You need to start with learning fundamentals of Electronic Medical Records, as this is the way of the future. As medical coders you will be looking and patients’ charts, evaluating the chart and the service provided. It is also very important that you learn the Medical Terms, and Anatomy and Physiology so you know the human body and the medical services that are provided, in order to better assign the appropriate coding classification.

Coders use 3 different code sets: CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-9/10. It’s important to be trained on the new ICD-10 code set because all healthcare facilities and physicians will be transitioning from the ICD-9 codes to these new codes, but you will also need to be familiar with the ICD-9 code sets to earn industry certifications and get a job before the transition.

You also need to learn about Insurance and reimbursement process, along with laws and ethics of the assigning accurate billing and coding for services provided. Coding is provided whenever service is provide in many settings, therefore it is important that you learn various health care delivery systems within the healthcare industry