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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!
Article Table of Contents
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.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT | 5930 Middle Fiskville Rd Austin, TX |
| BLINN COLLEGE | 902 College Ave Brenham, TX |
| CANNON INSTITUTE OF HIGHER LEARNING | 8500 N Stemmons Frwy Ste 3030 Dallas, TX |
| CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE | 6200 West Central Texas Expressway Killeen, TX |
| COASTAL BEND COLLEGE | 3800 Charco Rd Beeville, TX |
| COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS | 240 Northwest Mall Houston, TX |
| COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND | 1200 Amburn Road Texas City, TX |
| COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT | 3452 Spur 399 McKinney, TX |
| CONCORDE CAREER COLLEGE | 305 W. Interstate 20 Grand Prairie, TX |
| FORTIS INSTITUTE | 401 E Palace Pkwy Ste 100 Grand Prairie, TX |
| FORTIS INSTITUTE | 450 N Sam Houston Pkwy E Ste 200 Houston, TX |
| HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE | 3100 Main Street Houston, TX |
| INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COLLEGE | 1155 N Zaragosa Rd Suite 100 El Paso, TX |
| INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COLLEGE | 5700 Cromo El Paso, TX |
| KAPLAN COLLEGE | 6115 Eastex Freeway Beaumont, TX |
| KAPLAN COLLEGE | 6410 McPherson Road Laredo, TX |
| KAPLAN COLLEGE | 6441 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX |
| LEE COLLEGE | 511 S Whiting Baytown, TX |
| M T TRAINING CENTER | 1801 S. Great Southwest Parkway Grand Prairie, TX |
| MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE | 1400 College Dr Waco, TX |
| MIDLAND COLLEGE | 3600 N Garfield Midland, TX |
| MILAN INSTITUTE-AMARILLO | 7001 I-40 West Amarillo, TX |
| MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGE | 4849 West Illinois Ave. Dallas, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 13801 Burnet Road, Suite 300 Austin, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 6800 Westgate Blvd, Suite 101 Austin, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 1015 W. University Avenue, Suite 700 Georgetown, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 11757 Katy Freeway Suite 600 Houston, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 475 Highway 121 Lewisville, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 18600 LBJ Freeway Mesquite, TX |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | 300 North Coit Road Suite 225 Richardson, TX |
| NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE | 3535 N. Ellison Drive San Antonio, TX |
| ODESSA COLLEGE | 201 W University Blvd Odessa, TX |
| PANOLA COLLEGE | 1109 W Panola Street Carthage, TX |
| PARIS JUNIOR COLLEGE | 2400 Clarksville St Paris, TX |
| PCCENTER | 1229 E Pleasant Run Ste 302 DeSoto, TX |
| PROFESSIONAL CAREERS INSTITUTE | 6666 Harwin Ste 160 Houston, TX |
| QUEST COLLEGE | 5430 Fredericksburg Rd Ste 310 San Antonio, TX |
| REMINGTON COLLEGE | 1800 Eastgate Dr Garland, TX |
| REMINGTON COLLEGE | 300 E. Loop 820 Fort Worth, TX |
| REMINGTON COLLEGE | 3110 Hayes Road Suite 380 Houston, TX |
| REMINGTON COLLEGE | 20985 Interstate 45 South Webster, TX |
| REMINGTON COLLEGE | 11310 Greens Crossing Blvd, Ste 300 Houston, TX |
| RGV CAREERS | 1200 West Polk Avenue Pharr, TX |
| SAN JACINTO COMMUNITY COLLEGE | 8060 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX |
| SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE | 3201 W Pecan McAllen, TX |
| SOUTHEAST TEXAS CAREER INSTITUTE | 975 Hwy 327 E Silsbee, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 2301 S Congress Ste 27 Austin, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 1424 W Price Rd Ste K Brownsville, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 2422 Airline Road Corpus Christi, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 603 Ed Carey Dr Harlingen, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 1414 N. Jackson Rd Pharr, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 6963 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX |
| SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE | 238 SW Military Drive, Suite 101 San Antonio, TX |
| SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY AT EL PASO | 1414 Geronimo El Paso, TX |
| ST PHILIP'S COLLEGE | 1801 Martin Luther King Dr San Antonio, TX |
| TEXAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS | 3208 Fm 528 Friendswood, TX |
| TEXAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS | 711 East Airtex Dr Houston, TX |
| TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE | 300 Homer K. Taylor Drive Sweetwater, TX |
| THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS | 6630 East Highway 290, Suite 180 Austin, TX 78723 |
| THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS | 4248 North Freeway Fort Worth, TX |
| THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS | 4738 N. W. Loop 410 San Antonio, TX |
| THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS | 7322 Southwest Freeway, Suite 110 Houston, TX 77074 |
| TYLER JUNIOR COLLEGE | 1400 East Fifth Street Tyler, TX |
| VALLEY GRANDE INSTITUTE FOR ACADEMIC STUDIES | 345 S. Texas Blvd. Weslaco, TX |
| VERNON COLLEGE | 4400 College Dr. Vernon, TX |
| VIRGINIA COLLEGE | 6301 E Highway 290 Austin, TX |
| VIRGINIA COLLEGE | 5005 50th Street Lubbock, TX |
| VISTA COLLEGE | 6101 Montana Ave El Paso, TX |
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.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $39,336 |
| San Antonio | $37,317 |
| Dallas | $38,006 |
| Austin | $37,743 |
| Fort Worth | $37,394 |
| El Paso | $33,567 |
| Arlington | $37,333 |
| Corpus Christi | $35,590 |
| Plano | $37,842 |
| Laredo | $33,990 |
Regional Salary in Texas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 130 | $41,880 | $20.13 | $60,340 | $28,900 |
| Amarillo, TX | 300 | $43,650 | $20.98 | $60,280 | $33,280 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 1,270 | $48,310 | $23.23 | $71,210 | $34,080 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 150 | $40,410 | $19.43 | $58,800 | $28,010 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 260 | $40,840 | $19.64 | $56,740 | $27,950 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 260 | $47,750 | $22.96 | $70,860 | $31,580 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 320 | $43,430 | $20.88 | $60,990 | $30,440 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,450 | $51,680 | $24.85 | $77,070 | $35,240 |
| El Paso, TX | 470 | $44,710 | $21.5 | $63,350 | $28,070 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 4,340 | $49,620 | $23.86 | $73,220 | $34,030 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 270 | $46,610 | $22.41 | $63,770 | $32,020 |
| Laredo, TX | 90 | $39,260 | $18.87 | $55,680 | $27,060 |
| Longview, TX | 240 | $47,470 | $22.82 | $66,910 | $33,830 |
| Lubbock, TX | 260 | $43,050 | $20.7 | $59,070 | $28,370 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 580 | $38,260 | $18.39 | $56,420 | $24,290 |
| Midland, TX | 80 | $47,700 | $22.93 | $66,850 | $35,410 |
| Odessa, TX | 40 | $46,450 | $22.33 | $74,400 | $28,780 |
| San Angelo, TX | 90 | $43,990 | $21.15 | $56,430 | $29,180 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 1,710 | $47,070 | $22.63 | $66,330 | $31,750 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 110 | $40,960 | $19.69 | $48,960 | $31,040 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 100 | $36,490 | $17.54 | $51,600 | $26,980 |
| Tyler, TX | 220 | $47,550 | $22.86 | $73,290 | $28,610 |
| Victoria, TX | 60 | $46,030 | $22.13 | $73,960 | $28,190 |
| Waco, TX | 170 | $41,690 | $20.04 | $55,310 | $27,680 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 130 | $46,770 | $22.49 | $63,670 | $29,170 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
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.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Medical Biller and Coder
Medical Billing and Coding Classes by City
Medical Billing and Coding Classes by State