Sometimes, wanting to try a different job than the one you have does not require learning unfamiliar skills.
For instance, you could apply any work experience you have in the medical field to a North Carolina billing and coding certificate while you prepare for work in this occupation.
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Licensing Requirements to Become a North Carolina Medical Billing & Coding Specialist
North Carolina’s government does not make it mandatory for people seeking billing and coding jobs in North Dakota to have a license to practice.
However, the state does have guidelines for insurance companies, which all healthcare entities must abide by.
You will learn about this when you take your courses to become either a medical insurance claim processor or a patient billing specialist.
One association in charge of updating billing and coding standards is the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), which offers the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certificate.
They also have several certification options, including some that prepare you for inpatient, outpatient or physician’s office coding.
The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) also grants certificates, such as the Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS), and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) provides plenty of chances to receive one of several billing and coding specializations.
5 Medical Billing & Coding Schools in North Carolina
If you are not sure where to attend school, start with browsing learning opportunities within the AAPC, NHA, and AHIMA websites.
Make sure the courses you enroll in will prepare you to take the exams offered by one of those three associations.
1. University of North Carolina Charlotte
UNC Charlotte has a continuing education Medical Coding Specialist Certificate program.
Students currently working or who plan to re-enter the workforce can update and expand their current healthcare career skills.
It is a real-time training program, so you must participate at the scheduled start date.
The school also provides scholarship opportunities for this program, and it prepares you for AAPC certification.
2. Wake Technical Community College
Wake Tech offers a billing and coding certificate program that increases understanding of insurance reimbursement and medical fee billing schedules.
It also takes you into the world of filing claims and posting payments.
When enrolled in this program’s courses, you also will become equipped with all the medical terms that relate to your coding position.
These terms also would show up in your anatomy and physiology classes, and they provide context for the ICD-10 CM and CPT coding systems you would use.
Your Wake Teck training could prepare you for the CPC certification provided by the AAPC or the NHA CBCS certification.
Make sure you take the Medical Terminology prerequisite before you try to enter the Wake Tech Health Care Billing and Coding program.
3. Surry Community College
This NC school has a four-month Medical Billing and Coding Certificate program.
It includes some in-person and online classroom time, and it will equip you to fill insurance claim process and patient billing positions at hospitals, doctor’s offices, and staffed senior facilities.
You also could secure a position at an insurance company after taking this training.
4. The University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill
This Chapel Hill school offers you a 24-week billing and coding educational program.
It provides you with an accelerated training option that can enhance your current healthcare career or help you start a new one.
Join both live sessions and online courses you can participate in on your own time.
You also can engage in experiential learning that prepares you for real-life positions at a doctor’s office, hospital, nursing home, or another center that employs medical staff.
5. Piedmont Community College
You can achieve a certificate in Healthcare Management Technology – Medical Coding from Piedmont.
You will learn diagnosis and treatment coding classifications pertaining to patient billing and insurance coding.
Your training prepares you for AAPC certification for work in a clinic, hospital, doctor’s office, or critical care departments.
In addition, you would have skills to perform billing and coding related to ambulatory care.
This also opens you to exploring healthcare information management positions.
Billing and Coding Schools in North Carolina – Summary Table
Top 5 Schools in North Carolina
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| University of North Carolina Charlotte | 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223 |
| Wake Technical Community College | 9101 Fayetteville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27603 |
| Surry Community College | 630 S Main St, Dobson, NC 27017 |
| University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill | 220 E Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 |
| Piedmont Community College | 1715 College Dr, Roxboro, NC 27573 |
Salary
In North Carolina, you can make an average of $41,632 per year as a medical billing and coding specialist.
You might earn at least $5,000-10,000 less while still in training, and before you earn your first certificate.
You can start your job search online to find positions in Delco, Cary, Raleigh or Greensboro.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Medical Biller and Coders in North Carolina
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Charlotte | $40,300 |
| Raleigh | $39,800 |
| Greensboro | $39,300 |
| Durham | $39,600 |
| Winston-Salem | $39,400 |
| Fayetteville | $37,700 |
| Cary | $39,800 |
| High Point | $39,500 |
| Wilmington | $39,500 |
| Asheville | $37,800 |
Regional Salary in North Carolina
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | 250 | $43,370 | $20.85 | $58,140 | $30,240 |
| Burlington, NC | 40 | $39,770 | $19.12 | $51,790 | $30,790 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,120 | $49,490 | $23.8 | $67,420 | $34,050 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 490 | $50,820 | $24.43 | $65,840 | $35,230 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 250 | $48,430 | $23.29 | $67,020 | $29,810 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 60 | $44,830 | $21.55 | $65,420 | $27,940 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 350 | $41,600 | $20 | $57,500 | $30,730 |
| Greenville, NC | 310 | $49,000 | $23.56 | $59,710 | $35,340 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 200 | $42,720 | $20.54 | $62,980 | $29,440 |
| Jacksonville, NC | 70 | $49,910 | $23.99 | $65,110 | $35,300 |
| New Bern, NC | 60 | $39,940 | $19.2 | $63,870 | $28,310 |
| Raleigh, NC | 550 | $48,750 | $23.44 | $67,700 | $32,970 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 50 | $46,500 | $22.35 | $68,600 | $31,030 |
| Wilmington, NC | 200 | $37,270 | $17.92 | $52,690 | $22,960 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 490 | $54,240 | $26.08 | $74,980 | $33,490 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Schools by City
Frequently Asked Questions
What skills should an NC biller and coder have?
The billing and coding specialist needs to have a good understanding of the medical terminology that relates to classifying patient bills and insurance claims.
If you work as a billing and coding specialist, you also need to effectively communicate between medical staff, insurers, and patients.
When talking to patients, you must also be able to show them empathy if dealing with some billing misunderstandings.
Knowing what data you must enter into the claim form and processing that information correctly also matters.
What is more, you will need to know how to look up how much time has elapsed between when a patient received treatment and when they processed their claims.
What tasks does a billing and coding specialist perform?
Billing and coding specialists analyze medical records, assign codes to hospital bills, and work with insurance providers to make sure that they use the correct treatment classifications.
If you were to work in this position, you would also make sure all patients receive accurate bills according to the services they received and might even have to collect payments.
Where can I find billing and coding jobs in North Carolina?
You can find billing and coding jobs in hospitals, physician offices, and urgent-care clinics.
Additional places where you might find work include nursing homes and assisted living centers where they employ medical staff.
Is there a demand for billers and coders in NC?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of Medical Records and Health Information Specialists openings will increase by 9% by 2030.
You will need only about six months’ worth of medical billing and coding training to secure one of these positions.
