My advice is this...look at various billing and coding boards on the internet, specifically the Jobs forums on those boards, and see how many people either went through a program at a college, community or otherwise, or obtained their certification online, and are looking for jobs. They are all in the same boat...no one will hire them. The ones who went through a college are particularly upset, because they took out student loans, or paid a lot of their own money to get certified/a degree, and were told that there was job placement or internships/externships available at the end, and then they found there is nothing for them. I see it every day.
I don't say this to discourage you from being in this field. It is extremely rewarding, and I love every day I do the work I do. But it is very, very hard to get a job, regardless of any certification/education you may have. It is the classic Catch-22...employers want 2-3 years experience, and you can't get experience if no one will hire you.
So regardless of what road you take, be aware that there are zero guarantees of a job, and you will be most likely applying for entry level jobs along with numerous other people, and trying to work your way up at that job, if you get hired in the first place. Keep all options open.