This page compares two distinct NUCC-taxonomy specialties tracked by the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System: Health Information Specialist/Technologist, which currently counts 255 enrolled providers across 40 U.S. states and territories, and Hospital Based Coding Specialist, with 21 providers across 13 states. Each clinician on these rosters selected a primary NUCC code at NPI enrollment, so the totals measure how many providers self-identify their primary practice as Health Information Specialist/Technologist or Hospital Based Coding Specialist rather than the total population ever trained or credentialed in either field — dual-certified clinicians show up under whichever code they registered first.

On national volume, Health Information Specialist/Technologist carries the larger provider roster (255 vs 21), and Health Information Specialist/Technologist has the wider geographic footprint at 40 states versus 13. The top Health Information Specialist/Technologist concentration sits in California (48 providers), while Hospital Based Coding Specialist peaks in Florida (4). The per-capita columns in the table below normalize each state's raw count against 2023 Census population estimates, which matters because absolute provider counts track population scale first and specialty density second — a small state with a strong training pipeline can out-rank a larger state on per-100K availability.

Use this comparison to understand relative availability, not to judge clinical substitutability — Health Information Specialist/Technologist and Hospital Based Coding Specialist are distinct specialties with different scopes of practice, training requirements, and conditions they treat, even when their NUCC categories overlap. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available CMS government data, not medical advice, a provider rating, or a recommendation about which specialty a patient should consult. Always work with a licensed clinician to determine which specialty is appropriate for your condition, verify any specific provider through the NPPES NPI Registry and the relevant state medical board, and consult the NUCC taxonomy documentation for the formal scope-of-practice definitions behind each specialty code.