Business Division

The Medical Coding and Billing Specialist Program is designed to provide students with the competencies necessary to obtain employment as a medical coding and/or billing specialist in the healthcare environment. Students will gain experience in reviewing medical documentation and acting as “translators” by comparing medical documentation to the standards of AMA (American Medical Association) and CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and contractual agreements with health insurance plans and abstracting written information and distilling into standardized codes. Students will also gain experience in auditing and submitting accurate claims to be reimbursed by third-party payers. Graduates are prepared to work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, group practices, health insurance offices, specialty practices, as well as coding/billing companies. Coursework will aid students in preparing to sit for certification exams offered by American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).  

Program Learning Outcomes

• Interpret health record documentation to identify diagnoses and procedures and apply coding guidelines to patient documentation by abstracting, assigning and arranging codes.
• Apply medical office procedures and HIPAA laws to set priorities, organize work, and use appropriate electronic medical technology to fulfill responsibilities of the position.
• Utilize standards and practices in the healthcare environment to fulfill the expectations of the mission of the healthcare organization while adhering to the ethics policy.
• Employ medical terms in the diagnosis, pathology, and treatment of major body systems within the healthcare environment.