What is Home Health Coding?
In today’s healthcare ecosystem, home health coding has emerged as a specialised and growing niche within medical coding.
In simple terms:
Home health coding means reviewing clinical documentation — such as reports from nurses, therapists or home‐visits in a patient’s residence — and then assigning the correct diagnosis, procedure and service codes that reflect what was done. These codes are essential for billing, reimbursement, regulatory compliance, and data analytics in the “home health” setting (rather than hospital or outpatient clinic).
Why Home Health Coding Matters
- Healthcare is shifting: More services are provided in patients’ homes. Accurate coding ensures the home health agency or provider gets paid appropriately and meets quality/compliance standards.
- Specialty knowledge: Home health settings have unique documentation, standards (for example, OASIS, the PDGM model in the U.S.), and coding challenges (sequencing, co‐morbid conditions, home setting modifiers) that differ from hospital/acute care.
- Career opportunity: For coders, knowledge of home health coding opens up new roles — including remote/flexible work environments, specialised reimbursement roles, and vertical growth into audits and review. The job market for home-health coders is active. For example, remote “Home Health Coder” jobs are posted frequently on major job boards
Key Skills and Knowledge Areas
To succeed in home health coding, a coder should understand:
- Home health documentation: home visit notes, physician orders, therapy visits, skilled nursing visits, OASIS assessments.
- Reimbursement models: for example PDGM in the U.S., eligibility for home health services, face-to-face requirements.
- Coding systems: ICD-10-CM, CPT/HCPCS (when applicable), modifiers, and correct sequencing of diagnoses in home settings.
- Compliance & regulation: Agencies like Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) set rules; e.g., for US home-health agencies.
- Analytical and detail skills: Because home health documentation may be less “structured” than inpatient charts, coders must interpret, verify, query clinicians, and ensure accuracy.
The Board Certified Home Health Coder – BCHH‑C Certification Exam
The Board Certified Home Health Coder (BCHH-C) certification exam is a professional credential designed to validate a coder’s advanced knowledge and accuracy in home health coding. The exam is typically conducted online in an open-book format, allowing candidates to refer to the ICD-10-CM Coding Manual during the test — which mirrors real-world coding scenarios and emphasizes practical skill over memorization. The exam duration is generally 5 hours, comprising multiple-choice questions that assess proficiency in home health documentation, coding conventions, sequencing, PDGM (Patient-Driven Groupings Model), and compliance rules. This is an Open Book Exam. To achieve certification, candidates must secure a minimum passing score of 70%, demonstrating both technical coding competence and understanding of home health regulatory frameworks. Earning the BCHH-C credential enhances a coder’s credibility and opens pathways to remote and specialized coding roles within the home health industry.
Places where you CAN find training & placements in home health coding
Many leading healthcare BPOs offer in-house training programs where they hire, train, and place freshers in live coding projects.
- Omega Healthcare (OMCA) – Conducts fresher drives with structured training in Home Health Coding and OASIS.
- Infinx Healthcare – Trains Life Sciences graduates and places them in U.S. coding projects.
- 3Gen Consulting – Focuses on hands-on practical training with exposure to real home health cases.
- Global Health Partners – Provides comprehensive in-house programs leading to placements for qualified trainees.
Most of these companies follow a selection process that includes a written test, interview, and short training period before placement.
Erendiz Academy – The Freshers & Laterals' Best Choice!
Erendiz Academy stands out as the best choice for Home Health Coding (BCHH-C) training and guaranteed placements.
The academy holds multiple recognitions and has been a consistent supplier of trained freshers and skilled lateral coders to top healthcare organizations.
At Erendiz, every student receives a world-class education aligned with U.S. compliance and coding standards, ensuring they are job-ready from day one.