Best Online Medical Billing Coding Programs in West Virginia
Discover West Virginia’s best online medical billing & coding programs, explore your career and salary potential, and get answers to your pressing questions.
One of the quickest paths to a career in healthcare services is by becoming a medical billing and coding professional. Medical billers and coders earn solid wages and enjoy high job security and growth potential. Another major benefit is that medical billers and coders are often able to work from home.
But before you can start your medical billing and coding career, you’ll need to get some formal training, such as from the quality, accredited online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia featured in this guide. You’ll also find the answers to several questions commonly asked by prospective medical billing and coding students, including:
- What will I learn in my medical billing and coding program?
- How is online medical billing and coding program content delivered?
- What are the admissions requirements?
- How much do online medical billing and coding programs in West Virgina cost?
- Are financial aid opportunities available to help pay for my program?
- What can I expect to earn in my West Virginia medical billing and coding job?
Have we piqued your curiosity? Then keep reading to learn how you can launch your new career in the healthcare services field by getting the training you need through one of today’s top online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia.
School Spotlights: Inside Medical Billing & Coding Programs in WV
We’re starting you off with spotlights of three of the best online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia currently available. We’ve chosen these programs based on a number of student-friendly factors such as accreditation, affordability, quality content, study convenience, and student support services. Here’s who’s leading the way in online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia today.
West Virginia Junior College
West Virginia Junior College (WVJC) is a private postsecondary institution offering business and healthcare diploma and associate degree programs online and on campuses in Cross Lanes, Bridgeport, and Morgantown. Among those offerings is the online medical coding associate degree program. The program is designed to be completed in 18 months of full-time study, however part-time options are available. The curriculum includes coursework in medical coding, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and general education subjects such as communication and English composition. Of particular note are WVJC’s graduate support services that include refresher courses (for learning new technologies, procedures, and software) and continuing employment assistance.
According to the school’s catalog, the program would fall under “All Other Programs”, with the current per-semester cost for full-time students including both tuition and the education resource fee estimated at $4,490. This estimate makes this program the most expensive of the three online medical billing and coding in West Virginia that we’re spotlighting. The higher cost is due to the longer completion time and that this is a full associate degree program. That makes WVJC’s medical coding program a great choice for anyone intending to continue with their formal education in the future to earn a bachelor’s (or higher) degree.
Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College
Study convenience and flexibility are key features of the medical billing and coding program offered by Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College, a public community college in Moorefield. Course content is delivered entirely online in an asynchronous format, allowing students to log on and complete their studies at any time and at their own pace. Students typically complete the entire program in six months. Graduates are eligible to sit for the exam for the certified billing and coding specialist from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), as well as professional certifications from the AAPC and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Applicants with a high school diploma or GED are admitted into the program as regular students. Students currently pursuing their high school diploma or GED may be admitted as “early entrance” students on recommendation by their school.
Affordability is another important program feature. The school’s main website page indicates that the current total program cost is $2,014, which includes all course instruction as well as all e-books and textbooks. Financial aid resources are available to qualifying students to help pay for their medical billing and coding training. Contact the program for details.
Pierpont Community & Technical College
The medical billing and coding certificate program from Pierpont Community & Technical College differs from the other two medical billing and coding programs spotlighted here in that it awards college credits for its coursework. The curriculum consists of 33 credit hours in medical billing and coding practices along with courses in physiology, medical terminology, pharmacology, and more. The entire program is completed in one year (fall and spring semesters) of full-time study. All classes are scheduled in the evening and can be attended online via livestream or in person on Pierpont’s Fairmont campus. Upon completion of the first semester of the program, students achieve a medical administrative assistant advanced skill set. Students who successfully complete the entire certificate course will have completed the first full year of Pierpont’s two-year associate of applied science in health information technology program.
