Medical Coding & Billing Program for Outpatient Services Description
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Overview
Developed by professionals in the field and packed with relevant, interactive content, our skills-focused program will teach you the must-have skills employers expect from medical coding and billing experts. It’s focused. It’s current. And it’ll have you job-ready in as little as 12 months. You’ll also get a crash course in career-readiness and priceless hands-on experience with actual medical records.
Program Timeline
Our online medical coding and billing courses are designed to be completed in as little as 12 months. Have other obligations and need to train on your own schedule? No worries. Our program is fully online and built for flexibility. With 12 months of full access, you can set your own schedule and complete your coursework on a timeline that fits your lifestyle.
12 months of full access
15 individual courses
618 hours of online coursework
Training Format
Our have-it-your-way online medical coding training is always on…because it’s online. 24/7 Web access gives you the freedom to study however, wherever, and whenever you want. Got a laptop? You’re ready to rock! It’s pretty empowering when you think about it.
Our online medical billing and coding programs offer the flexibility you need to create your own study schedule.
Learn from home (or anywhere)
Study online (anytime)
Support
Don’t think of your online medical coding program as e-learning, think of it as we-learning, because we’re with you every step of the way. Real people—dedicated trainers, technical support team, and Career Advisors—are all committed to your success, from pre sign-up to post completion.
One-on-one support
Phone, live chat, and email
AHIMA membership and mentor program
Medical Coding & Billing for Outpatient Services Program Outline
Our program is divided into 15 individual courses that cover all the most recent coding best practices and standards.
Program Orientation: Medical Coding and Billing for Outpatient Services
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Initiate the Medical Billing and Coding for Outpatient Services program.
Computer Fundamentals
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Identify basic computer hardware and interpret system requirements.
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Navigate a Windows operating system environment, as well as install and operate basic software utilities.
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Use a web browser to navigate between websites in multiple tabs or windows, send and receive email, and access search engines to find information and troubleshoot basic computer problems.
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Recognize basic technologies related to an office environment.
Comprehensive Medical Terminology
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Analyze how medical terms are built using common word parts.
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Properly spell, define, and pronounce medical terms associated with each of the major body systems.
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Identify and define the word parts most frequently associated with the major body systems.
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Interpret common abbreviations used in medical terminology and cautions to remember when using them.
Medical Billing
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Explain health insurance careers, opportunities, and expectations.
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Differentiate between major health insurance programs, government-sponsored health benefit programs, and related federal health care legislation.
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Explain revenue cycle management.
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Demonstrate basic principles of national diagnosis and procedure/service coding and compliance systems.
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Explain Impact of coding compliance, Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI), and coding for medical necessity in health care settings.
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Complete CMS-1500 and UB-04 claims and payer-specific claims.
Law, Liability, and Ethics for Healthcare
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Describe the structure of the healthcare industry and how it relates to the medical office profession.
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Identify law and regulations related to the healthcare workplace.
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Describe how law flows from the constitution to the courtroom.
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Identify criminal acts and intentional torts.
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Recognize what makes a contract and who can contract.
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Identify medical malpractice and other lawsuits.
Introduction to Healthcare
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Identify health information management concepts common to allied health professionals.
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Describe characteristics of health care delivery and settings in the United States.
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Delineate career opportunities for health information management professionals.
Comprehensive Electronic Health Records
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Demonstrate how patient records are used and regulated.
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Complete tasks required for scheduling a patient.
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Review clinical information reporting.
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Explore revenue cycle and financial reporting.
Anatomy and Physiology
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Identify the structures, locations, and functions of major body systems and the organs that comprise them.
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Explain how the organs of the major body systems interact and maintain homeostasis.
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Compare various risk factors leading to high mortality and morbidity.
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Describe the components of cell structure and their functions.
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Summarize how infectious agents affect cellular growth and function.
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Define basic anatomical terms.
Comprehensive Pharmacology
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Define basic pharmacology terminology.
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Identify U.S. drug laws and explain their importance in patient care and health services documentation.
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Differentiate among drug classifications, routes of entry, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic treatments related to specific body systems and disease conditions.
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Identify medication side effects, precautions, contraindications, and interactions.
