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Best medical billing and coding externship certifications

Medical billing and coding externship certifications allow job seekers to demonstrate their competency as an medical billing and coding externship to employers. However, not all medical billing and coding externship certifications provide the same value for job seekers.

The best certifications for a medical billing and coding externship are Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS), Medical Assistant, and Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS).

Below is a list of the best medical billing and coding externship certifications. Obtaining an medical billing and coding externship certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.

17 best medical billing and coding externship certifications

1. Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)

A Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) primarily focuses on converting a medical procedure, diagnosis, or symptom into specific codes to submit a claim for reimbursement.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

2. Medical Assistant

The medical assistant job description varies depending on the employer's needs. A medical assistant is a multi-skilled professional and an asset to a physician.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
Certifying organization
American Society of Phlebotomy...

3. Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS)

Experienced medical office professionals with exceptional coding, reimbursement and claims management skills are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS) exam. Practice Management Institute® has helped raise the bar of knowledge with its CMIS credential, designed to demonstrate outstanding skill in outpatient claims and reimbursement.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? 

4. Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)

Coding accuracy is highly important to healthcare organizations, and has an impact on revenues and describing health outcomes. In fact, certification has become an implicit industry standard. Accordingly, the CCS credential demonstrates a practitioner's tested data quality and integrity skills, and mastery of coding proficiency. Professionals experienced in coding inpatient and outpatient records should consider obtaining this certification.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)

5. Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM)

Experienced medical office professionals with exceptional administrative skills are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) exam. To attain CMOM certification, all candidates must demonstrate a high level of knowledge in financial management, managed care contracting, personnel, and time management. Risk management, medical record keeping and facility management issues should also be mastered.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? 
Certifying organization
Practice Management Institute

6. Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)

A Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) performs routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of physicians running smoothly.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

7. Certified Professional Biller (CPB)

The Certified Professional Biller (CPB™) credential prepares medical billers with skills to maintain all aspects of the revenue cycle. Without expertise in medical billing and the nuances of payer requirements, reimbursement may be compromised.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

8. Nationally Certified Insurance and Coding Specialist (NCICS)

The Insurance and Coding Specialist can find a rewarding position as a health insurance claims processor or coder in a medical office practice. The Examination content areas include medical billing procedures, insurance claims processing, medical terminology, CPT coding, ICD-9-CM Coding, and HCPCS Level II coding.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)

9. Certified Professional Coder (CPC)

A Certified Professional Coder (CPC) is an individual of high professional integrity who has passed a coding certification examination sponsored by the American Academy of Professional Coders (the AAPC). The examination consists of questions regarding the correct application of CPT, HCPCS procedure and supply codes and ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes used for billing professional medical services to insurance companies.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

10. HIPAA Professional (HIPAAP)

The Center's HIPAAP designation imparts the knowledge you'll need to attain the goal of becoming a HIPAA privacy officer-focusing in on the administrative simplification provisions, particularly the policies and procedures that providers and organizations need in place to comply with privacy and security standards. This program will provide you with a solid grounding in HIPAA terminology, as well as the implications of HIPAA for the insurance industry.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
Certifying organization
Health Insurance Association of...

11. Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS)

Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialists (CMRS) are skilled in facilitating the claims paying process from the time a service is rendered by a health care provider until the balance is paid. The CMRS is knowledgeable in ICD9, CPT4 and HCPCS Coding, Medical Terminology, Insurance claims and billing, appeals and denials, fraud and abuse, HIPAA, OIG Compliance, information and web technology, reimbursement, and much more. CMRS Billers play a critical role in a health care provider's daily business operations.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)

12. Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA)

Medical Office Assistants typically perform administrative duties for health care providers in office settings, although some may also perform basic clinical tasks (as allowed by state laws). Their responsibilities will vary by employer, but may include answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing medical records, completing insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing or bookkeeping.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)

13. Certified Medical Coder (CMC)

Experienced medical office professionals with exceptional coding skills are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Coder (CMC) exam. Practice Management Institute has helped raise the bar of knowledge with its CMC credential, designed to help physicians and their staff ensure ample training in outpatient coding.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? 
Certifying website
Certified Medical Coder
Certifying organization
Practice Management Institute

14. Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS)

EHR Specialist's duties will vary with size and specialty of the facility in which they may work. Many can specialize in varying areas or one aspect of the EHR such as entry level coders, encoding within a hospital setting, abstractors and or coding specialist, HIPAA Compliance Officers or HIM (Health Information Managers) and be over entire departments within larger healthcare facilities

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
Course that help you to prepare for certification
Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
udemy
4.4
(811)

15. Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) recognizes that the demand for coders has never been greater, and this need is expected to continue for some years to come. By creating an entry-level coding credential based on job analysis standards and state-of-the-art test construction, AHIMA aims to increase the number of qualified new coders. The result? A larger pool of qualified coders for employers to choose from; certified coders doing a better job managing health information; and recognition for AHIMA members as industry experts and leaders in clinical coding.New coders who earn the CCA will immediately demonstrate their competency in the field, even if they don't have much job experience. Earning a CCA demonstrates a commitment to coding even for those who are new in the field. CCA holders will also distinguish themselves from non-credentialed coders and those who hold credentials from other organizations that do not require the higher level of expertise necessary to earn AHIMA certification.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)

16. Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (NHA)

A Certified Clinical Medical Assistant is an unlicensed multi-skilled healthcare practitioner who is competent in both a wide variety of clinical and laboratory procedures, as well as many administrative roles. A CCMA may perform some or all of the following duties. However, they are not limited to just these responsibilities:Interviews patients and measures vitals signsPrepares treatment roomsGives injections or treatments and performs venipuncture and laboratory testsCleans and sterilizes equipment.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

17. Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS)

This certification is for medical administrative specialists who serves a key role in medical office, clinic and hospital settings. This multi-skilled practitioner is competent in medical records management, insurance processing, coding and billing, management of practice finances, information processing, and fundamental office management tasks. A medical administrative specialist is very familiar with clinical and technical concepts required to coordinate administrative office functions in the healthcare setting.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
Certifying organization
American Medical Technologists
Top medical billing and coding externship jobs near you

What is the best certification for a medical billing and coding externship?

The best medical billing and coding externship certification is Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS). The Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) is awarded by the National Healthcareer Association. This certification is great to have as it shows an improvement in your competency to perform your role. You can earn this certification at the beginning of your career, as it often doesn't require a minimum education level and work experience.

Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this medical billing and coding externship certification:

  • To become a certified Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS), you need to pass the exam.
  • This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
  • Renew certification every 2 year.

What certifications can impact a medical billing and coding externship career and salary?

The Certified Professional Coder certification will help you to secure a medical coder position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A medical coder's average salary is $41,657 whereas medical billing and coding externships make an average salary of $36,112.

Best certifications

The most common combination of medical billing and coding externship certifications include: Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS), Medical Assistant, and Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS).

Online courses for medical billing and coding externships to earn certifications

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1. Medical Billing and Coding Fundamentals

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Through this Specialization, students learn the essential skills of an Insurance Billing Specialist. Knowledge of human anatomy and medicine is necessary for any healthcare role, so students are also taught this terminology and structure. Additionally, this Specialization includes skills to stand out to employers by teaching professionalism, communication, and soft skills specific to an allied health environment...

2. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

3. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing

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Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...

4. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training

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Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...

5. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

7. AMCI Introduction to Medical Coding (I2MC) Course

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Introduction to Medical Coding (I2MC) Course...

8. A Specialty Approach to Learning Medical Billing and Coding

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9. Patient Safety

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Preventable patient harms, including medical errors and healthcare-associated complications, are a global public health threat. Moreover, patients frequently do not receive treatments and interventions known to improve their outcomes. These shortcomings typically result not from individual clinicians’ mistakes, but from systemic problems -- communication breakdowns, poor teamwork, and poorly designed care processes, to name a few.\n\nThe Patient Safety & Quality Leadership Specialization covers...

10. Medical Terminology

coursera

This specialization is intended for anybody that is interested in developing skills in medical language or preparing for further studies in the medical field. Learners will be able to identify common prefixes, suffixes, roots and abbreviations so they can recognize most medical terms used by medical professionals. Learners will also have an understanding of the structure of an electronic health record and extract vital information from it. Moreover, learners will gain basic knowledge of the...

11. Medical coding for U.S. healthcare industry

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Jump start your career in the fastest growing career choice in the healthcare industry...

12. Speak Medical Spanish to Your Patients and Clients

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Spanish essentials for healthcare; program teaches correct pronunciation, pain management and medication, among others...

13. Medical Coding CPC (Certified Professional Coder) Training

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ICD 10, CPT, HCPCS, Rules and Regulations...

14. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data

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Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...

15. Medical Terminology 101

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For those in healthcare, billing, and more. Boost earning ability and marketable skills by learning to speak medicine...

16. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office

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A healthcare professional's guide to understanding the requirements HIPAA...

17. Medical Terminology

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Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...

18. Medical Devices Quality Management System - ISO 13485:2016

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Awareness and Application for the requirements of ISO 13485:2016 for Medical Device Development and QMS...

19. Medical Writing for Healthcare Professionals

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Launch your scientific and medical writing career today. Learn from an experienced medical writer!...

20. Introduction to Medical Imaging

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Your guide to the history, science, math, and economics of medical imaging systems (e.g., X-ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound)...

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