Credit-Free Medical Coding and Billing

Medical coding and billing is one of the fastest growing and most secure professions in the country. Clinton Community College has partnered with Career Step to offer a Medical Coding and Billing online career training program, a course that allows you to study at home, at work, or on the go. Prepare for a rewarding, in-demand career in the growing healthcare documentation industry!

Secure the benefits of a career in Medical Coding and Billing:

· Job security in a growing industry

· Steady income and benefits

· Room for real advancement

· Exciting and challenging work

· Comfortable and professional work environment

Highlights for the online Medical Coding and Billing Program

· 640 hours intensive program

· Average completion time of 9 months working part-time. Can be done in 4-5 months. Must complete the program in 12 months. Extensions beyond 12 months can be purchased.

· Career Step offers Personal Employment Consultation, Employment Referral Guides, Evaluation of Resumes, Referral Letters, and a 1 year Help Hotline after graduation for all students.

· Career Step partners with industry employers and institutions, and these strong relationships often lead to preferential status for Career Step graduates applying for employment

· Online instructional and technical support

· The online courses integrate sound, video, a virtual classroom, discussion forum, virtual library, and INSTANTANEOUS feedback on exercises and exams

· Open enrollment-begin anytime!

· No cancellations on students!

· Peer support through online discussion board and moderated chats

· All materials are provided to the students for the one course fee

· Contains comprehensive practicum utilizing hundreds of real doctor reports

· Certification is required to enter the workforce

· Students meet and exceed requirements for both the AHIMA and AAPC certification exams, including the CCA, CPC, and CPC-H. Career Step graduates have a significantly higher pass rate than the national average for these exams.

· Program fee of $1995

Included Reference Materials:

· Stedman’s or Dorland’s Full-Size Medical Dictionary (at the discretion of Career Step)

· HCPCS Level II Coding Expert (Professional Edition may be substituted at the discretion of Career Step)

· ICD-9-CM Coding Expert for Hospitals Volumes 1-3 (Professional Edition may be substituted at the discretion of Career Step)

· CPT Coding Professional (Standard Edition may be substituted at the discretion of Career Step)

· The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Home Edition (available while supplies last)

· Saunder’s Nursing Drug Handbook

IMPORTANT: The Medical Dictionary and The Merck Manual are shipped upon enrollment. All other reference materials, Diagnostic Coding with ICD-9-CM, all Site 2 materials and Ingenix software are updated annually each fall and are time sensitive. The currently available edition of these materials are shipped or made available online upon request when the student has reached the medical records module, in advance of entering the ICD-9-CM and Medical Procedural Coding modules. Once shipped or made available online, these materials may not be returned and new releases of the materials will only be available for additional cost at retail prices. It is important that these materials are not requested, for each student, until they are needed.

Other Materials:

Ingenix 90-day trial Encoder Pro Expert coding software**

**Subject to change based upon current supplier. This inclusion may be discontinued at any time.

System Requirements:

Hardware:

· 128 Megabytes (MB) of RAM (256 MB or higher recommended)

· 56 KBPS modem (Broadband-DSL cable modem recommended

· Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution adapter and monitor

· CD-ROM or DVD drive

· Sound card and speakers (headphone port recommended)

· Color Printer (Not Required)

Software:

· Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.X or 7.X, Netscape Navigator 7.X, Firefox 2.X or 3.X, or Safari 3.1 or greater

· Flash Player 7.x or Better

· Internet Service Provider Account

Operating System:

· Windows Vista, XP with Sp 2 or 3

· Computer with 300 megahertz (MHZ) processor clock (1 GHz or better recommended) OR Macintosh OS X 10.4.11 or greater or 10.5.X

· Power PC G3, G4 or G5 processor (500 MHz or better recommended)

Javascript and Cookies must be enabled

AOL Users –It is recommended that AOL Users use a standard version of Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer through the AOL ISP connection, rather than using the AOL browser.

MacIntosh Users – The Program may be taken online using a MacIntosh computer.

Support: Support is provided for one year during the initial enrollment period unless additional extensions are purchased in three-month increments.

Student Support – Career Step provides and includes student support via email and toll free phone.

Technical Support – Career Step provides and includes student technical (computer related) support via email and toll free phone.

