Explore the Business Side of Healthcare with our Diploma
If the business side of the healthcare field holds an interest for you, a diploma in Medical Billing and Coding may be for you. Medical coding specialists and medical front office staff play a vital role in the healthcare industry. This diploma program is designed to provide you with the skills to work as either a medical biller or a medical coder, or you may choose to incorporate both career paths as some employers prefer having one person capable of performing both functions.
Earning your education in medical billing and coding can take you on your first step to earning your Health Information Management associate degree.
Your Learning Experience
ANU’s Medical Billing and Coding program can prepare you for the clerical duties you will have in your career. Focus will be on:
- Completing and submitting medical insurance forms as well as maintaining medical charts for patient care while upholding ethical and legal requirements as a medical biller and coder while working with sensitive information like patient records and insurance claims and forms.
- Effective communication within a medical office with other healthcare professionals and with patients.
- Computer medical coding (CPT and ICD-10-CM) and terminology to retrieve information from medical documents.
Upon successful completion of this diploma program, students will be able to:
- Apply comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and disease processes. Along with that, apply your knowledge of the principles of coding utilizing Official Coding Guidelines for Coding and Reporting established by public and private agencies in coding information from medical records.
- Analyze documentation in health records to ensure accuracy, integrity, and quality of information to remain in compliance with regulations and internal and external standards. This is to maintain the privacy, security, and confidentiality of patient data in a professional and ethical manner.
- Utilize current applications and classification systems in assigning diagnosis codes, procedure codes, service codes, and payment methodologies for the coding and billing functions for appropriate reimbursement.
- Demonstrate coding skills by qualifying to take a coding certification exam and function as an entry level position in the field of coding, billing, and claims handling for any health care related delivery setting.
In addition to the program outcomes listed, students are eligible to take the certification exam as a Medical Biller through the American Association of Medical Billers (AAMB) or the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), AHIMA’s Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification exam or AHIMA’s Certified Coding Associate (CCA) certification exam.
Stackable Degree Programs
With ANU’s progressive learning format, you can immediately use your Medical Billing and Coding education to advance in other programs. Once you finish this program, you can join our Health Information Management associate degree program, then further into our Medical and Health Services Management bachelor’s degree program.
Where could your diploma take you?
- Health claims examiner
- Claims processor
- Dental biller
- Insurance biller
MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING - DIPLOMA REQUIRED COURSES
Program Core (Required) 48 total credit hours required
BIO201 Basic Anatomy and Physiology I
4 Credit Hours
A study of the anatomy, physiology and medical terminology of the skeletal, muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, hematological, digestive, and reproductive systems. This course covers human development, birth and genetics.
BIO202 Basic Anatomy and Physiology II
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq.-BIO201) Students taking this course will study the anatomy, physiology and medical terminology of the cell, tissues, membranes, and structures of the nervous system, the sensory system, the integumentary system, the digestive, the urinary system, and the endocrine system. This course will discuss the basic chemistry, water acids, bases, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and classes of macromolecules in cells.
BIO206 Diseases of the Human Body
4 Credit Hours
This course examines diseases affecting the various tissues, organs and body systems. Topics include genetics, mental health disorders, and diseases affecting children and the older adult.
COM151 The Microsoft® Office
4 Credit Hours
This is an introductory course that provides a comprehensive study of The Microsoft® Office. This course is a combination of lecture and hands-on training.
HIM101 Introduction to Health Information Management
4 Credit Hours
This is an introductory course providing an overview to the various aspects of Health Care Information Management (HIM) and the technology used. The course introduces a student to the role of health information professional in the documentation process and managing the information flow within a health care organization. It provides an introduction to the content of health records, electronic medical records, as well as an overview of the clinical classification systems-taxonomies, vocabularies, and coding systems. It prepares the student to face the challenges in the health information management field in keeping up with the advancements in medicine and technology.
HIM150 Pharmacology for Health Information Management
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – BIO206) This course provides students of Health Information Management the fundamental knowledge of drugs, uses of common brand name and generic drugs, different formats and administration of drugs, therapeutic, preventive, and diagnostic uses of drugs. The emphasis is on the drugs that are used to treat conditions associated with the specific body systems. Students will apply the pharmacology knowledge to clinical documentation in health records via case studies to associate drugs to usage, diagnosis and treatment.
HIM202 Clinical Classification Systems II
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – HIM201) In this course students learn the ICD-10-CM chapter specific guidelines continuing from the Clinical Classification Systems I. Students are introduced to the organization, principles and practices of ICD-Procedure Coding in this course. They are given an overview of ICD code sets related to procedure coding. Emphasis is on following current regulations and established guidelines in code assignment.
HIM205 Procedural Coding
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – BIO201, BIO202; Co-Req. – BIO206) This course provides introduction to assigning accurate medical codes to procedures and medical services performed in an outpatient setting through the use of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Levels I and II. The Students are trained to use the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) to code procedures following coding conventions and current guidelines. The sections from CPT book that are covered in this course are Evaluation and Management, Anesthesia, and Surgery Subsection Integumentary, Musculoskeletal, and Respiratory Systems.
HIM206 Procedural Coding II
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – HIM205) This course is a continuation of Current Procedural Terminology coding. The students will continue to learn to use terms and codes for reporting medical services, procedure supplies, and equipment through the use of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Level I and Level II coding systems. Encoder will be utilized in assigning codes to procedures in coding complex case studies, and students will recognize the use of the encoder in determining the NCCI and other code editors built into the systems.
HIM208 Reimbursement Methodologies
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – HIM201, HIM205; ENG090 and MAT090 if applicable) This course focuses on health care reimbursement systems, methodologies and payment process throughout the continuum of care. It provides an overview of government-sponsored, commercial, and managed care insurance plans. Students learn the methods and guidelines used to ensure accuracy of diagnostic and procedural groupings to support accurate billing through claims management and reconciliation process. The components of revenue cycle management and its importance in fiscal stability are reviewed.
HIM210 Advanced Coding
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – HIM202, HIM206; ENG090 and MAT090 if applicable; CoReq. – HIM150) The purpose of this course is to provide students with an advanced knowledge of applying ICD-10 and CPT coding skills to accurately report diagnoses and procedures based on Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS) guidelines of coding and reporting and the use of encoder software. Students will learn the role, principles, and applications of coding audits in the field of healthcare reimbursement for inpatient as well as outpatient services. As the final assessment in this course, students will select one of the following certification exams: Certified Professional Coder (CPC) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) through AHIMA, or the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) through AHIMA. This is the final course and culminating experience for the Medical Billing and Coding diploma program.
For all courses: See course description for applicable prerequisites
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