The CPC certification from AAPC is the most influential credential that medical coders need to have for jobs in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That's because it's a nationally accredited qualification that employers see as demonstrative of coding skills. It is also a more practical, affordable qualification because you can get it by passing the CPC exam.
To prepare for and pass this exam in Baton Rouge (or any part of LA), I recommend that you use a study guide like Laureen Jandroep's blitz videos. It covers all the CPC exam requirements in one place:
http://cpcexam.ellsed.com Coming back to coding jobs in Louisiana, I've seen the trends among schools, doctors' offices, even hospitals in and around Baton Rouge. This includes a number of places like Merrydale, Baker, Shenandoah, Denham Springs, Zachary, Hammond, Laplace, Thibodaux, New Iberia, Morgan City, Lafayette, Opelousas, Kenner, Houma, Mandeville and many others.
I strongly believe that certified medical coding specialists earn around $7000 more that those who are not certified. In Baton Rouge, LA the average annual salary of a billing and coding specialist varies between $30,000 and $39,000.
Like I said, getting certified is half the job done. I say that because I'm a medical coder myself.