How Much Does It Cost to Become a Registered Health Information Technician?

Work in medicine as a registered health information technician (RHIT) who manages patient records and health resources.

This is an office job that ensures the validity of the healthcare system.

Find out how much you will have to pay to train and get certified as a RHIT in the US.

Learn about the typical salary for this occupation to help you decide if the cost analysis is right for you.

What is a Registered Health Information Technician?

A registered health information technician also called a registered record administrator is responsible for managing health information.

Typically, this job is done in-house by hospitals and medical offices.

However, you can also work for insurance companies and the government as a RHIT.

Healthcare agencies, such as Medicaid and Medicare, depend on the auditing services of RHITs.

These are the individuals who ensure all billing is accurate and no one is getting overcharged for medical treatments or medication.

As a result, you are providing a fail-safe for the government agencies that provide oversight to the medical industry.

What Does a RHIT Do?

As a registered health information technician, your job involves processing and verifying health and medical records.

Patient records are protected by law by the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act or HIPAA.

To eliminate errors and costly mistakes, RHITs provide detailed audits of these documents.

A registered health information technician is also charged with evaluating patient data to determine reduced healthcare costs or to improve patient care.

You must be able to work well with a computer system and technology to be a RHIT.

Your tasks require you to use computerized data to manage health and patient records.

What is a Registered Health Information Technician School?

Before you are eligible for hire as a RHIT, you will need to attend school for professional training.

There is a process involved with becoming certified as a registered health information technician.

After you graduate from a program with a certificate or degree, such as a two-year associate’s degree in health information management, you are ready to be certified.

Certification for RHITs is provided through the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education or CAHIIM.

Certification is also available through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

This certification requires passing an exam.

The exam is three and a half hours in length and involves 150 questions, which have multiple-choice answers.

After you are certified, you must re-certify your credentials every three years.

The renewal fee is $150 each time you re-certify as a RHIT.

How Much is Registered Health Information Technician Training?

To be a registered health information technician, you will need to complete training.

The cost of training is often the biggest expense when it comes to being an RHIT.

Therefore, you want to do your research to find the closest or most affordable school that offers RHIT training.

Also, make sure the training is going to lead to certification.

If you are not ready to pass a certification exam upon graduation, the training is not going to work.

The total tuition and fees for a health information technology program is $8,191 on average.

This is for four semesters, which is the standard time needed to earn an associate’s degree.

How Many Months / Years is Registered Health Information Technician School?

You will need to go to school for an associate’s degree to be eligible to sit for a board certification exam as an RHIT.

The length of time for this training is two years on average.

However, if you choose an online course, the time frame can be shorter.

You may also save money on going to school remotely and at your own pace rather than with a live instructor and an in-person setting.

What is the Price of Registered Health Information Technician Certification and Licensing?

The price for the registered health information technician certification exam is $299 for non-members.

If you are a member of the host association for the RHIT exam, you can expect to get a discount on the exam fees.

For example, AHIMA members pay $229 for the certification examination.

What is the Average Salary for a Registered Health Information Technician?

A registered health information technician earns approximately $46,234 a year.

This salary is based on a range from $41,031 and $52,103 with a median of $37,110.

Is Becoming a Registered Health Information Technician Worth It?

The cost of becoming a registered health information technician is negligible when compared to how much you can expect to be paid for an entry-level RHIT salary.

Making a middle-class income on an associate’s degree is a good way to earn a living.

You gain skills in business administration and healthcare and have experience working with patient records and medical information.

Your skills are highly needed, and this job has a 16 percent job growth forecast according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.