Medical Coder/Biller - Certificate Program
Jobs in the growing field of medical coding and billing offer great potential for students interested in medicine and information technology, and Eastern Florida State College’s Medical Coder/Biller certificate program is one of the best places to get your training.
Eastern Florida’s one-year ATD program prepares you for entry-level jobs as a coder/biller in a variety of healthcare settings, including physicians’ offices, hospital and outpatient facilities, acute and ambulatory care centers, and insurance companies.
Medical coders and billers are vitally important to healthcare services, following universally recognized coding systems to transform verbal descriptions of disease, injury, and procedures into numerical designations. That’s critical information for the reimbursement of healthcare claims, medical statistics, and research.
The limited-access, three-semester medical coding and billing program is a unique full-time hybrid offering that combines online coursework with in-person classes on the Cocoa Campus two to three evenings a week.
Medical Coder/Biller ATD COURSE CURRICULUM
Medical Coder/Biller - Certificate Program
Program Overview
- Certificate Type
- Applied Technology Diploma (ATD)
- Delivery Method
- On-Campus, Hybrid
- Location
- Cocoa
- Total Credit Hours
- 37
- Academic Community
- Health Sciences
- Contact Information
-
Health Science Advising
Email Advising
321-433-7575
The curriculum prepares students to analyze medical records, assign codes to diagnoses and procedures, and organize records for patient billing, insurance claims, and account management. Other skills our graduates acquire include tabulating information for health surveys, research studies, and improved patient care. They know how to communicate with other healthcare workers to clarify diagnoses and obtain needed information.
Eastern Florida’s coursework, hands-on training, and internship experiences prepare graduates to take and pass three national certification tests: the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam, the Certified Professional Coder-Apprentice (CPA-A), and/or the Certified Outpatient Coder Apprentice (COC-A) exam.
Please note that potential students must complete five prerequisite support courses listed on the curriculum before applying for the medical coder/biller program. The support courses are offered at EFSC each semester.
Medical Coder/Biller ATD - Admissions Information
EFSC’s Medical Coder/Biller ATD is a limited-access program with a special selection and application process in addition to the general Eastern Florida admissions process. Core courses begin each Fall Term and the annual application deadline is May 15th. Follow the steps below to apply:
- Meet with a Health Sciences advisor to review program requirements and the selection process, which is guided by a selection point system. Discussing this with an advisor before you apply is very beneficial.
- Apply for Admission: Interested students must review and complete the customized Medical Coder/Biller Application Process. Completed application files are due by the annual deadline. Please Note: If the deadline has passed, contact a health sciences advisor to see if seats may be available for a late application.
- Review complete program information. Check out all the details on this page and look over common questions and answers about the program.
- If selected, complete Accepted Student Requirements. Students accepted in the program are required to complete and pass a background check, drug screening, and comply with immunization requirements.
Recommended Skills & Job Demands
2. As a student in our Medical Coder/Biller Program, and later as a professional working in the field, a number of tasks, skills and personal qualities will be vital to your success. If you're "cut out for the job", you'll need to:
⇒ Work on computers for a significant part of a workday
⇒ Work with detailed facts requiring a keen ability to concentrate
⇒ Follow rules and regulations
⇒ Protect patient confidentiality and privacy
Technical/Physical Skills Requirements
To satisfactorily complete the curriculum and to develop the skills required of an entry level health information professional, the student must demonstrate:
⇒ Visual Acuity (with or without corrective lenses): to read paper, microfilm, and
electronic documents.
⇒ Physical Ability: to process reports and records, to operate equipment necessary
for record keeping (for example, manually operated filing equipment, printers, microfilm
reader/printers, computer keyboard), and to move about in space limited by compacted
filing.
⇒ Manual Dexterity: to perform the fine motor functions necessary to document analysis
of records (for example, must use pens, pencils, and manage papers), and to operate
electronic equipment (for example, computers).
⇒ Hearing (with or without aids): to hear the spoken voice in order to be able to
respond verbally.
Brief Costs & Financial Aid Eligibility
Estimated expenses, including tuition, fees, books, and national certification test costs, total approximately $6,227, competitively priced compared to other medical information coder/biller schools and programs.
Financial assistance is available to support you throughout the program. You may qualify for financial aid and scholarships, including Titan Scholarships funded through the EFSC Foundation. Additionally, there are community-based external scholarships that you can explore to help cover the costs of your education.
College Courses You Will Take
In addition to the five prerequisite courses, you will take five core medical information focuses classes and take part in a capstone course that includes 240-hours of non-paid professional practice experience in the coding, billing and/or insurance departments of a healthcare facility. Practice arrangements are made by the Program Director.
Here are a few of course you will take:
Learn about Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) for a foundation using CPT coding conventions, rules, methodology, & sequencing, including assigning codes to case studies.
In this lecture/lab hybrid course, students learn about the use of official coding guidelines and compliance.
Learn common administrative procedures performed in both small & large medical practices for medical billing & use of electronic health records in medical documentation & patient management.
This capstone course provides students actual coding and/or billing experience in a healthcare setting, including a wide range of duties so students apply what they've learned in class.
Why train to be a Medical Coder/Biller at EFSC?
- Up-to-date course content through flexible online and hybrid courses
- Lectures and labs on the Cocoa Campus
- Computer labs for encoder software instruction and practice
- Highly experienced, nationally certified program faculty
- Membership in two national professional organizations: AAPC AND AHIMA
- A capstone, six-week internship course in a local healthcare setting
Preparation for Certification Exams
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to write the following certification examinations:
- Certified Coding Associate (CCA), which is offered by AHIMA and requires applicants to have a high school diploma. For more information, visit www.AHIMA.org
- Certified Outpatient Coder-Apprentice (COC-A), Certified Professional Biller (CPB), and Certified Professional Coder-Apprentice (CPC-A), all offered by the AAPC, which recommends that applicants have six months of experience in a health care setting applying ICD and CPT coding conventions and guidelines. For more information, visit www.aapc.com
Related Healthcare Programs
As you explore the Medical Coder/Biller program, consider these other options at Eastern Florida.