The current per-credit tuition rate for Pierpont’s online medical billing and coding program is $239 for West Virginia residents, $460 for metro rate students (residents of Greene and Fayette County, Pennsylvania; and Garrett County, Maryland), and $569 for all other out-of-state residents. Admission is unrestricted and noncompetitive and requires only a high school diploma or GED.
Salary & Career Outlook for Medical Billing and Coding Students in West Virginia
Among the most important considerations for anyone in choosing a career are earnings and job security. Please note: The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide data specifically for medical billing and coding. That’s why we’ve included recent salary figures and job growth estimates for fields similar to medical billing and coding, so the information below is based on data for medical records specialists. You’ll find recent average earnings figures for medical records specialists in West Virginia and for several metro areas within the state. While these figures fall below those for the U.S. overall, they are solid for entry-level workers in the health services field. The figures also reflect the lower overall cost of living in West Virginia when compared to the nation.
It’s important to keep in mind as well that these are averages. What you actually earn in your job will vary depending on such factors as your specific employer and job responsibilities, geographic location, and level of medical billing and coding work experience.
| Area | 10th Percentile | Mean Annual Wage | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $29,520 | $41,680 | $64,100 |
| Beckley, WV | $28,070 | $36,370 | $61,660 |
| Charleston, WV | $28,920 | $38,090 | $59,720 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $ 32,290 | $ 49,530 | $68,260 |
| Morgantown, WV | $ 29,910 | $ 40,300 | $ 62,710 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $ 21,880 | $ 33,890 | $ 47,360 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $ 33,590 | $ 47,130 | $ 60,770 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $ 29,100 | $ 38,490 | $ 55,970 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023
Regarding job security, the news is distinctly positive, as evidenced by the job growth estimates of 8.5% and 6.7% for medical records specialists in West Virginia and the U.S. respectively. This is particularly clear when compared to the projected job growth estimate of 4% by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for all occupations in the U.S. between 2023 and 2033.
| Area | Current Jobs | Projected Jobs | New Jobs | Job Growth | Avg. Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 194,300 | 210,900 | 16,600 | 8.5% | 15,000 |
| West Virginia | 1,190 | 1,270 | 80 | 6.7% | 90 |
Source: Projections Central, 2020-2030
Careers for Medical Billing and Coding Certified Students
Among the most important considerations for anyone in choosing a career are earnings and job security. Please note: The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide data specifically for medical billing and coding. That’s why we’ve included recent salary figures and job growth estimates for fields similar to medical billing and coding, so the information below is based on data for medical records specialists. You’ll find recent average earnings figures for medical records specialists in West Virginia and for several metro areas within the state. While these figures fall below those for the U.S. overall, they are solid for entry-level workers in the health services field. The figures also reflect the lower overall cost of living in West Virginia when compared to the nation.
It’s important to keep in mind as well that these are averages. What you actually earn in your job will vary depending on such factors as your specific employer and job responsibilities, geographic location, and level of medical billing and coding work experience.
Billing Analyst
Billing analysts are responsible for making sure clients are billed correctly. Specific responsibilities include:
- Preparing and issuing invoices.
- Reviewing invoices for accuracy.
- Communicating with clients and colleagues to ensure invoice accuracy and completeness and to resolve errors or discrepancies.
- Analyzing billing procedures to identify problems and make recommendations for improvement.
Billing analysts may work in an office, remotely, or a combination of the two. Those working in offices are also commonly tasked with staffing the front desk to register patients, answering calls, verifying insurance and collecting co-pays, and taking care of related administrative duties.
Coding Auditor
Medical coding auditors are quality assurance professionals responsible for making sure the work of other medical billers and coders is done correctly. Common duties include:
- Auditing outpatient and impatient medical coders to assure work meets the stated accuracy percentage.
- Issuing, tracking, and monitoring coding denials.
- Reviewing coding denials and flagging cases for supervisors.
- Resolving coding denials through coding updates.
- Generating coding appeals based on coding conventions and guidelines.
- Training physicians and nonphysician support staff on coding conventions and guidelines.
