Insurance Billing and Coding Courses

What Medical Billing and Coding Courses Can I Take?

As a medical coder, you need to have an understanding of medical procedures and human health, as well as the technology used in medical billing. Below are some courses you might take:

Medical Terminology

Students can expect an exploration of how to analyze the parts of medical words, such as suffixes and roots, in order to learn their meanings. There may be discussions about reading medical reports and the medical terminology related to systems of the body.

ICD-10 Medical Coding

Students in this course can expect to learn the basics of ICD-10 coding and diagnosis coding principles. Students can also get hands-on experience coding medical diagnoses. This course may require an ICD-10-CM Coding book.

Insurance & Third-Party Payers

A review of major insurance and third-party payers, like Medicare, Worker's Compensation and Managed Care, might be included in this course. Students may also learn about the history of managed care, patient financial responsibility and how insurance coverage works. Further discussion of what constitutes a ''clean claim'' and how to deal with claims denials might also be included.

HIPAA Compliance and Ethics

Medical billers and coders should be familiar with legal and ethical rules and regulations in health care and insurance. This course might teach key issues, such as fraud and abuse, HIPAA regulations and patient privacy. There may also be discussion of HITECH and EHRs, as well as legal compliance for health care providers and billing companies.

Medical Office Procedures

An understanding of how a medical practice operates is the focus of this course. Students might learn the workflow from a patient's initial visit to payment, as well as office communications and best practices for handling billing and collections. The software used in a medical office might also be discussed.

Where Can I Find These Courses?

Programs for insurance billing and coding can be found through both online and on-campus institutions. Some programs may combine online classes with classroom instruction. Upon completing your program, you may take one of the certification examinations offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), the Board of Medical Specialty Coding (BMSC), the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) or the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists (PAHCS).