
Medical Terminology, Anatomy, and Pathology
Every claim describes something that happened to a patient’s body, so you’ll start with the language of medicine. Medical terminology teaches you to break a word like “cholecystectomy” into its parts, and anatomy and physiology show you which body system it involves. Without both, a provider’s note is hard to read and harder to code.
Pathology covers how diseases are named, classified, and documented, from infections like influenza and hepatitis to long-term conditions. It matters because the diagnosis code you pick has to match what the provider actually documented.
The Code Sets You’ll Learn
A program that still lists ICD-9-CM as core training is out of date. Under the HIPAA code set rules at 45 CFR 162.1002, ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS replaced ICD-9-CM on October 1, 2015. How many of the current code sets a program covers depends on its focus. CPC-oriented training emphasizes ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS Level II, the three code books allowed on the CPC exam, while ICD-10-PCS is used for hospital inpatient procedures.
- ICD-10-CM: Diagnosis codes, used from physician offices to hospitals.
- ICD-10-PCS: Procedure codes for hospital inpatient stays.
- CPT: Current Procedural Terminology, the American Medical Association’s codes for what physicians and other providers did.
- HCPCS Level II: CMS-maintained national codes for products, supplies, and services not included in CPT.
These are code sets, not software. Billing and health record programs vary from office to office, but the code sets are national HIPAA standards.
Billing, Insurance, and Health Care Law
The billing side follows the claim life cycle: how a claim is built, sent to a payer, paid or denied, and appealed. AAPC’s outline for its CPB exam is a good map of this coursework. It covers insurance plans, Medicare’s local and national coverage determinations (LCDs and NCDs), denial resolution, and laws such as HIPAA, the False Claims Act, and the Stark Law.
Training Paths: Certificate, Associate Degree, or Bachelor’s
There’s no single required route. BLS says medical records specialists, the category that includes medical coders, typically need a postsecondary certificate to enter the field, although some qualify with a high school diploma and others need an associate or bachelor’s degree. Community colleges and technical schools offer the certificate and associate programs.
| Path | What It Involves | Where It Leads |
|---|---|---|
| High school diploma | Some employers hire with a diploma plus experience in a health care setting (BLS). | Entry-level roles. A diploma is enough to sit for AHIMA’s CCA exam. |
| Postsecondary certificate or diploma | The typical entry route (BLS), built around terminology, coding, and billing classes. | The CPC, CPB, or CCA exam and entry-level coding or billing jobs. |
| Associate degree | A broader degree from a community college or technical school. | A CAHIIM-accredited health information management (HIM) associate program is the usual U.S. route to AHIMA’s RHIT exam. |
| Bachelor’s degree | A degree in health information management or a related field. | BLS notes a health information technology degree can lead to health information technologist or health services manager roles. |
Watch two words that sound alike. A certificate is what a training program awards when you finish. A certification is a credential you earn by passing an exam from AAPC or AHIMA. A certificate program prepares you for a certification exam, but it isn’t one.
Medical records specialists earned a median of $51,140 in May 2025, according to BLS wage data, and BLS projects 7.8% growth for the occupation from 2025 to 2035.
Medical Coding Certification: What Employers Look For
Certification may be required or preferred, BLS says, and some employers expect new hires to earn it shortly after they start. Four common starting credentials come from two organizations, AAPC and AHIMA. The details here are as of November 2026.
| Credential | Awarded By | Exam or Eligibility Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Professional Coder (CPC) | AAPC | 100 multiple-choice questions in four hours. Allowed books: the AMA’s CPT Professional Edition plus your choice of ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II books, current or preceding year, one copy of each (current year recommended). |
| Certified Professional Biller (CPB) | AAPC | 135 multiple-choice questions in four hours, covering billing, reimbursement, and compliance. |
| Certified Coding Associate (CCA) | AHIMA | High school diploma required. Coding training or six months of coding experience is recommended, not required. |
| Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) | AHIMA | Usual U.S. route: an associate-level HIM program accredited by CAHIIM. |
The CPC Exam and the CPC-A Step
An active AAPC membership is required before you schedule the CPC exam, according to AAPC. As of November 2026, AAPC lists $499 for two attempts at the CPC exam.
You can take the CPC without coding experience. If you pass without two years of experience, you hold the CPC-A, AAPC’s apprentice credential, until AAPC verifies that you’ve met the two-year requirement or its approved substitutes. Two years of employment isn’t always necessary:
- Coding prep course: Proof of at least 80 contact hours counts as one year of experience.
