The Medical Coding Specialist Technical Diploma program prepares individuals for employment as entry-level coding specialists in health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, physician practice groups, surgery centers, long-term care facilities and home health care agencies. Coding specialists are also employed in consulting firms, coding and billing services, insurance companies, governmental agencies and computer software companies. The medical coding specialist reviews medical documentation provided by physicians and other health care providers and translates this into numeric codes. The coding specialist assigns and sequences diagnostic and procedural codes using universally recognized coding systems. Several uses of coded data are for payment of health care claims, statistics and medical research. Potential occupations include: Medical Coding Specialist, Coding Specialist, Coder, Claims Analyst and Outpatient Coder. Medical Coding Certification can be obtained after graduation through either the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Certification requires successful completion of a written examination.