According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for medical coders and billers continues to experience rapid, sustained growth. This comprehensive certificate series equips you with the essential knowledge and practical skills required to successfully pass national certification examinations administered by AAPC or AHIMA. Upon successful completion of the entire series, you'll be well-prepared for career positions in physician offices, medical clinics, hospital healthcare facilities, dental practices, insurance companies, and independent billing service providers throughout the healthcare industry. LACC Extension's Medical Billing and Coding series provides an excellent entry point into healthcare coding careers or a valuable opportunity to expand and enhance existing professional skills and credentials.
Medical Terminology:
Healthcare professionals must master medical terminology and communicate effectively with physicians, dentists, and other medical specialists. Fluency with medical terminology opens diverse employment pathways within the healthcare field.
This comprehensive course develops true fluency and proficiency with medical terminology covering major body systems, anatomical orientation and positioning, diseases, disorders, and medical procedures. You'll master word components and root elements that enable rapid understanding and mastery of countless medical terms and develop the clear communication skills necessary for effective professional collaboration with physicians, dentists, and healthcare colleagues.
Required Text:
The Language of Medicine by Davi-Ellen Chabner, 10th, 11th, or 12th edition (physical copy or PDF format).
Medical Coding
In medical practice settings, the Medical Biller typically also serves as the Medical Coder, as physicians rely on accurate diagnostic codes to support treatment documentation.
In this practical course, students will master the skills of locating and assigning appropriate procedure codes (CPT-4) and diagnostic codes (ICD-10), execute proper code sequencing and selection, and apply these codes accurately and correctly in clinical documentation and billing scenarios.
Prerequisite:
Completion of Medical Terminology or demonstrated healthcare field experience is required before starting this course.
Required Books:
ICD-10-CM for Physicians (Professional or Expert edition, from any publisher). CPT Professional Edition, published by the American Medical Association. For study purposes, editions from 2017 through the current year are acceptable, though the current edition is required if preparing for current year licensing exams.
Medical Insurance Billing:
After completing Medical Coding, students progress to Medical Insurance Billing, the final course in the series. This course develops comprehensive knowledge of billing procedures for all third-party payers in physician practice settings.
You'll thoroughly explore the important differences between insurance policies and how different insurance companies operate, master the completion of required billing forms and claim submissions, develop strong patient interaction and payment collection skills, and gain a complete understanding of the full medical billing lifecycle from initial claim submission through final payment receipt.
Prerequisites:
- Completion of both Medical Terminology and Medical Coding is required before enrolling in this final course.
- Bring your current ICD-10 and CPT-4 coding reference materials to class.
