Medical Billing & Coding Specialist

Logistics

The logistics of going back to school can be complex, and the Health Information Specialist (HIS) Program can seem daunting. However, CCI Training Center works to make sure the logistics are reasonable and built to accommodate working adults and those with other responsibilities.

Students complete their coursework online. At the same time, students are encouraged to stay in regular contact with the instructor and classmates in a collaborative online fashion. Students may also choose to contact their
instructor by telephone or by visiting the campus. This ensures all students can learn, gain hands-on experience and work on projects all together without sacrificing their other responsibilities.

Toward the end of the program, students begin an externship. This is an opportunity for students to put their skills to the test in the real-world, work environment. Students will work next to trained, experienced health care professionals, entering information gathered from physicians into medical records, organizing clinical databases and tracking patient outcomes aftercare for quality assurance.

This level of in-person, hands-on training helps to prepare students for a successful transition from school into the work environment.

Courses

Students that complete the courses within the Health Information Specialist Program gain the skills necessary to enter the health care field as a Health Information Technician, Medical Coding or even Certified Professional Coder. Students complete a variety of courses that focus on organizing health information data, medical terminology, billing and coding software, and more.

Courses students take within the HIS program include Computer Fundamentals and Office Communications, providing a real-world understanding of how to use computers in the clinical setting and communicate with other office staff. Students also complete courses specific to providing health care, including Allied Health Math, Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology.

Students then go on to complete courses specific to HIS, including Medical Coding, Electronic Medical Records, Medical Law, Insurance Billing, and CPR. Of course, all students also take part in an externship or a practicum in their local community to gain real-world experience in the field.

The externship is essential to helping students understand how the skills learned in the classroom and online instruction will affect job duties and responsibilities. Students learn how to communicate and work together in health care facilities, and they have an opportunity to get hands-on experience in entering real patient health information, submitting coded procedures to laboratories and insurers and much more.

The courses at CCI Training Center are designed to give students the greatest opportunity to advance and succeed upon graduation. Even after graduation, students may return to CCI for assistance with future job placement.

Positions

Health Information Specialists fulfill integral roles in the health care field. They may work in positions that require direct contact with patients, but these positions will likely be limited to administrative purposes, such as obtaining health histories or completing medical billing paperwork. Most positions employing Health Information Specialists will focus on administrative and clerical activities. In addition, students in the Health Information Specialist (HIS) Program will be fully prepared to sit for some of the top certifications in the industry, including. Further preparations for industry certifications may require additional self-study.:

• Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist.
• Certified Medical Administrative Assistant.
• Certified Billing and Coding Specialist.

These certifications open the door to countless opportunities for work after completing the HIS Program. However, they are not necessarily required to work in care facilities. It is up to each clinic and employer to determine which certifications are required for employment. Many entry-level positions in a medical office may not require industry certifications. Moreover, some facilities may even offer to pay a premium for Health Information Technicians that maintain all three certifications in tandem. Depending on the employer, already certified Medical Records and Health Information Technicians may expect Signiant salary increase, based on experience.

Some of the top positions available to students with any of these certifications include:

• Office administrative assistants. Those that complete coursework may be responsible for helping clinical administrators oversee office activities in private practice or other health care facility. This includes ensuring patient documentation is complete and accurate, entering orders into an electronic health record, verifying patient data and more.
• Health Information Technician. Students may also fulfill a vital role as office personnel, working to enter patient information or schedule patient appointments. They may also be responsible for relaying communications between the office, other health care providers and even third parties, such as health insurance companies.
• Retail health clinics. One of the most exciting positions students may find is in retail health care clinics, where, depending on their experience, prospective students may gain employment to get their feet in the door before completing the Health Information Specialist Program. Upon gaining the respective certifications for the field, students may work to maintain electronic health records, enter medical codes for billing purposes or work in an administrative capacity over medical software and documentation.
• Medical Billing and Coding Professionals. Any discussion of the positions students may fulfill must include working as a Medical Billing and Coding Professional. Individuals working in this role may need to transcribe physician’s notes, enter billing details and entering written physicians’ into the medical software used by the facility.

