Amy Cunningham, Medical Billing and Coding Program Coordinator
(304)367-4764
Amy.Cunningham@pierpont.edu
Program Purpose
The Medical Billing and Coding Program provides training in medical billing and coding. Medical billing and coding is the process of identifying diagnoses, medical tests, treatments, and procedures found in clinical documentation and then transcribing this patient data into standardized codes to bill government and commercial payers for physician reimbursement. Medical billers and coders are the healthcare professionals in charge of processing patient data, such as treatment records and related insurance information. Both medical billing and medical coding professions are involved in the medical reimbursement cycle, working together to ensure that healthcare providers are accurately and efficiently paid for the services they perform.
Admission Requirements
MBC is an open enrollment program. Applicants should apply to Pierpont Community & Technical College and select Medical Billing and Coding as their major. Students are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis until program capacity is filled.
Program Requirements
Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 (C) to remain in the program. Students must receive a C in all of the model schedule courses to matriculate in the program.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Medical Billing and Coding Certificate Program, graduates will be able to do the following:
- Gather/review essential information
- Verify required documentation before patient information is released
- Prevent fraud/abuse by auditing billing
- Support coding and billing process
- Assign codes for diagnoses and procedures
- Submit claims for reimbursement
- Audit billing
Opportunities
Increasing demands on providers and allied health clinicians with decreasing reimbursement requires medical offices to invest in highly skilled medical billers. An intimate understanding of medical insurance, the claims process, the appeals process, and the impact on revenue gives the medical biller the necessary knowledge to optimize revenue performance. The financial health of a practice depends on the effectiveness and overall performance of the billing office.
The need for medical billers and medical coders continues to increase with our aging population. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 11% rise in jobs by 2028- “much faster than the average for all occupations.”
The skills learned through medical coding certification are essential to hospitals, physicians’ offices, surgery centers, nursing homes, dental offices, home healthcare agencies, mental health facilities and even insurance companies and consulting firms. This rewarding field requires a high level of professionalism and dependability. Tasks performed could include.
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