An online associate degree in medical billing and coding is a program that is designed to cater to students who are looking to pursue a career in medical billing, but are unable to attend classes on a campus. The field of medicine and healthcare has many attractions, and while everyone is not cut out to become a doctor or a healthcare practitioner, there are many other areas to seek careers. Other than the traditional practice of medicine, the corporate areas of medicine and healthcare also offer a wide range of careers and jobs. While there are a number of bachelor and associate's degrees available to choose from, the associate's degree of applied science in medical insurance billing and coding is a good option. This particular program offers a wide range of courses, which may be able to help students get the skills they need to pursue careers in the same field. Keeping in mind the fact that this is a degree focusing on applied science, it is fully equipped with courses applying text book theory to real life and real job scenarios.
Admission Requirements and Procedure
Students who have graduated from high school or earned a GED may apply to an associate's degree program. Students will also need to have secured a grade point average of at least 2.50 in their high school studies in order to be eligible for admissions.
Program Curriculum
While students would need to complete more advanced degrees to enter higher level medical billing and coding careers, an associate's degree will help prepare students for the corporate world. Keeping this in mind it is only natural that offered courses would be diverse in application such as:
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Terminology in Medicine
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Office Based Coding and Insurance
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Computer Applications and Re-imbursement Systems
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Diseases of the Body
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Medical Finance
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Diagnostic and Procedure Coding
These courses may be titled as differently at different schools; however, most schools offer many similar subjects within the degree program. Students are also made to undergo sessions and practical exams, and use case studies and demo software to understand real world application as part of the degree program. Some courses are also set up to help students learn the basic elements of data entry and insurance coverage claims. These could lead to students pursuing higher education in careers like insurance professionals as well.
Study Outcome
Students who have successfully completed an associate's degree program in medical insurance billing and coding should be able to:
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Document and start the process for reimbursing medical claims
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Create and generate patient reports complete with details of illness/diseases
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Apply skills in medical financial planning and execution
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Accurately code procedures with proper terminology
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Understand what kind of an impact coding has on cash flows
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Develop communication and management skills
Income Potential and Job Increase Forecasting
Students who complete an associate degree in medical billing and coding could pursue a number of jobs like transcriptionists and billing agents. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical transcriptionists earned a median annual wage of $34,020 in 2012.