Associate of Technical Study
+ Coding and Medical Billing

Mona M. Burke, M.A., RHIA, advisor

This program focuses on the technical ability of the assignment of coding and classification sequences to medical terminology for the accurate processing of medical claims in the electronic health record. Students enrolled in the program will be proficient in the coding schemes necessary to obtain optimal health care reimbursement for both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Once the student successfully completes the planned program, they are eligible to sit for various coding certification examinations offered by national coding accreditation agencies.

Medical billing and coding is consistently among the fastest growing allied health occupations identified in the labor force. This specialized training transfers to any work place which deals in health care encounters. Medical coding, in its simplest function, is the assignment of a set of numbers to identify medical diagnoses and procedures identified in a patient. Every healthcare provider that delivers a service needs the medical coding and billing function in order to successfully file a healthcare claim and receive payment for services rendered by their facility.

Coding in ICD9CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS are included in this associate degree program. These code numbers are not only utilized to enable reimbursement in an electronic health record system, but to provide information that can be consistently and accurately reported for public health statistics. Coding diseases and procedures enables the accurate transfer of information for physician and facility billing and reimbursement, as well as reporting information such as cause of death in public health care.

The medical coding and billing program will provide knowledge and practical applications of claim processing and regulatory considerations. The features of third party payer plans, government reimbursement, and self pay transactions are identified and applied to clinical case scenarios utilizing appropriate software applications in a state-of-the-art laboratory facility on campus. The assessment of the patient’s information from the electronic health record environment, securing accurate physician documentation, and applying quality assessment techniques to identify medical necessity are all important facets of the training in the medical coding and billing program.

Students graduating with an ATS in Coding and Medical Billing will display proficiency in:

• the applicability of coding and classification systems to the current medical billing environment,
• the ability to process electronic and digital information using common medical billing software applications,
• the ability to manage medical data related to the correct assignment of medical coding sequences.

Click for 2010-2011 course requirements