What to Look for in Quality Medical Billing & Coding Training Program

The Affordable Care Act has made a great many changes to the healthcare system, including expanding the need for qualified medical billing and coding professionals. As the insurance system expands and changes, the need for well-trained billers and coders becomes even more necessary. The advent of a new coding system, with literally thousands of codes to learn and implement, ensures that the need for medical billing and coding specialists will continue to increase.

Choosing a good quality program such as that offered at Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi) will ensure that you have the knowledge base and practical skills that you need to succeed in this career. SOCHi’s Medical Billing and Coding Program offers a well-balanced curriculum, including coursework in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, comprehensive medical coding training, and even assistance in preparing for certification exams.

The Basics: Anatomy and Physiology

While billing and coding is considered an “office” job, with electronic files and computer programs the tools of the trade, some of the most important information that you will need to learn in your medical billing and coding training program is anatomy and physiology. Understanding the locations of organs and tissues, as well as how the body functions, will help you to understand the medical paperwork, assign the correct codes and process the billing accurately.

Learning the Lingo

Understanding medical terminology is also vital to being an accomplished medical biller and coder. Many terms used in medicine sound very similar, but denote very different procedures or parts of the body. For example, the “ileum” is a part of the small intestine, while the “ilium” is the top portion of the hip bone. Other similar terms include “humeral” and “humoral”, “osteal” and “ostial”, and “scatoma” and “scotoma”, Each of these words relates to a very different part of the body, or a particular function or procedures, so having a good understanding of the terms used in medicine will help you to choose the correct codes for each patient’s billing, and ensure that claims are processed smoothly and accurately.

Mastering the Medical Codes

Medical codes provide a lot of information about the patients’ diagnosis, the procedures and services that were provided to them, and how much each procedure or service costs. There are many different coding systems used in medical billing and coding, but the most common and comprehensive are the ICD Codes. ICD (International Classification of Diseases) codes are used to describe diagnoses and are most often found in hospital records and death certificates. SOCHi’s medical billing and coding training includes the latest version of the coding system, ICD-10, which features literally thousands of codes.

Preparation for the Future

Besides giving you the education and experience to successfully take on an entry-level position in medical billing and coding, SOCHi also offers you assistance in preparing to sit for the certification exams, and the program includes the most up-to-date information so that you will be prepared to take these exams. Most employers will require that you pass the exams for Certified Professional Biller (CPB®), Certified Professional Coder (CPC®), and Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC®) in order to perform your duties as a working medical biller and coder.

Getting the best medical billing and coding training available will set you up for a career in one of the fastest growing fields within the healthcare industry. With the education and experience provided by a comprehensive program like SOCHi’s, you will be well-prepared to succeed in this fascinating and rewarding career.

For more information about SOCHi’s medical billing and coding training program, please visit our website or apply here.