View original: Online Medical Billing And Coding Schools – Medical Coding …

The following article first appeared in the May 29, 2014, Fennimore Times as part of its “Buzz About Town” series. It is reprinted here with permission from Fennimore Times Editor Rob Callahan.

Thanks to an outstanding faculty and staff, many good things are happening at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. This is the first of a series providing highlights from around the College.

Today I shine the spotlight on Southwest Tech’s Division of Health, Education, and Public Safety led by Ms. Katie Garrity, Dean. I am grateful for her help writing this article.

This year, 446 Health, Education, and Public Safety students received a technical certificate, technical diploma, or associate degree. The number in each program was Nurse Assistant 245; Nursing 43; Practical Nursing 36; Medical Assistant 31; Dental Assistant 22; Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement 15; Early Childhood Education 15; Medical Coding Specialist 11; Human Services Associate 8; Medical Laboratory Technician 6; Physical Therapy Assistant 6; Direct Entry Midwife 4; Child Care Services 3; and Medical Transcription 1. Because employer demand for medical transcriptionists has fallen away, Southwest Tech last year stopped enrolling new students in that program.

Graduates from several allied health programs must pass certifying exams before they can work, but passage rates verify that a Southwest Tech education well prepares students for those exams. For example, the first-time passage rate for nursing students has been 100%, 100%, and 99% the past three years.

Most Southwest Tech graduates seek immediate employment or use their credential to advance in their current place of work. However, some graduates continue their education either while working or as a full-time student. For example, Nurse Assistant graduates may enter a practical nursing or nursing education program at Southwest Tech or elsewhere. Or, students receiving associate degrees may transfer into a baccalaureate degree program at a four-year university.

For students with an associate degree in one of Southwest Tech’s allied health programs, transfer into a bachelors program has become significantly easier. Starting this fall, Franklin University will be offering the classes needed to complete either a BS in Allied Health Management or a BS in Nursing on Southwest Tech’s Fennimore campus.

The Division is currently developing three new programs. Health Information Technology (HIT) as well as Cancer Information Management (CIM) will be offered entirely online, lead to associate degrees, and begin fall 2014. The College already has accepted 13 students and is processing 6 additional applications for these programs. More students are expected by August. These programs are perfect for those who want a rewarding healthcare career, but prefer to avoid the emotional and physical “messiness” of direct patient care.

The College received funding from two grants to support these programs’ development. An $119,000, one-year, state grant from the Wisconsin Technical College System is funding the start-up of CIM. A $770,000, three-year, federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration supported creation of the “Southwest Health Network,” a partnership of regional health information specialists. The Network is now helping develop the curriculum for HIT as well as creating collaborative strategies for student recruitment and for training and retention of incumbent health information technology specialists.

The third new program, a one-year technical diploma in Laboratory Science Technician, starts fall 2015. This program will be embedded in the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) curriculum, meaning graduates will enjoy two options. They can either a) take their diploma and get a job in food processing, chemical manufacturing, healthcare, or any organization needing lab techs or b) complete another year at Southwest Tech and earn the associate degree in MLT. These programs are perfect for people interested in working in a laboratory setting.

Two additional healthcare highlights deserve mention. First, Southwest Tech gave regional healthcare providers an opportunity this year to submit proposals for leasing space in the Health Science Center from which to provide medical, dental, and mental health services to the public. Crossing Rivers Health, previously named Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, was awarded the contract and started operation this spring.

Second, the Division will offer two conferences this summer for midwives or those interested in midwifery. Both conferences will feature nationally recognized practitioners.

Southwest Tech’s Public Safety Programs serve thousands of students each year. Offerings include education and training in Criminal Justice (associate degree); Driver Education, Motorcycle Safety, Traffic Safety, Law Enforcement Academy, Jail Academy, Dispatch Certification, Fire Services, Emergency Medical Services, and more.

Driver Education is offered to students in 20 Southwest Wisconsin school districts via contract with those districts and to 400 additional Wisconsin students via online courses.

The Law Enforcement Academy, which must be successfully completed to work as a police officer in Wisconsin, is changing. Through this year, the Academy included 520 hours of training; per State statute and rules, future Academies will include 700 hours. The result will be better prepared entry-level police officers.

Much is going on at Southwest Tech. These are highlights from only one Division and do not even include all of the exciting happenings there! Learn more on the College’s web or social media sites.

The career path of medical coding has grown extensively in recent years. Through proper training medical coding specialists are finding job stability throughout the country. Becoming a specialist requires specific medical coding training that depends on the understanding of alphanumeric coding and diagnostic training. This assists with efficient communication between the patient and the provider. The patient is diagnosed correctly and signified as urgent when necessary while the provider has a clear picture of the condition of the patient and can be compensated accordingly. Coding specialists are imperative to the entire healthcare industry. Medicaid Medicare insurance companies and doctors alike depend on accurate coding to prevent fraud and ensure proper reimbursements.

The educational requirements to become a specialist are minimal with the requirement of a high school degree. However candidates must utilize some sort of training course to enter the field. There are opportunities at local colleges universities and online venues to become familiar with coding and the human body. 

Certification is offered through the American Health Information Management Association or the American Association of Professional Coders. Certification is not necessary to become a specialist but it is preferred. Certification can equal a 20% pay increase compared to individuals that choose on the job training rather than certification. Computer knowledge combined with the comfort of working independently is essential to overall success.

The government depends on accurate coding for statistical data to combat large scale medical issues. Information is compiled from various sources of medical coding specialists that work in every healthcare outlet. This includes hospitals private practice doctors dentists mental health care facilities and many more. Medical coding training requires intense training to learn an overwhelming amount of codes through a brood selection of code books including the International Classification of Diseases. Medical coding is a full time job that is often performed individually throughout the day or night. Job growth in the field of medical coding is expected to grow tremendously through 2020 due to the aging population.

Originally posted: Online Medical Billing And Coding Schools – Medical Coding Training

Medical Billing and Coding Specialists manage and organize health information. They ensure its quality, accuracy, and security both in hard copy and electronic formats. Using various classification systems, they code and categorize patient information for reimbursement from insurance companies, databases, and to record patients’ medical histories.

If you are analytical, detail oriented and possess interpersonal skills, a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist position may be for you. Such a position can lead to a rewarding and challenging career. Following are some of the top reasons to become a medical billing and coding specialist:

Demand

Employment of Medical Billing and Coding Specialists is expected to increase by over 20% between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This much faster than average job growth is largely due to an increasing aging population. A growing population of aging individuals requires more medical tests, treatments and procedures. This means more reimbursement claims to insurance companies, for which Billing and Coding Specialists are needed.

Low Educational Requirements

While it’s not necessarily required, most employers prefer some education for their Medical Billing and Coding Specialists. Some training programs can be completed in as few as 10 months, or roughly a year and a half for an associate degree. There are myriad of training programs available. Preferably, choose one that prepares you for certification.

Online Training

Common barriers like time and location are removed with the convenience of online Medical Billing and Coding degree and certification programs. When choosing an online educational provider, select one that is reputable and accredited and that offers a specialized curriculum. Choosing wisely ensures you receive a quality education that is accepted by potential employers.

Minor Physical Demands

Many careers in healthcare have significant physical demands such as long hours and moving patients and more. Medical Billing and Coding Specialists, however, allow one the opportunity to contribute to patient care while working from a computer without such demanding physical activities.

Work from Home Potential

There is a wide market of healthcare providers outsourcing their medical billing and coding to qualified professionals. This offers the opportunity to begin your own business from home. Working independently like this allows you the freedom to choose your own hours from the comfort of your own home.