- Utilizing a range of software applications to compile, analyze, and validate medical data.
Medical coding auditors are typically required by their employers to be certified by the AAPC or AHIMA.
Medical Records Coordinator
Sometimes called a medical records technician or medical records manager, the medical records coordinator is the person primarily responsible for protecting confidentiality in the collecting and storing of patient medical records. More specifically, medical records coordinators are tasked with controlling access to patient records through the implementation and maintenance of security standards mandated by confidentiality regulations such as those in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (more commonly referred to as HIPAA). Additional duties may include:
- Ensuring medical record accuracy, completeness, and regulatory compliance.
- Processing patient admissions and discharge records and forms.
- Performing tasks such as converting physician treatment notes into proper coding language for billing purposes.
Reimbursement Specialist
Graduates of online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia can focus their careers on managing billing and reimbursement processes for healthcare providers by becoming insurance reimbursement specialists. Typical tasks include:
- Identifying patient payment methods.
- Managing medical and financial records.
- Preparing, reviewing, and submitting insurance claims to carriers.
- Reviewing billing and coding records and practices for accuracy and compliance.
- Preparing and submitting invoices and following up on unpaid claims.
Employers often require their insurance reimbursement specialists to have a professional certification in addition to completing their medical billing and coding education programs.
Answering Your Questions
What does medical billing and coding training involve?
The primary focus of all online medical billing and coding programs in WV, obviously, is to provide students foundational training for employment in the medical billing and coding field. All medical billing and coding programs provide training in the use of standard coding classification systems (CPT, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10). In addition, most medical billing and coding programs include foundational coursework in important billing and coding subjects such as medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. Any additional education and training depends mainly on the program type (certificate, diploma, associate degree, etc.). For example, associate degree medical billing and coding programs typically include coursework in subjects such as healthcare management, communications, medical ethics, and English composition. Program formats commonly include class sessions (recorded or livestreamed), course readings and exercises, simulated practice experiences, and certification preparation materials and practice exams.
Are there online medical billing and coding programs in WV?
The simple answer is yes. Online medical billing and coding programs are, in fact, quite popular in West Virginia and throughout the country. In fact, West Virginia students have several fully online medical billing and coding programs to choose from, including the three spotlighted above. Many online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia are delivered asynchronously, meaning that students can log on and attend to their studies at any time based on their own schedules. Fully online medical billing and coding programs make sense, considering that medical billing and coding professionals often work online from home.
How do I find an accredited online medical billing and coding program?
Accreditation is the process through which most postsecondary schools and their programs are vetted for academic quality. There are two basic types of postsecondary accreditation: institutional and programmatic. Institutional accreditation concerns the academic quality of a college overall and is overseen by several regional and national accrediting agencies. You can find current institutional accreditation information by using this U.S. Department of Education search engine. Keep in mind, you won’t find programmatic accreditation for online medical billing and coding programs in West Virginia. Instead, you’ll be looking for programs that qualify you to sit for the exams for one or more medical billing and coding professional certifications such as those offered by the AAPC, NHA, and AHIMA. Information on professional certification eligibility is typically found on medical billing and coding program webpages. If you’re not seeing it there, contact the program directly or check the certification websites linked above.
How long is a medical billing and coding program?
Completion times for West Virginia online medical billing and coding programs vary, sometimes substantially, primarily due to the program type. For example the online medical billing and coding certification program at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College is designed to be completed in five months, while the medical billing and coding CAS program at Pierpont Community & Technical College (spotlighted above) requires approximately one year to complete. And medical and coding associate degree programs typically require a two-year full-time commitment.
Is it worth studying medical billing and coding?
That will depend on you: your unique career goals, earnings expectations, and personal commitments. What we can tell you is that if you’re looking for a quick, convenient, and affordable way to an entry-level career in the healthcare services profession, one that offers solid pay and job security, then an online medical billing and coding program in West Virginia may be the right fit for you.