Workplaces

Those that complete the Health Information Specialist program have vast career opportunities. The types of facilities and workplaces where they may gain employment is nearly limitless. They may work in any facility that engages in providing health care or servicing the health care industry, such as in a retail capacity or even a health insurance company. As a result, workplaces may range from school health clinics to hospitals and beyond.

Some of the top workplaces students that graduate from the HIS Program may consider include:

• Acupuncturists’ offices. Depending on the insurance provider or employee benefits, coverage for acupuncture may exist, and those that complete the HIS program will have the background and education necessary to complete medical paperwork and submit claims’ forms.
• Chiropractors. Students may also choose to work in a Chiropractic office, performing administrative tasks, especially surrounding billing and helping patients adhere to the health care provider’s instructions.
• Outpatient care centers may vary in type to any form of patient care, including both acupuncturists and chiropractors; however, it also includes outpatient surgical centers, laboratories and much more. This variety may lead to some confusion, but for reference, Medical Records and Health Information Technicians can expect significant salary difference if they work in surgery centers.
• Ambulance services. Since ambulance services are another environment that requires administrative work and medical billing, those that complete the course may find additional work in EMS settings.
• Hospitals and Nursing Homes. Graduates may perform administrative and billing tasks, as well as clerical support for back-office activities. Once experienced in a hospital environment we notice a significant salary variation.
• Physician’s offices. Individuals may perform administrative services in physicians’ offices too, and this workplace may blend the skills of a HIS and Medical Assistant, provided the person holds both certifications. Of course, the exact duties will depend on the unique duties assigned for that facility.

There are other entry-level employment opportunities for graduates of the HIS Program. Remembering the administrative side of the program and its applicability in digital health care, upon graduation students may work in these additional facilities:

• Optometrist and Ophthalmologist’s offices use Health Information Technicians to track patient electronic health records, enter prescription information into the system of record, transcribe staff notes into patient charts and properly bill insurance, Medicare, Medicare or other forms of financial responsibility.
• Physical Therapy Centers rely on Health Information Technicians for clarity in administering treatment and therapy to patients by ensuring the medical record is thorough and accurate.
• Dental Centers employ Medical Records and Billing Specialists to accurately bill insurers for procedures completed, send records between offices and much more.
• Health Insurance Companies may use the services of Health Information Technicians to process insurance claims by ensuring codes billed match the procedures noted within patient records, and for patients that have been covered by a particular company for a long period of time, this can amount to tacking health records, reviewing pre-authorization paperwork and more.
• Laboratories use Health Information Technicians provide a vital service in laboratories ensuring patient receive the proper tests that were prescribed, and this translates over into proper insurance claims and EHR management as well.
• Temporary health care staffing agencies may rely on Medical Records Technicians to track patient data, especially those receiving home health services, monitor patient outcomes for quality assurance and maintain accuracy in all billing matters.

CCI'S Role

Why Choose CCI for HIS.

CCI Training Center works tirelessly to create career programs designed for working adults with other responsibilities. The traditional university was designed for young adults and adolescents with little to no outside responsibilities, but CCI Training Center is working to change that stereotype.

Instructors at CCI Training Center are real-world health care professionals, and in the Health Information Specialist (HIS) Program, they may have held the certifications students may sit for after completing the program. They may be Certified Electronic Health Records Specialists, Certified Medical Administrative Assistants or Certified Billing and Coding Specialists. Depending on the class, they may hold additional certifications, licenses or degrees in the field of health care. For instance, they may have Nursing, Medical Assisting or Laboratory backgrounds and work experience.

Other reasons students interested in digital health care choose CCI Training Center goes back a few simple facts. Students may apply for local and federal financial aid, and those that qualify may be able to access grants, loans, and even scholarships to help pay for school. The flexible online program under the direct supervision of an instructor in small classes is what sets CCI different. This allows the adult student to go back to school and keep their other family and work obligations. Year-round courses mean students can start the program in any month, not a set spring or fall semester.

The HIS Program is a practical option for students interested in the administrative side of health care. After graduation, they enter the field and make a difference in their career.

Source

https://www.ccitraining.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Catalog_Vol.-I_March-2018.pdf

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm#tab-6

https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes292071.htm

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