MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING

Medical Billing and Coding Training

Hybrid / Distance Education Program

The Medical Billing & Coding certificate program introduces students to one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. The program will prepare students to work as a medical biller in a variety of healthcare settings. Students will learn how to file claims, complete insurance forms, solve insurance billing problems, appeal denied claims, and utilize a variety of generic billing forms. Understanding insurance guidelines and having a strong knowledge base in coding are important to this field.

The Medical Billing & Coding program at AIMS will cover a number of subject areas including medical billing, basic medical coding, medical insurance, HIPAA, and electronic health records. The program will provide training for the ICD-10 code set which is currently in use.

Hybrid Learning

The Medical Billing and Coding program is taught using a hybrid learning environment. All hybrid courses will utilize online and in-person instruction. Lectures may be offered on campus or remotely via a Learning Management System (LMS). Laboratory classes and practical training will be held on campus or at a clinical site.

Online classes will be taught synchronously. Synchronous instruction is real-time instruction that requires students to attend classes at scheduled times.

Clinical Internship

The Medical Billing & Coding program requires students to complete a mandatory 80-hour clinical internship. Students will be placed at a clinical site by the AIMS Internship Department. The internship is designed to provide practical training in a real work environment; students will have a mentor who trains and guides them. Students are not permitted to begin the internship until all required classroom and lab hours are completed.

AIMS Education has clinical affiliations with numerous healthcare facilities throughout New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Students will be placed at one or more of these affiliated sites and must complete their clinical hours based on the schedule provided by the school. Internship schedules are based on the availability of clinical sites. All students (Day and Evening) must be prepared to complete their internship during normal business hours (Monday through Friday). The majority of clinical sites do not allow students to complete clinical hours in the evening or on the weekend.

Employment for Medical Billing & Coding

Incorrect billing costs insurance companies and the government large sums of money. This can result in large fines and potential lawsuits for hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers. As a result, healthcare facilities are always in need of highly qualified medical billing & coding specialists. These healthcare providers need well educated professionals to help eliminate the legal ramifications and high costs that are caused by incorrect billing practices.

Employment opportunities for certified medical billing & coding specialists are available in a number of different settings. Some billing & coding specialists are employed in doctors’ offices, hospitals, pharmacies, ambulatory centers, emergency departments, or medical billing companies. Other opportunities may exist in nursing homes, clinics, surgery centers, or group practices.

Certification / Registry Exam Eligibility

Medical Billing & Coding graduates will be eligible to take the Certified Billing & Coding Specialist exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the Insurance and Coding Specialist exam offered by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), and the Certified Coding Associate exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Eligibility requirements for the CBCS, NCICS, and CCA credentials are solely determined by NHA, NCCT, and AHIMA, and are subject to change at any time. NHA, NCCT, and AHIMA are independent organizations. AIMS does not guarantee certification/registry exam eligibility.

Program Length

• 300 clock hours
• Classroom instruction and lab - 220 hours
• Clinical internship - 80 hours
• The day program can be completed in approximately 4 months.
• The evening program can be completed in approximately 5 months.
• The weekend program can be completed in approximately 9 months.

Employment Opportunities

• Doctors' Offices
• Pharmacies
• Hospitals
• Insurance Companies
• Nursing Homes
• Medical Billing Companies
• Outpatient Medical Centers
• Urgent Care Centers

Minimum Admission Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Basic computer skills
• Passing score on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam