Medical Coding and Billing

Certificate of Proficiency

Credits: 44 | Length of Program: 5 quarters

Medical Coding and Billing - Certificate of Proficiency

The Medical Coding and Billing Program is designed for persons interested in becoming medical coders and billers. Medical coders check medical records and notes to assign codes for illnesses, injuries, procedures, and diagnoses. Medical billers know insurance plans, regulations, and guidelines. Both use this knowledge to assign codes for preparing insurance claims and preparing invoices. They maintain records in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system.

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Career Opportunities

Medical coders and billers work in inpatient facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.) and outpatient facilities (clinics, physician offices, ambulatory clinics, etc.). Graduates may also be employed by state or federal health agencies, insurance firms, or pharmaceutical companies. See Healthcare » Medical Billing and Coding for more career and employment information.

Program Outcomes

Length of Program

One year Certificate Program

Application Process / How to Apply

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Program Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of SPSCC’s Billing and Coding One Year Certificate Program are prepared to use their skills in critical thinking and data analysis as well as their understanding of relationships and responsibilities to:

Demonstrate competencies as a valuable member of the administrative medical office team by accurately performing billing and coding procedures to effectively and efficiently process medical claims
Demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors within the medical billing and coding work environment
Communicate effectively and professionally electronically, orally, and in writing with peers, clients, and other health care professionals in a diverse interdisciplinary environment

Ed Plan / Class List

Entry Requirements

Required Courses

CCS101 Pathways to Success 3 Credits Search Schedule

Cultivates the mind-set and skills necessary for students to become confident, reflective, self-directing, and successful learners. Prerequisite: Eligible for ENGL 090 or higher.

OFTEC111 Keyboarding 2 Credits Search Schedule

Introduces the alphabetic, numeric, and symbol keys by touch. Focuses on wellness and ergonomic issues while developing keyboarding skills. Students can test out of this class by demonstrating proficiency on a placement test. Prerequisite: None.

OFTEC108 Introduction to Microsoft Office 3 Credits Search Schedule

Introduces the software components of Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Prerequisite: None.

MED103 Medical Terminology I 3 Credits Search Schedule

Explores medical terminology by combining word roots, suffixes, and prefixes. Emphasizes definitions, pronunciation, spelling, and usage in a variety of health care professions. Prerequisite: None.

MED104 Medical Terminology II 5 Credits Search Schedule

Builds on foundations of combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes learned in MED 103 with a more advanced study of basic human anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: MED 103 with a "C" of better.

MEDC110 Medical Insurance Billing for the Medical Office 5 Credits Search Schedule

Covers legal issues associated with procedural and diagnostic coding, use of patient chart information, and translation of insurance information into numeric and alphanumeric codes. Prerequisite: MED 103 with a "C" or better and eligible for ENGL 098 or ENGL& 101.

MEDC115 Diagnostic Coding for the Outpatient Coder 5 Credits Search Schedule

Focuses on the translation of patient data and written diagnoses into diagnostic codes that identify diseases, conditions, and signs and symptoms. Emphasizes accuracy in coding and the rules of diagnostic coding. Prerequisite: MED 103 with a "C" or better and eligible for ENGL 098 or ENGL& 101.

MEDC120 CPT Coding for the Outpatient Coder 5 Credits Search Schedule

Provides instruction for outpatient coders to interpret various source documents and translate written narrative into numeric procedure codes. Uses CMS 1500 insurance claim forms and includes an overview of HCPCS. Concurrent enrollment in MEDC 115 is recommended. Prerequisite: MED 103 with a "C" or better and eligible for ENGL 098 or ENGL& 101.

MEDC111 Advanced Diagnostic and CPT Coding 5 Credits Search Schedule

Covers the practical application of diagnostic and procedural coding skills using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), International Classification of Disease (ICD) and Healthcare Common Procedure coding systems (HCPCS), including complex coding scenarios. Prerequisite: "C" or better in MEDC 115 and MEDC 120.

MEDC130 Electronic Health Records and Data Entry 6 Credits Search Schedule

Introduces the use of electronic health records to manage health information. Covers data entry, including data by touch on the ten-key pad, while creating electronic medical records (EMR) for both inpatient and outpatient settings using software applications. Speed, accuracy, and proper technique are emphasized and practiced. Prerequisite: None.

MEDC190 Cooperative Work Experience/Internships Search Schedule

Cooperative Work Experience (Co-op) is an academic internship program that integrates a student?s classroom study with planned supervised learning in positions related to the student?s program of study or area of interest. Students are awarded credit and a grade not for the work itself, but for the demonstration of learning which occurs in and throughout the work experience.

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MEDC290 Cooperative Work Experience/Internships Search Schedule

Effective Catalog Year 2020-2021

General Education Requirements

Additional Information

Revision Date:

May 1, 2020