- CPC-A Practicode: Completing AAPC’s online program, three modules of 200 cases each, counts as another year. You can do it while you train or after.
- On-the-job coding: Work with CPT, ICD-10-CM, or HCPCS Level II, verified by letters, counts year for year.
The course and Practicode together can cover both years, or either one can be paired with one year of on-the-job coding.
Where AHIMA’s CCA and RHIT Fit
The CCA asks only for a high school diploma, though AHIMA recommends training that covers anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and basic ICD and CPT coding. The RHIT works differently. AHIMA accepts only HIM degree programs for it, and the usual U.S. route is the academic work of an associate-level HIM program accredited by CAHIIM. Graduates of foreign HIM programs approved by an association with an AHIMA reciprocity agreement also qualify. Health informatics programs don’t currently qualify, so check the program type as well as the accreditation when you choose a school.
What It Takes to Do the Job Well
Training helps prepare you for the job. Accuracy keeps the claims moving. BLS lists analytical skills, attention to detail, integrity, and interpersonal skills as qualities medical records specialists need, and each one shows up in daily work:
- Reading documentation: You code what the provider documented, not what seems likely, and send a query when a note is unclear.
- Getting details right: A wrong code or a missing detail can turn a clean claim into a denial and a delay for the patient.
- Protecting patient data: You handle protected health information every day, and the law requires you to keep it confidential.
- Working with people: You’ll talk through discrepancies with physicians, finance staff, and others involved in patient care.
If you’re still in high school, BLS suggests classes in biology, computer science, and anatomy.
Continuing Education After You’re Certified
Code sets change on a schedule, so your medical billing and coding training doesn’t end with the exam. New ICD-10-PCS and ICD-10-CM codes took effect October 1, 2026, according to CMS, and the CPT 2027 code set from the American Medical Association takes effect January 1, 2027.
Both credentialing bodies build that into renewal. To keep a CPC, you must maintain your annual AAPC membership and earn 36 continuing education units (CEUs) every two years, according to AAPC, and AAPC itself offers CEUs. AHIMA credentials also run on a two-year cycle, with the number of CEUs set by credential, according to AHIMA. Before you pay for a seminar or conference, ask whether your employer covers CEU costs, and check that the body that issued your credential accepts the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a degree to work in medical billing and coding?
Not usually. BLS says medical records specialists typically need a postsecondary certificate, and some qualify with a high school diploma. A degree matters if you want the RHIT: the usual U.S. route is a CAHIIM-accredited associate-level HIM program, and health informatics programs don’t currently qualify.
Is a coding certificate the same as a certification?
No. A certificate is what a training program gives you when you finish. A certification, like the CPC from AAPC or the CCA from AHIMA, is a credential you earn by passing that organization’s exam.
Can I take the CPC exam without coding experience?
Yes. You’ll hold the CPC-A apprentice credential until AAPC verifies two years of experience or its approved substitutes. An 80-contact-hour coding prep course and AAPC’s CPC-A Practicode program each count as one year, so two years of employment isn’t always necessary.
Do coding programs still teach ICD-9-CM?
They shouldn’t, except as history. ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS have been the HIPAA standard since October 1, 2015. If a program lists ICD-9-CM as core training, ask when its curriculum was last updated.
Do employers require certification?
Some do. Employers may require or prefer certification, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some expect new hires to earn it shortly after they start.
- Coursework: Expect medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pathology, billing and insurance rules, and the code sets your program focuses on, with CPC-oriented training centered on ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS Level II.
- Training path: BLS says a postsecondary certificate is the typical entry route, though some people start with a high school diploma and others earn a degree.
- Certification: AAPC’s CPC and CPB and AHIMA’s CCA are common first credentials, and the usual U.S. route to the RHIT is a CAHIIM-accredited associate-level HIM program.
- CPC-A: You can pass the CPC without experience, and an 80-hour prep course or AAPC’s Practicode can each stand in for one of the two required years.
- Keeping current: A CPC needs an active AAPC membership plus 36 CEUs every two years, and AHIMA credentials also renew on a two-year cycle.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical Records Specialists. Figures reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2026. National employment projections (2025 to 2035) are from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2.
Once you know which exam you’re aiming for, choosing a program gets easier. Compare how the schools listed here handle CPC or CCA exam prep, whether their coding classes teach current ICD-10-CM and CPT, and whether you can take them online.
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