The ICD-10 transition has created a demand for skilled coders, and with this demand comes a well-paying, secure niche in the job market that will only continue to grow.
According to a recent AAPC survey, coders are predicted to have high job security due to the pressure that the ICD-10 transition has placed on healthcare organizations. As of this date it is estimated that only 9 % of total healthcare organizations have reached the halfway point in their transition processes, coders are expected to rise despite national employment trends.
Coders looking to get into the medical coding arena simply must be medical themselves. The interaction between coders and medical staff is growing, and learning different areas of medicine such as anatomy, physiology or pathology will let coders understand the full definition of the codes. Knowing what several different severities of a disease look like will help a coder prove their worth to an organization by being able to explain the complex nature of ICD-10.
Coders need not waste time memorizing all the new codes, at least not yet. Learning the codes over time while marrying coding skills to those that healthcare organizations utilize on a daily basis will ensure that coders are able to secure a place for themselves in the coming years of the ICD-10 transition.
Find the AAPC survey results here: http://news.aapc.com/index.php/2011/10/2011-salary-survey-results