Health Information: Outpatient Medical Coding and Auditing, AS (MCOD-AS)

CT State Community College Catalog 2023-2024 New students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2023 will begin as students of Connecticut State Community College under this catalog.  Continuing students from one of the 12 community colleges will be transitioned into a CT State program in this catalog as of the start of the Fall 2023 term. The policies, courses and programs described are applicable as of the Fall 2023 term and may be updated as circumstances require.

The Outpatient Medical Coding and Auditing Associate Degree is for students interested in reimbursement and compliance. Students learn to evaluate medical documentation to validate assignment of codes in the outpatient setting using (Electronic Medical Records) EMR and Practice Management (PM) software for auditing and revenue recovery. The program prepares students for entry-level positions in outpatient medical coding and auditing with healthcare providers and payers including private insurance companies and government payers.

Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the distinct types of healthcare delivery systems and Telehealth services regulatory requirements, and compliance.
• Describe legal and ethical responsibilities in the healthcare organization as they relate Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), Protected Health Information (PHI) and to patient/client rights.
• Demonstrate communication, teamwork, leadership skills and competencies.
• Use coding and documentation guidelines to produce clean claims.
• Utilize EMR/Electronic Health Records (EHR) software.
• Compare and contrast reimbursement methodologies.
• Audit outpatient documentation for accuracy to support International Classification of Disease (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) coding, quality measures, and clinical requirements.
• Utilize proper terminology including abbreviations related to pathological conditions, diagnostic procedures, surgical interventions, and therapeutic procedures.
• Apply database information technology to electronic medical records and health information exchange.
• Find and communicate documentation deficiencies to providers to improve documentation for correct risk adjustment coding.

Upon completion of the program the student may choose to take an exam for national certification credentials:

American Association of Professional Coders - AAPC

• CPC - Certified Professional Coder
• CPMA - Certified Professional Medical Auditor
• CDEO - Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient