When they first start to investigate a career in medical billing and coding, many people may be surprised by the classes they need to take to prepare for this growing field. A medical, health care or insurance background certainly helps when deciding whether to learn medical billing and coding. Individuals cannot generally just enter the profession of medical billing and coding; rigorous training and advanced education are required. A program in medical billing and coding can include a host of topics, from medical office management to insurance law. Deciding which courses to take will depend on your individual school and course of study, as well as the degree you are seeking.
Basic Coursework
Anyone looking into medical billing and coding classes will most likely take some or all of the following courses according to Kaplan University:
- Anatomy
- Data information processing
- Insurance billing
- Medical billing, coding, and terminology
- Medical office management
- Medical terminology
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
A background in the medical arena or an aptitude for science topics will determine if some of these classes are a challenge or not. Learning the medical terminology that goes with anatomy, physiology and pharmacology can be a challenge for many. The degree of difficulty largely depends on one’s skills, knowledge or experience prior to taking medical billing and coding classes.
Flexibility of Medical Billing and Coding Courses
Students can take billing and coding courses in a variety of ways. There are the traditional schools where students sit in a classroom with other students, and there are online courses that students can take using their computers in the comfort of their own homes. Some technical schools offer classes; so do website seminars and audio conferences. Some individuals who have specialized medical knowledge, such as nurses, may be able to use work experience to reduce the number of billing and coding courses they need in order to be certified in medical billing or coding. Course load – In-classroom or at-home billing and coding courses can last as little as six months or up to two years depending on the course load and degree sought. After taking the appropriate courses students must pass an exam and can get a certificate, diploma or associate’s degree. Help with classes – If billing and coding courses become too challenging for the student, many classroom and online courses offer assistance. There are blogs, forums and chat rooms for discussion; regular feedback from instructors; networking opportunities; and live chat and telephone assistance.
Specialize in a Field
For those who enjoy a challenging education, there are a variety of billing and coding courses to choose from and the chance to specialize within the field. Some of the various jobs are:
- medical coding specialist
- medical billing specialist
- clinical data specialist
- medical billing clerk
- insurance company billing.
Students may also supplement their education with an internship working in a physician’s office or medical facility to get hands-on experience in the medical billing and coding community.
Understanding Office Management
During any medical billing and coding class that centers on office management, you will learn a variety of administrative tasks. For the majority of coding students, this area will be less difficult than others. These topics can include:
- Managing tasks
- Learning about office machines
- Managing incoming telephone calls
- Writing business letters
- Processing all mail, both electronic and print
- Planning any meeting or travel
- Keeping policy and procedures manuals up-to-date
- Maintaining the facility
- Doing office-related math
Understanding Healthcare Plans
Another major component of the medical billing and coding curriculum is increasing your knowledge and understanding of healthcare plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. There are many different plans out there and your education needs to include a thorough explanation of the available options. Because of their range and complexity, healthcare plans can be a challenging area of study. A program should focus on some or all of the following areas:
- Taking clinical information from medical reports
- Assigning diagnostic and procedure codes to patient records
- Processing of provider reimbursements
- Assessing clinical care
- Supporting medical research
Understanding Insurance Law
Another area of study that some students may find difficult during their medical billing and coding program is insurance law. This area may cover:
- How the law affects medical offices and professionals?
- What is the process of litigation?
- What is an alternative to litigation?
- Ways contract law can affect health professionals?
- What are the duties created by a doctor-patient relationship?
- How is criminal law and torts relevant?
The Challenge of Medical Billing and Coding
The world of medical and insurance billing can be very complicated. Students need to have the aptitude of quickly grasping complex subject matter and condensing it into precise medical coding and billing paperwork. Hospitals and health care facilities need accurate coders and billers in order to be paid by the patient and by federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Thousands of codes – Medical coding involves knowing how to use thousands of medical codes for such things as:
- surgical procedures
- diseases
- disorders
- medical and psychiatric conditions
- symptoms
- treatment
- social circumstances (related to illness), and
- causes of death.
Coders may not need to memorize all the codes but they surely need to recognize which codes go with which condition or treatment and know how to search databases for just the right code to use.
About our expert. Jan Jacobs has worked in medical offices since the early 1980's. Ms. Jacobs has worked for M.D.'s and D.O.'s in primary care and specialty care. She is employed as a senior medical biller and has been at her current job for nearly 10 years, where she uses three different billing systems.
