How Do I Get Medical Billing And Coding Scholarships For Online Schools?

If you are seeking to start a career in the medical billing and coding fields, then you’re making a smart choice.

There is a shortage of skilled medical billers and coders in the United States. The shortage is so severe that many medical offices are opting for outside of the United States workers in order to keep their doors open.

In 2015, the national coding system transitioned from ICD-9 to ICD-10. This was the most significant coding change in 30 years. ICD-10 uses more than 140,000 codes, compared to 17,000 codes used in ICD-9. (1)

It’s no wonder that there’s a huge demand for medical billing and coding jobs. If you want to embark on a new, this article will show you how to get medical and coding scholarships for online schools.

Why Consider Online Learning?

There are lots of practical reasons why you should consider online learning. For starters, it’s more flexible. You can learn at your own pace. You won’t have to make any major changes to your life.

There are a lot of schools, universities, and privately owned institutions that offer medical billing and coding online. Even though online programs are designed to be more cost-efficient, they could still get pretty costly. When you go to an accredited medical billing and coding program, you will have to pay thousands of dollars for the schooling.

Fortunately, you can avail of medical billing and coding scholarships. This article will show you how to get medical billing and coding scholarships for online schools.

Sources Of Medical Billing And Coding Scholarships

Medical billers and coders often start their careers in medical billing but quickly move on to medical coding once they have gained enough experience and have been performing well in their jobs.

Fortunately, there are great sources of medical billing and coding scholarships available. Many private medical facilities and hospitals offer scholarships to medical billers and coders who would otherwise not be able to afford to enroll in medical billing and coding school.

These medical facilities and hospitals use medical billing and coding scholarships as a way to encourage qualified medical billers and coders to work at their hospitals. The hospitals and facilities pay the medical billers and coders a portion of their medical billings and coding scholarships, which help to make the medical facility more attractive to these professionals.

Other medical billing and coding scholarships are offered by colleges and online institutions. A number of medical schools also offer courses in medical billing and coding.

Start Searching For Medical Billing And Coding Scholarships

How to find medical billing and coding scholarships is not difficult. You can start searching online to see what your options are.

For example, you will find on Edumed.org three of the leading accredited medical billing and coding schools online that offer financial aid. These schools are Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology, Everett Community College, and North-West College. (2)

Although there are a lot of schools and universities that offer medical billing and coding, you need to make sure that their programs are online. Once you have established that, then you can inquire about medical billing and coding scholarships.

You can also explore other colleges and technical schools to see if they offer courses in medical billing and coding. Start making a list of these schools and colleges. Then take some time to visit their websites.

Some of the information that you will find on these websites will be about the course requirements, job placement programs, and financial aid information. If you need more information, you may also want to contact the admissions office at the school and ask them questions.

Explore Non-Traditional Learning Institutions

Learning how to get medical billing and coding scholarships will help you with the cost of obtaining a degree or certification in the medical billing and coding field.

If you are interested in pursuing a course in medical billing and coding, you can also explore non-traditional learning institutions. You don’t have to limit yourself to schools, colleges, and universities.

For example, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offers 8 certifications in medical records management, professional and facility coding, documentation improvement, and privacy and security. The certification programs focus on inpatient and outpatient coding, which are better suited to hospitals and inpatient facilities. (3)

If you check their foundation website, they have a list of their scholarship programs.

Important Things To Consider Before Applying

There are a lot of things to consider before applying for a scholarship. It’s best to streamline your options first.

Then consider these three critical things. First, the application deadline. Second, the application requirements. Not all scholarships have the same requirements. Third, make sure you have all the financial information you need to be able to qualify for a medical billing and coding scholarship. (4)

What To Watch Out For

There is no shortage of medical billing and coding scholarships. You just need to find one that suits you right.

The one thing you need to watch out for are scams. Yes, there are scholarship scams that you need to stay away from.

Some national scholarships are more like sweepstakes competitions. Avoid these. They’re simply looking to gather your personal data. Also, watch out for scholarships that require a fee to apply or ask for things like your bank or credit card number. The College Board offers tips for finding legitimate scholarships, and the website Safety.com offers a comprehensive overview of scholarship scams and how to avoid them. (5)

It is true that there are medical coding and billing job opportunities available for individuals who have a college education and those who have an associate’s degree.

Nonetheless, this shouldn’t discourage you. You can always consider medical billing and coding online programs. If you’re on a tight budget, then look into the various medical billing and coding scholarships. Individuals who have done so have been able to get medical billing and coding jobs.

Now that you know how to get medical billing and coding scholarships for online schools, you’re a step ahead of fulfilling your dream to become a medical biller or coder.