Medical Billing & Coding

Certificate of Specialization

This program is designed to prepare students for careers as Medical Billing and Coding specialists. It includes various foundation courses for healthcare professionals, as well as specialized courses for insurance billing and coding. Students will develop skills and knowledge to translate diseases, conditions, and procedures into numerical designations as needed for appropriate reimbursement. A supervised externship in clinics, insurance companies, or other medical facilities provides experience to prepare students for entry level positions in a healthcare setting. This program requires a minimum of four quarters for completion. It may also be completed on a part-time basis.

Program Prerequisites

Students entering the Medical Billing and Coding program are required to take a placement test for reading, writing and mathematics readiness. Please refer to specific course outlines for appropriate placement scores.

Prior to placement in externship, students will need to submit a completed application packet to the office of Records and Registration. Requirements include:

1. Completed application
2. Purchase of malpractice insurance which is available from the cashier in the CSC Building
3. Signed Confidentiality Statement
4. All students will be required to request a Criminal History Information Background Check. A student who cannot participate in patient care delivery in clinical settings during externship based on a positive background inquiry check will not be able to successfully complete the program.
5. Additional requirements including titers for chicken pox and/or measles may be compelled by certain extern sites.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, successful students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to code and bill accurately, ethically and assertively.
2. Accurately apply billing and coding principles to optimize reimbursement.
3. Demonstrate the ability to research and explain insurance coverage to patients and their families.
4. Handle all components of claims processing efficiently.
5. Effectively manage patient accounts for billing.
6. Accurately prepare claims for submission to insurance companies in hard copy or electronically.
7. Demonstrate understanding of the requirements of various health plans and submittal forms.
8. Enter demographic data accurately in various software programs.
9. Effectively demonstrate professional behavior as needed in the workplace.

*See course description for prerequisite.

Source: 2009-2010 Olympic College Catalog