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Medical Coding and Reimbursement Specialist Certificate

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Summary

Prepare online for an entry-level career as an inpatient and outpatient coder, biller, patient account representative and other support positions in a variety of healthcare settings.

Completion Award
Certificate of Proficiency
Length of Study
60 Credits
Starting Quarter
Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Location
Online

Students who successfully complete this program, by achieving a grade of 2.0 or better for each individual course in the program and program prerequisites, should be able to:

  • Apply knowledge of medical and clinical terminology, anatomy and physiology, human diseases and pharmacology.
  • Read and interpret patient medical records, utilize an electronic health record, and query physicians when appropriate to obtain an accurate code.
  • Accurately assign diagnostic and procedural codes in accordance with Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS), National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI), American Hospital Association (AHA), and American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines for inpatient and outpatient health record.
  • Use computerized encoders to group to proper prospective payment systems in various healthcare settings including Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group (MS-DRG) and Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) case-mix systems.
  • Accurately analyze clinical documentation and code patient health records as part of hierarchical condition categories (HCCs) and risk adjustment (RA) methodology and reimbursement.
  • Complete commercial insurance, Medicare and Medicaid claim forms.
  • Apply privacy and security regulations to protect confidential health care records and billing data.

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The job outlook for medical coding specialists is good with graduates working as Medical Coders, Medical Reimbursement Specialists, Coding Analysts, Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Specialists, Billers, Revenue Cycle Specialist, and Patient Account Representatives. For salary information in your state, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov.

Potential employers include: Medical and dental offices, insurance companies, medical coding and billing companies, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. 

Estimated Tuition & Fees

(does not include additional program or course fees, books, or supply costs)

Per Quarter 
2020-2021 		WA-Resident Non-WA resident, US citizen
Online Only 		Non-WA resident,
US citizen, &
Eligible non-citizen
On Campus 		Non-WA resident
Non-US citizen¹
1 credit $152.13 $166.72 $243.46  $330.00
5 credits $631.60 $706.40 $1,090.10 $1,522.80
12 credits (full-time) $1,359.08 $1,510.28 $2,283.78 $3,156.04
15 credits  $1,524.20 $1,677.80 $2,460.45 $3,343.00


¹ Includes all International Students, both on campus and overseas online

Additional Program Fees
Approximately $45 - 120 per quarter, depending on courses selected

Ways to pay for school

Federal aid, scholarships, grants, and more are available to help you pay for school.

Next Steps

Application Period

New student applications are primarily accepted between January and June each year. Applications will continue to be accepted outside this time frame on a space-available basis.


How to apply

Explore the Health Informatics & Information Management Department