Suddenly coding meant big bucks and a new industry thrived. For-profit colleges began offering medical coding degrees, and required internships soon followed. There are three different alphanumeric coding languages—CPT, HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System), and ICD—and each is as different from the other as Chinese is from Russian and Russian is from French. As a result, different degree tracks were necessary, along with professional exams, certifications, and licensure offered by competing professional organizations.