Final Examination: The Career Step final examination is an independent evaluation administered to the student by Career Step upon completion of the program materials on the Clinton Community College Program Site. The final exam site is a separate site maintained and operated by Career Step and is not part of the Clinton Community College Program Site. All students must complete and pass the final examination in order to receive a Career Step certification of graduation from the Medical Coding and Billing Program. The Career Step final exam is divided into two portions, objective and screening. In order to receive a graduation certificate, the objective portion must be passed with an 85% or better. Students who pass the final examination will be awarded graduation certification, graduation with honors or graduation with high honors based on their score. The screening portion of the exam is used to assist students in assessing their practical coding skills and provides feedback in relationship to their practical coding skills, as well as suggestions for continuing development. The exam may be taken up to three times.

Certificates will be issued by Career Step in accordance with the following achievement levels:

· Certificate of Participation, upon three failures of the final exam

· Certificate of Graduation, 85 to 89.99%

· Certificate of Graduation with Honors, 90 to 94.99%

· Certificate of Graduation with High Honors, 95 to 100%

All qualified students will be awarded a Career Step certificate.

Graduate Support Package:

· Personal Employment Consultations – Opportunities to visit with a placement counselor to develop career plans.

· Employment Opportunities Guide – Medical Coding companies in your area and across the U.S.

· Evaluation of resume or sales letter

· Referral Letter – A letter to accompany a resume to introduce Career Step to a potential employer.

· 1 Year Help Hotline after graduation – Toll Free assistance when you can’t get help from your employer. This service is NOT a mentoring program and does not replace the specific support and direction generally provided by an employer. It does provide a supplemental alternative to the employer when help is not available from the employer or in cases where confusion or misunderstandings occur. Subject to the ongoing operation of Career Step as a school offering medical coding and billing.

OPTIONAL ANNUAL UPDATE UPGRADE

This upgrade package is for students who have ordered and received access to a prior year’s version of the content and associated reference materials and would like to upgrade to the current year’s content and associated reference materials for ICD-9-CM, Medical Procedural Coding, and Skills Testing. This package includes the current version of the following:

Online Access to current version of instruction materials:

· Diagnostic Coding with ICD-9-CM

· Medical Procedural Coding

· Skills Testing

· Final Examination

Reference Books:

· HCPCS Level II Coding Expert (Professional Edition may be substituted at the discretion of Career Step)

· ICD-9-CM Coding Expert for Hospitals Volumes 1-3 (Professional Edition may be substituted at the

· discretion of Career Step)

· CPT Coding Professional (Standard Edition may be substituted at the discretion of Career Step)

· Ingenix 90-day trial Encoder Pro Expert coding software**

**Subject to change based upon current supplier. This inclusion may be discontinued at any time.

Extensions: Students have 1 year to complete the course. A student may extend his/her Career Step enrollment in four -month increments beyond the initial 1-year enrollment period. There is currently no limit to the number of extensions, provided that they are paid for consecutively from the time of the expiration of their initial 1-year enrollment period. This policy is subject to change.

Refunds: There is a 14 day refund period. During the 14-day period, the course is refundable minus a $35.00 administrative fee and any shipping and handling expenses incurred by Clinton Community College. All shipped materials must be returned in good condition for full credit. After the 14 day period there is no refund.

THE PROGRAM – OUTPATIENT MEDICAL CODING AND BILLING

Online Curriculum Content:

· Introduction & Program Orientation

· Technology & The Medical Professional

· Learning & Mastering Medical Terminology – Block 1

· Documentation, Confidentiality & Ethics

· Learning & Mastering Medical Terminology – Block 2

· Evolution of Coding in the Healthcare Environment

· Learning & Mastering Medical Terminology – Block 3

· Healthcare Structure & Organization

· Anatomy, Pathophysiology & Disease Processes – Block 1

· Exploring Pharmacology

· Anatomy, Pathophysiology & Disease Processes – Block 2

· Medical Record Content

· Diagnostic Coding with ICD-9-CM – Block 1

· Diagnostic Coding with ICD-9-CM – Block 2

· Exploring Healthcare Reimbursement

· Medical Procedural Coding, Block 1

· Medical Procedural Coding, Block 2

· Skill Building for Outpatient Coding

· Final Exam Overview & Preparation

Online Program Features:

· Student access control requiring individual sign-on and password for each student – each student may only access his/her own record

· Administrative/Instructor access control allowing access to only Clinton Community College student records

· Automatic Grading for exercises and tests

· Career Step Student Forum access for access to Program related questions and answers

· Career Step Chat room access for participation in Career Step scheduled chat sessions and organized chats

· Frequently Asked Questions for answers to common questions

· Automated help function to direct questions to the appropriate support person

· Integrated Program Structure that divides the text into manageable divisions

Contact the Continuing Education Department at 562-4143 to register!