Course Code: CSU-MC 04

Course Duration: 6 months

Contact Hours: 375

Tuition: $3250

This billing and coding course offers the skills needed to perform complex coding and billing procedures. The course covers: CPT (Introduction, Guidelines, Evaluation and Management), specialty fields (such as surgery, radiology and laboratory), the ICD-10 for both diagnosis and procedure coding, and basic claims processes for insurance reimbursements. This billing and coding program delivers the skills students need to solve insurance billing and coding problems. It details proper assignment of codes and the process to file claims for reimbursement. This course covers the following key areas and topics:

  • An overview of health care and the insurance industry
  • The organization and use of the ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS manuals to identify correct codes
  • Detailed review and practice using the alphabetic index and tabular list of the ICD-10-CM
  • Basic claims processes for medical insurance and third-party reimbursements
  • Completing common insurance forms, tracing delinquent claims, and appealing denied claims

Education and Certifications

  • Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • There are no state approval and/or state requirements associated with this program.
  • There are several National Certification exams that are available to students who successfully complete this program:
    • National Health career Association (NHA) Billing and Coding Specialist Certification (CBCS)

Medical Billing & Coding Detailed Course Information

  • Introduction to International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modifications, Coding Guidelines,
  • Basics of diagnostic and procedural coding
  • Introduction to the organization and use of the ICD-10, ICD-9-CM and CPT manuals
  • The Health Insurance Claim Form (CMS 1500)
  • Reviews of both ICD-10 (diagnostic coding) and ICD-10-PCS (inpatient procedural coding)
  • Various issues surrounding the implementation of ICD-10
  • HIPAA and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
  • Review and practice coding Evaluation and Management (E&M) services
  • Review and practice coding from anesthesia, surgery, radiology, medicine, and then pathology/laboratory sections of the CPT, CPT Modifiers, E and V Codes
  • Coding surgical procedures of the integumentary system
  • Coding procedures related to the female genital system and maternity care and delivery
  • Coding for general surgery, radiology, pathology and laboratory services
  • Coding for diagnostic and therapeutic services and the Level II National Codes
  • Tracing delinquent claims, insurance problems & third-party reimbursement issues

National Certification

Students who complete this Columbia Southern University Medical Billing & Coding program will be prepared to sit for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) - Certified Professional
Coder Exam (CPC or CPC-H Apprentice); the American Health Information Association (AHIMA)
Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam and the National Health career Association (NHA) Billing and
Coding Specialist Certification (CBCS) exam. Although there is no state approval, state registration or
other state requirements for this program, students who complete this Medical Billing & Coding
program at Columbia Southern University will be prepared and are eligible to sit for these AAPC,
AHIMA and NHA national certification exams. Students who complete this program can and do sit
for these certification exams and are qualified, eligible and prepared to do so. Columbia Southern
University will work with each student to determine which national certification exam works best with
each particular student and register the student for that exam.