Outpatient Medical Coding and Auditing, AS
Program code: MCOD-AS
Locations: Middlesex, Northwestern
Program Description
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
- Generate codes representing professional services, the reason for contact with healthcare services, and supplies utilizing HIPAA approved code sets appropriate to the professional and outpatient settings and conforming to all official coding guidelines.
- Describe appropriate medical documentation to support code assignment in the professional and outpatient settings including CMS guidance for documenting Evaluation and Management services.
- Employ auditing methods in the evaluation of claims for professional and outpatient services to identify coding and billing errors including but not limited to evaluation and management (E/M), surgery, physical therapy, radiology, psychiatry, hematology/oncology, and infusion services.
- Explain statistical sampling methods used for coding audits and the subsequent analysis of audit results to identify risks for fraud and abuse.
- CPC - Certified Professional Coder
-
CPMA - Certified Professional Medical Auditor
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Courses | ||
| ENG 1010 | Composition | 3 |
| MATH 1200 | Statistics I | 3-4 |
| or MATH 1201 | Statistics I with Computer Applications | |
| PHIL 1012 | Bioethics | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Principles of the Human Body and Principles of the Human Body Lab | ||
| Cell Biology with Organ Systems | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology II | ||
| Elective SBSX - Social / Behavioral Science Course | 3 | |
| Elective ORAX - Oral Communication Course | 3 | |
| CCS 1001 | College and Career Success | 3 |
| Program Courses | ||
| HIMT 2540 | Health Law and Compliance | 3 |
| CSA 1110 | Introduction to Software Applications | 3 |
| MDAS 1011 | Administrative Medical Assisting | 3 |
| or HIMT 1410 | Healthcare Access Management | |
| HIMT 1110 | Introduction to Health Information Management | 3 |
| or HIMT 2110 | Health Information Management Principles | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Human Diseases and Pathophysiology | ||
| Pathophysiology | ||
| Biology of Disease | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Medical Terminology and Anatomy | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Medical Terminology for Clinical and Administrative Professions | ||
| MDAS 1012 | Medical Insurance and Billing | 3 |
| or HIMT 2460 | Healthcare Reimbursement | |
| MDAS 2016 | Electronic Medical Records | 3 |
| or HIMT 2350 | Healthcare Informatics | |
| MDAS 2050 | Principles of Pharmacology | 1-3 |
| or HIMT 1030 | Pharmacology in Health Information | |
| HIMT 2732 | Introduction to Diagnosis Coding | 2 |
| HIMT 2745 | Healthcare Coding for Services & Supplies | 2 |
| HIMT 2711 | Professional Coding and Auditing | 3 |
| HIMT 2875 | Professional Coding Career | 1 |
| Directed Elective from ACCT, BOT, BUSN, CSC, CST, ECON, HIMT, MATH, MDAS | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 60-63 | |
Total Credits: 60-63