What is a Medical Billing and Coding Diploma?
Medical billers and coders work in medical environments such as physician's offices, hospitals, outpatient facilities and nursing homes. Their duties include filling out and processing medical and insurance documents. Billing and coding technicians must be able to determine whether a document or form is complete and filled out correctly.
Skills You Will Learn
To correctly process and fill out medical forms, medical billers and coders must have an understanding of medical coding and terminology. Billers and coders must also have a rudimentary understanding of human anatomy and physiology. In addition to these skills, billers and coders are expected to be able to perform office tasks, and must have strong organizational skills as well as familiarity with scheduling and financial tasks.
Coursework
A typical medical billing and coursework diploma program will contain the following courses:
- Medical Office Administration
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Basic ICD Coding
- Medical Finance
- Medical Terminology
Why Get a Medical Billing and Coding Diploma?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, predicts that medical billing and diploma positions will be one of the most in-demand positions in the nation in the coming years. A diploma in medical billing and coding will ensure a position for you in this growing occupation.
Medical Billing and Encoding Careers
Those with a diploma in medical billing and encoding can choose to become health information coders, medical record coders, coding specialists, medical database supervisors, or medical office administrative assistants. All these careers deal with processing and maintaining medical records and documents in healthcare administrative environments.
Medical Billing and Encoding Salary
According to the BLS, the median income for medical billing and coding specialists in 2004 was around $25,500.