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Identify major drug standards, legislation, legal responsibilities of the health care practitioner when dispensing medications.
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Identify the major drug classification systems and differentiate among the various types of drug names with examples.
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Evaluate the standard and online pharmacological references in use today.
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Classify the sources of drugs, examine their pharmacokinetic processes, and analyze the variables that affect drug actions and effects.
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Analyze various drug forms, routes of delivery, and the supplies and techniques necessary for safe and appropriate administration.
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Identify commonly used medications and their characteristics.
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Identify the sources, mechanism of action, and indications for specific drug therapies.
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Analyze the side effects, precautions, contraindications, and interactions for specific medications.
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Assess the factors that influence the absorption and effectiveness of drugs.
Outpatient Coding
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Accurately assign and sequence ICD-10-CM diagnostic codes for inpatient, outpatient, and physician services according to the official coding guidelines.
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Differentiate reimbursement systems for various programs, including private insurance and contracts, managed care, Medicare, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation, and other disabilities.
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Understand the difference between CPT, ICD, and HCPCS coding systems and identify their appropriate use in health records.
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Describe the key elements of the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its impact on healthcare professionals.
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Explain the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) .
Health Information Management
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Identify data sources by describing types of medical records and the information found in each record.
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Describe the role medical records take in coding and billing.
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Describe the structure and use of health information.
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Identify record data collection tools.
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Discuss healthcare data sets.
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Discuss appropriate health record documentation.
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Describe data quality and integrity.
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Discuss health information systems, including specialty coding systems.
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Describe the archival, retrieval, and imaging systems used in health information.
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Identify data retrieval, maintenance, security, and integrity processes.
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Discuss the evolution of the electronic health record (EHR) and the personal health record (PHR).
Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
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Provide an introduction to the services provided by FQHCs and RHCs.
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Differentiate between FQHC and RHC policies and regulations.
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Identify FQHC and RHC Staff and Learn FQHC and RHC requirements.
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Describe services applicable to FQHC and RHC.
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Understand the Medical Record requirements for FQHC and RHC.
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Identify services included in Care Management in both programs.
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Describe shared resources of FQHC and RHC clinics.
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Understand Advanced Care Planning and how to code appropriately.
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Describe and discuss virtual communication services for FQHC and RHC clinics.
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Differentiate the billing process for FQHC and RHC from traditional billing.
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Discuss Telehealth Billing for FQHC and RHC services.
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Explain COVID-19 Vaccines billing processes.
Telehealth for Coding Professionals
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Understand the origins of telemedicine.
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Discuss methods and models of telehealth.
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Understand telehealth requirements.
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Discuss protected patient health information.
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Explain telehealth reimbursement.
Career Success in Healthcare
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Define “professionalism" and “success” in your own terms.
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Differentiate between long-, medium-, and short-range goals.
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Assess and develop your time management skills.
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Develop plans to enhance your creative and critical thinking.
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Use an effective decision-making process to maximize your chances for success.
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Describe methods to maximize verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.
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Describe the health care system.
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Describe and discuss organizational structure, communication channels, and lines of authority.
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Develop an understanding of the factors that affect group dynamics and use these skills to maximize your leadership potential.
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Explain ethics and how they relate to health care professionals.
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Define continuing education, certification, and licensure.
Program Completion: Outpatient Coding
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Prepare to take the next steps after program completion.
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Medical Coding and Billing Certifications
CareerStep’s online Medical Coding and Billing for Outpatient Services training covers the knowledge and skills you need to successfully sit for industry-recognized certification. We want to support our learners in securing the certification that fits based on your career goals and current job requirements. Your training includes up to two different exam vouchers for the certifications listed below, your choice of coding exam and NHA exam, relevant to your training – a significant value add of several hundred dollars.
Certified Professional Coder (CPC®)
A gold standard and one of the most recognized medical coding credentials — certified by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
Certified Outpatient Coder (COC™)
The only standalone outpatient coding credential — certified by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
Validate your knowledge of industry coding and billing with the CBCS certification from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS)
Demonstrate you have the Electronic Health Record skills employers seek with the CEHRS from National Healthcareer Association.
Videos
Career Profile: Medical Coding and Billing
Documents
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