Become a Medical Billing and Coding Professional

Whether you’re just starting work or transitioning into a different field, there has never been a better time to enter a career in Medical Billing and Coding. This course will prepare you for success in this rewarding career as you learn about legal, ethical, and regulatory concepts central to this field, including HIPAA compliance, official coding guidelines, and third-party payer requirements. You will also be able to choose a voucher for the professional certification that best aligns with your interests and career goals.

More than one million practicing physicians in the United States rely on medical billers and coders to receive payment for their services. Besides medical facilities, positions are available with health insurance companies, specialty pharmacies, medical suppliers, consulting firms, and national medical coding and billing companies, so the opportunities are nearly endless!

Medical billers and coders are in high demand. This course offers valuable training in legal, ethical, and regulatory concepts central to this field, including HIPAA compliance, official coding guidelines, and third-party payer requirements. You will also come to understand all phases of the revenue cycle—from patient registration through medical coding, claims submission, reimbursement, and collections. You will also learn common medical terminology to help you converse with others in healthcare easily and with confidence. You will study word parts and the structures and functions of the human body. Also presented are the disorders and medical procedures common to each body system, including musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, nervous, endocrine, integumentary, genitourinary, lymphatic, and immune.

After successfully completing the course requirements, you should be well prepared to find your place in this rewarding healthcare career. You will receive a Certificate of Completion from the school through which you enrolled, and you will also be able to choose a voucher for the professional certification that best aligns with your interests and career goals.

• Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
• Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
• Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

What you will learn

• Medical coding terminology is required for medical coding, including the structures and functions of the human body
• The disorders and medical procedures common to each body system
• Legal, ethical, and regulatory concepts central to the field, including HIPAA compliance and third-party guidelines for filing insurance claims.
• The main coding manuals: ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS Level II.
• How to code diagnoses, services, and procedures for all systems of the body
• Fundamentals of medical billing & coding and medical terminology
• Word parts and the structures and functions of the human body

How you will benefit

• Get hands-on, practical experience in medical billing and coding that will help you on the job.
• Receive a certificate of completion and prepare to sit for the professional certification that best aligns with your interest and career goals.
  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
  • Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
  • Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• Receive a voucher for the professional certification exam of your choice
• Receive access to study materials that align with the exam option you choose

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later operating systems.
• Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Microsoft Word or equivalent (not included with enrollment)
• Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbook, workbook, and codebooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

• Understanding Health Insurance: A Guide to Billing and Reimbursement, by Michelle A. Green
• Accompanying Workbook: Understanding Health Insurance: A Guide to Billing and Reimbursement
• ICD-10-CM Expert for Physicians
• CPT Professional
• HCPCS Level II Professional
• ICD-10-PCS: Professional

Choice of study guide/voucher package upon course completion:

• CBCS Study Guide
• Professional Review Guide for the CCA Examination
• Official CPC Certification Study Guide

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course. However, in order to sit for national certification exams, candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Therefore, it is recommended you have this before enrolling in this course.

Instructors

Nancy Smith
Nancy Smith has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Her clinical experience includes working as a medical assistant for a network of rural health clinics, and as a medical coder, insurance claims specialist, and medical records auditor. She worked as a medical office manager for ten years, where she recruited and trained all medical assistants. Nancy holds a bachelor's degree in vocational education and has developed and taught medical assistant programs.

LaTisha Cottingham
LaTisha Cottingham has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has six years of teaching experience in the field of medical billing and coding and Medical Assisting. Currently she is employed as an HIM Analyst for a Long-Term Care establishment that is based out of Alabama. Previously she was employed as the lead instructor for the Allied Health Department for a local career institute. LaTisha's field of expertise is in the area of physician-based inpatient coding and Emergency Department coding. The certifications that she holds are as follows: a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), a Certified Professional Coder (CPC), and a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA). In preparation for ICD-10-CM, LaTisha received her ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer Certification from American Health Information Association (AHIMA), where she is currently a member. LaTisha is also a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the National Healthcare Association (NHA) where she is a test proctor.

Carline Dalgleish
Carline Dalgleish has worked in medical office administration for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems, a master's degree in Leadership, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Health Information Management. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator and an AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer. Dalgleish is the author of an ICD-10 coding system and owns her own consulting firm, AnnGrant Educational Services.

Lydia S. Stewart, RN, BSN
Lydia S. Stewart, RN, BSN, currently serves as the Revenue Cycle Manager at a large regional medical center. Lydia has been a Registered Nurse for 23 years, 15 of those years specializing in Critical Care Nursing and supervision. She is responsible for Medical Audits, Charge Capture, and governmental compliance audits and reviews. Lydia is a member of the Louisiana Medical Auditor Association and Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Bunny Reeves
Bunny Reeves is the senior ambulatory surgery coder at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She trains student coders at Maimonides Medical Center and previously trained and supervised entry-level coders at Staten Island's St. Vincent Medical Center. Reeves is a Certified Coding Specialist, accredited by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Sharon L. Blackford, MA, BA, RMA
Sharon L. Blackford, MA, BA, RMA, has over 30 years of experience in the medical field. She has a Master's degree in Organizational Management, a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, and has served as a Registered Medical Assistant since 1994. Sharon was an active duty Clinical Specialist in the U.S. Army for 10 years. Sharon later moved to the Gulf Coast to accept a position as the Director of Education of Blue Cliff College and was promoted to Campus Director.

Stacey O'Brien
Stacey O'Brien has more than 10 years of experience in medical coding and reimbursement. Ms. O'Brien has been a risk adjustment coder for a Medicare advantage plan, audited medical records for a consulting firm, and currently supervises the coding and electronic claims submission process for a group medical practice. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a CPC coding certification from the AAPC.