Compare Our Medical Coding Program Options

At Penn Foster, we offer a variety of programs that can meet the different needs of our learners. If you’re not sure whether the Medical Coding Professional Training Program or the Medical Billing and Coding Career Diploma is the right fit for your career goals, take a look at this comparison chart to help you decide!

Medical Coding Professional

Medical Coding Professional Program Details

Aligned with the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam, this course focuses heavily on the coding aspects of the medical billing and coding field. This program is designed for someone who wants to focus their career on medical coding. Because it includes the AAPC Practicode course, learners who complete the program and successfully pass the CPC exam are considered fully certified, skipping the 2-year work experience requirement.

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Certification

Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam offered through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)

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Career Outcome

Helps you prepare for a career as a certified professional coder, certified medical coder, or a medical coding and billing specialist.
Average Salary: $58,895*

Estimated Completion Time

Learners have up to 18 months to complete their coursework. Because the program is self-paced, it is possible to complete it more quickly depending upon the amount of time you dedicate to your studies.

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Tuition

Pay in Full: $2,099
Monthly Auto Payments: $2,499

Program Type

Professional Training

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What's Included

  • Interactive course content
  • Digital textbooks and study materials
  • CPC exam voucher (covers 2 attempts) - a $499 value
  • CPC practices tests
  • AAPC student membership - a $210 value
  • AAPC Practicode course - a $299 value

Medical Billing and Coding

Medical Billing & Coding Program Details

Designed to prepare learners for an entry-level role as a medical billing and coding specialist, this course focuses on a broad range of healthcare knowledge, coding, and billing processes to help you take the first steps toward a new career in the field. Students who complete this program are eligible to sit for certification exams, including the Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). If learners choose to sit for the CPC, they will need to complete the work experience requirement to be fully certified.

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Certification

Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

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Career Outcome

Helps you prepare for a career as medical billing and coding specialist, medical records specialist, or a medical billing specialist.
Average Salary: $47,180**

Estimated Completion Time

Learners have up to 18 months to complete their coursework. On average, most students have been able to finish the program within 11-15 months depending on how much time they dedicate to their studies.***

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Tuition

Pay in Full: $999
Monthly Auto Payments: $1,399

Program Type

Career Diploma

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What's Included

  • Interactive course content
  • NHA CBCS exam prep study package
  • NHA CBCS certification exam fee - a $115 value
  • Digital textbooks and study materials

Program Comparison FAQ

How do I decide which medical coding program is right for me?

It depends on your goals and how quickly you’d like to land a job in the field. Both programs cover relevant healthcare information, are self-paced and fully online, and can help you prepare to sit for certification exams. However, the Medical Coding Professional Training Program can be the best option for someone who wants a career focused more on the coding side of medical billing and coding, while the Medical Billing and Coding Program could be better suited to someone who wants to focus more on billing.

Completion of both programs can allow you to sit for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam, however, the cost of that exam is not included in the Medical Billing and Coding tuition, and you’d still need to gain the 2 years of required work experience to be considered fully certified. The Medical Coding Professional Program covers the cost of that exam and includes the AAPC Practicode course, which counts toward the 2 year work experience, making you fully certified once you complete your program and pass the exam.

Which program is more likely to get me a job as a medical coder?

Both programs can help you prepare to qualify for jobs in the medical billing and coding field. However, one benefit of the Medical Coding Professional Program is that you can earn full CPC certification, a credential that many employers may look for when hiring new and experienced medical coders.

Why does the Medical Coding Professional Program cost more?

The Medical Coding Professional Training Program includes several additional add-ons that aren’t available in the Medical Billing and Coding Career Diploma including:

  • A paid AAPC student membership – a $210 value
  • The cost of the CPC exam, up to 2 attempts – a $499 value
  • The AAPC Practicode course – a $299 value
  • CPC exam practice tests

With program materials that focus more on coding than the Medical Billing and Coding Career Diploma, it can help you take the next steps to accelerate your career as a medical coding professional by helping you prepare to sit for the CPC exam, considered the gold-standard certification in the industry.