Medical Coding and Billing Specialist - MEDC.COC

The healthcare profession is undergoing tremendous change. Trained professionals in medical coding, billing, and reimbursement are in high demand. The billing specialist provides information for reimbursement purposes, and ensures that the correct documentation is submitted with health claims.

The medical coding and billing specialist may work for hospitals, ambulatory centers, visiting nursing associations, insurance companies, ambulance companies, dental and physician offices, and many other health organizations. After several years of work experience, the specialist may also work from home as an independent medical biller.

A professional with coding, billing and reimbursement skills will have many career options. The demand for skilled professionals is great, and the room for advancement is tremendous.

The Medical Coding and Billing curriculum is planned to improve the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of health data; to increase the supply of quality coding, billing, and reimbursement specialists; and to provide assurance of qualifications to institutions when they are subject to review. Coding is the transformation of verbal descriptions of diseases, injuries, and procedures into numerical designations.

Students must achieve a minimum “C” (73%) or better in every HIT, MED, BIO course. The student who is unable to meet the minimum requirement may be withdrawn from the program. An applicant for the program must be a high school graduate or the equivalent (GED) or have a United States high school equivalency as evaluated by a credential evaluation service for foreign-educated candidates.

The Medical Coding and Billing student must be able to meet the following technical standards: possess motor skills, manual dexterity, vision/hearing normal or device-corrected, eye/hand coordination, and skill in the art of oral and written communications.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Completion of high-school English - 4 years with a grade of C or higher and the qualifications to enroll in ENG-101 or completion of a college-level English course with a grade of C+ or higher.
• HS diploma or GED.
• Medical Terminology with a grade of C or better or enrollment in MED-100.

Upon the successful completion of the requirements of this program, a Certificate of Completion in Medical Coding and Billing Specialist from STCC will be awarded.