Is medical coding a profession with a future?

I am 42 and have been in the hospitality management profession for the last 7+ years and am looking to make a career change. Do you need a special education to take one of those medical coding/transcription jobs? Can anyone else make suggestions at some areas I could look at? Something with 20+ years future left in it?

Is medical coding a profession with a future?
I am in the field and if you don't have a degree, you can only go so far.





You can get a certificate in 12months or a assoc. in 24 months.





Make sure the program is accredited through AHIMA.
Reply:Both medical coding and transcription are jobs with a future, although they are entirely different jobs and shouldn't be lumped together as one.
Reply:The "work from home" medical transcription jobs are a joke. There are not many Dr's who will hire someone to do the work; most Dr's are part of large medical groups who outsource the medical transcription %26amp; coding/billing to large centralized companies that do it for 100's of different offices.


It's not a long term job right now, not for someone who wants to work for the next 20 years before retirement. Remember, your social security payments will be based on your last 20 years of income, so you don't really want it to be crappy %26amp; spotty.
Reply:Of course it's a good job. You'll always have a job as long as people get sick!...grin. Seriously though, you do need to take a course in coding/billing in order to be hired. You can also look into radiography. It's a 2 year time investment, but with new technologies, the field is always improving!
Reply:Well, you're always going to need to have claims coded. This seems like one of those areas where demand will soon be outstripped by supply, though.