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Practical Medical Coding Program
WIA Approved and Scholarship Eligible

Salary* $39,883 - $49,310
Resource:U.S. Bureau of Labor

Career Description + Lifestyle

The demand for medical coders is on the rise, as is the pay. Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to grow fater than average for all occupations through 2014 because of the rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers.

Medical coders users work in hospitals, Health Maintenance Organizations, Insurance Companies, Physicians' Offfices, and are sometimes self-employed.

CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSE

The Practical Medical Coding program requires Medical Terminology as a prerequisite for Introduction to Medical Coding and Advanced Medical Coding. This prerequisite may be waved if proof of competence can be provided.

Program Description

This comprehensive of three classes:

Medical Terminoloy
Introduction to Medical Coding
Advanced Medical Coding

Introduction to Medical Coding will emphasize the guidelines and rules of ICD-9-CM (International Classification Diseases) and CPT (Common Professional Terminology) coding manuals that are used in Physician and Hospital facilities. Course offers practical application based assignments directly related to allow students to practice assigning codes to coding statements and case studies.

Understanding coding systems is important because codes allow the physicians and/or hospitals to bill for services that were rendered. Correct assignment of codes is also vital to all parties because it provides a centralized system that ensures accurate payment for medical services. Assignment of correct codes leads to fewer denials and proper reimbursement by the insurance carrier.

This course benefits those who work or want to work in the medical field whether it is as a medical biller, medical coder, and/or medical assistant. The class format is designed to help the beginner coder learn and understand the concept of procedural and diagnostic coding.

Advanced Medical Coding is designed for students who have basic knowledge of ICD-9-CM and CPT codes and their use in physician office and hospital billing. This course will provide comprehensive training in accurately applying ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes and CPT codes through clinical case studies and exercises. Students will gain coding experience across variety of specialties including more complex areas such as interventional radiology and injections and infusions. Using the case studies and exercises, students will learn the importance of documentation and compliance with government and coding guidelines. The course will also include information regarding HCPCS, reimbursement and utilizing a variety of coding and educational resources.

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