Online Medical Coding and Billing Curriculum and Classes

Our curriculum is developed specifically for the distance education learner by instructional designers who specialize in how to develop content for adults and well-qualified subject matter experts that include certified professional coders and a registered health information administrator to ensure quality content. The current subject matter expert has a Master's of Public Health Informatics. In addition, USCI works with a program advisory council of non-USCI employee who is a registered health information administrator and certified professional auditor working in the field to review content annually to ensure students receive content that is up-to-date, relevant and accurate.

The coursework trains students to:

Describe the roles, average day, personal qualities and desirable character traits of various healthcare professionals.

Employ legal and ethical standards related to patient confidentiality within the healthcare community environment.

Define terms showing a fundamental understanding of the human body and medical terminology as they apply to medical billing and coding.

Describe the characteristics of the types of healthcare insurance and explain the differences between them.

Apply industry-standard payment methodologies to complete forms for primary and secondary insurance and create medical bills for patients.

Classify and assign diagnostic and procedure codes to medical records using ICD-10-CM and CPT coding systems as used in a variety of settings.

Program Curriculum Breakdown

Your Online Medical Coding and Billing School Classes are broken down into 5 units.

Instruction Pack I: Introduction to Medical Coding and Billing

In Pack 1, students explore the roles of various healthcare professionals. Additionally, students discover the role medical records play in a coding and billing specialist’s job and gain a basic understanding of electronic records. They learn medical terminology using a unique word-building system to help them interpret new terms. After examining important ethical and legal issues that they may encounter, students build on their medical terminology knowledge within each body system.

Instruction Pack II: Medical Billing

Student begin Pack II by learning about the history and development of healthcare reimbursement. Students gain an overview of private insurance, managed care and government programs, as well as the details of military insurance and workers’ compensation. Students get extensive, hands-on practice completing the CMS-1500 form and interpreting explanations of benefits, as well as completing secondary claims. Students then explore how to deal with insurance basics, denials and aging. Finally, students learn to complete a claim using a cloud-based medical billing software.

Instruction Pack III: Diagnostic Coding

In Instruction Pack III, students will learn the basics of anatomy before diving into the specifics of the ICD-10-CM coding manual. Students examine the structure of the ICD-10-CM coding manual, as well as the guidelines and rules of ICD-10-CM coding. Additionally, students integrate diagnosis coding processes with physiology knowledge—from infections to mental disorders to pregnancy. Students also begin coding symptoms, ill-defined conditions, injuries and poisonings. Students use an ICD-10-CM coding manual to complete the course.

Instruction Pack IV: Procedure Coding and Code Integration

Students can apply their anatomy and diagnostic coding knowledge in Instruction Pack IV, which focuses on the CPT. Students gain an introduction to the HCPCS coding manual format and coding rules. Students learn about the sections within the CPT and integrating the diagnostic and procedure codes. Students use a CPT coding manual to complete the course.

Instruction Pack V: Evaluation and Management Services and Final Exam

Students learn how and when to use evaluation and management codes in their final pack. They complete a Final Exam, giving them an opportunity to apply outpatient coding skills.