OEC in Medical Office Coding

Overview
What will I learn?
What classes will I take?
What can I do with this degree?

Medical office coders take medical reports from doctors, which may include a patient's condition, the doctor's diagnosis, a prescription, and whatever procedures the doctor or healthcare provider performed on the patient, and turn that into a set of codes, which make up a crucial part of the medical claim.

They work in outpatient settings or medical offices coding medical records for statistical and reimbursement purposes.

This Occupational Endorsement Certificate program prepares student for careers as professional medical coders. In addition, it prepares students to become certified medical coders by the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC).

Click each question above to explore the program more.

This program has been defined as a gainful employment program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Proficiency in the performance of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)
Proficiency in the performance of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)
Proficiency in the performance of International Classification of Diseases. Students are learning both the ICD-9CM and ICD-10 code set.

Why Choose this Program?

Fully Online (eLearning) Program: This allows for individuals who may not be near a traditional college to pursue an education in Medical Coding. It allows for flexibility.
Experienced Faculty: The majority of the faculty, 75%, for this program currently work in the field. This allows for great real-world perspectives on the job and the workforce.
Credential Preparation: An additional study course is available for students in preparation for the CPC examination.
Cutting Edge Technology: This program is one of the few that offers the best technology for science lab work.

For more information contact Kodiak College Student Services at (907) 486-1266 or studentservices@kodiak.alaska.edu or make an appointment with a UAA College of Health academic advisor by calling (907) 786-1318.

The program is an eLearning program (distance delivered). This means that all lectures and coursework is delivered fully online. This program through Kodiak College offers state-of-the-art learning labs, which allow students to interact and complete "live" biology lab activities from the student's personal computer.

The program is 18 months long (three semesters) consisting of 17 semester credits. There are 4 core classes (11 credits) with at least 6 elective credits to include either Human Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, or Billing and Insurance for the Medical Office.

Apply for Admission to the OEC in Medical Office Coding at UAA

Courses are offered at multiple times of year for your convenience. All listed courses are online. You must complete MA101: Medical Terminology as a pre-requisite to many of the courses. It should be one of the first courses that you choose. The courses that require this pre-requisite will have an * next to them

R = required, E= recommended elective

Sequence of courses in the program are as follows:

Summer Semester

MA A101: Medical Terminology (Kodiak College): Credits 3.0 - R
BIOL A100: Human Biology (UAA): Credits 3.0 - R
*MA A320: Advanced Cases in Medical Coding (UAA): Credits 2.0 (requires MA101 and MA220) - R

Fall Semester

MA A101: Medical Terminology (Kodiak College): Credits 3.0 - R
*MA A104: Essentials of Human Disease (UAA): Credits 3.0 - R
*MA A220: Coding for the Medical Office (Kodiak College): Credits 3.0 - R
CIS A105: Intro. To Personal Computers and Application Software: Credits 3.0 - E

Spring Semester

MA A101: Medical Terminology (Kodiak College): Credits 3.0 - R
*MA A104: Essentials in Human Diseases (Kodiak College): Credits 3.0 - R
*MA A220: Coding for the Medical Office (UAA): Credits 3.0 - R
*MA A320: Advanced Cases in Medical Coding (Kodiak College): Credits 2.0 - R
*MA A235: Medical Insurance and Healthcare Documentation (UAA): Credits 3.0 - E

What Can I do with this Degree?

As a Medical Coder, you will be integral in the medical billing process. While working in a physician's office, hospital outpatient facility or ambulatory surgical center, you will take the information from the documentation to assign the appropriate codes and create a claim to be paid. You will be using clinical classification systems of International Classification of Disease (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). You will ensure there is quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security in both paper and electronic systems.

Further Education

You are also able to build upon your CPC certification into more specialized areas such as:

Certified Outpatient Coding (COC): This credential will demonstrate proficiency in coding and billing in an outpatient facility such as hospital outpatient billing and coding departments or ambulatory surgical centers.
Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC): This credential will demonstrate proficiency in coding and billing exclusively to inpatient hospitals/facilities.
CPC-P: This credential demonstrates proficiency in billing and coding in a payer environment (health plans, Medicare, Medicaid) where medical claims are processed for payment.
Once experienced, there are several specialty credentials available to allow coders to validate their unique knowledge.
Certified Professional Biller (CPB): Expertise in submitting claims in accordance with government regulations and private payer policies, follow-up on claim statuses, resolve claim denials, submit appeals, post payments and adjustments, and manage collections.

Even if Medical Coding is not your ultimate educational goal, it can be a great stepping-stone to consider for those interested in:

Nursing
Case Managers
Accounting
Business Administration
Hospital Administration
Medical and Health Services Managers

Explore your health career:one-stop for learning more about the health industry

See more about Kodiak College's Allied Health program here!