Medical Coding Specialist Technical Diploma

Program Overview

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Medical Coding Specialist

Program Number:

Technical Diploma

Area of Study:

Health Sciences

Delivery Method:

100% Online

Estimated Time to Complete:

35 Credits | Finish diploma in 1.5 years

Financial Aid Available

Estimated Program Cost:

$6,552.56

Program Overview

Medical Coding Specialists translate written medical documentation, provided by physicians and other health care providers, into a numeric form. The Medical Coding Specialist assigns and sequences diagnostic and procedural codes using universally recognized coding systems, e.g., an anterolateral myocardial infarction (heart attack) is translated to I21.09.

Coded Information Serves Many Purposes

• Reimbursement - codes are printed on the claims submitted to insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Research - physicians can access medical records for research purposes based on coded information. For example, a physician may request to see the medical records for all patients who were treated for gastric (stomach) ulcers in the past two years. These records would be identified in a computer list of patients with diagnosis codes of K25.0-K25.9.
• Public Health - a government or public health agency may use coded diagnostic information to track the occurrence of certain diseases. For example, they may find an increased incidence of a certain type of cancer in a certain region of the country.
• Patient Care - a medical device manufacturer may issue a recall on a specific device, such as a pacemaker, and the records of such patients could be identified and retrieved based on the procedure code for pacemaker insertion.

Aptitudes and Interests

Possessing these aptitudes and interests may help you succeed in the Medical Coding Specialist program:

• Ability to be precise and detail-oriented
• Ability to adhere to standards and guidelines
• Passion for medical information
• Ability to communicate well with others
• Ability to accept challenges and problem-solve
• Respect for confidential information

Program Details

The Medical Coding Specialist Program is offered on a part-time basis only; it will take at least two years to complete the program. Classes are offered in the online format. A few classes require students to take proctored final exams on campus or by other arrangements.

Careers

The Medical Coding Specialist program will prepare you for entry-level coding specialist positions in health care facilities such as hospitals, managed care organizations, skilled nursing facilities, coding and billing services, physician practice groups, governmental agencies, home health agencies, computer software companies, clinics, consulting firms, insurance companies and veterinary hospitals.

Career Outlook and Salary

The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in the health information management field will grow faster than average (16% or more) through 2032.

The 2023 Madison College Graduate Employment Report (six months after graduation) indicates an average annual salary of $45,594 ($21.92/hour) for new graduates of the Medical Coding Specialist.

A 2023 national survey done by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) indicates the average annual wage for certified professional coders (CPC) is $58,895 ($28.31/hour) and for certified outpatient coders (COC) is $64,267 ($30.90/hour). Survey results for Wisconsin show the average annual wage for coding and billing professionals to be $60,204 ($28.94/hour).

A 2019 national survey done by the American Health Information Management Association indicates the average annual salary for a coding professional is $66,370 ($31.90/hour). It also showed those with mastery-level coding credentials (CCS and CCS-P) garnered higher average salaries than those with entry-level coding credential (CCA): CCS - $79,060; CCS-P - $77,790; CCA - $53,790.

As of June 2024, the website indicates the annual salary range for a medical coder in the Madison area is $41,791 - $69,715 ($20.09 - $33.52 per hour) with the median salary at $54,284 ($26.10/hour).

Certification Opportunities

There are several certification exams that can be taken to earn national coding credentials. The Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam demonstrates entry-level skills. The other certification exams demonstrate mastery level (experienced) skills. Many employers require certification. Certification may result in a salary increase and/or promotion.

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA):

• Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
• Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-Based (CCS-P)

American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC):

• Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
• Certified Outpatient Coder (COC)
• Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC)
• Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC)

Resources

• Program Handbook (pdf)
• Is Coding Hard? (pdf)

Curriculum and Experience

Pre-Program Courses

• Body Structure & Function (3 credits)
• Medical Terminology (3 credits)
• Microsoft Windows (1 credit)
• Digital Literacy for Healthcare (2 credits)

Core Program Courses

Cluster 1

• Foundations of HIM (3 credits)
• Human Disease for Health Professions (3 credits)
• ICD Diagnosis Coding (3 credits)

Cluster 2

• CPT Coding (3 credits)
• Healthcare Revenue Management (3 credits)
• Management of Coding Services (1 credit)
• ICD Procedure Coding (2 credits)

Cluster 3

• Intermediate Coding (3 credits)
• Advanced CPT Coding (3 credits)
• Certification & Professional Development (2 credits)

Admission

To Apply

Students need to complete the petition process to get into core-program classes for this program. Before submitting an application, it’s important to review the Petition Process webpage which also includes estimated wait times for each program.

• View the admission requirements for application deadlines, materials, and requirements
• There is currently 0-1 year between acceptance into pre-program and the start of core classes. The estimated time to enter the core program is subject to change based on the variable number of students ready to petition each semester.
• During the course of the program, you must demonstrate the ability to perform these essential functions safely, reliably and efficiently within the scope of practice. If you need accommodations to help you perform these functions, contact our Disability Resource Services office.
• Learn more about the Madison College experience and get help with the admissions process

After Acceptance

Once you have been accepted in a pre-program status, your next step is to complete the Petition Requirements. See the Petition information in the next section.

Additional Notes

Students are required to meet the current admission and petition requirements. Requirements are subject to change based on updates to accreditation requirements or Madison College program assessment data.

Questions?

Contact Enrollment Services at or 608.246.6210.

Petition

After Admission (Petition Requirements)

Run a Degree Progress Report to confirm which pre-program requirements are satisfied
ot satisfied and specific ways to satisfy requirements.

Complete the Petition Requirements for Medical Coding Specialist. Courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. A grade of C- will not be accepted.

• Mandatory workshop in Brightspace
• Prerequisites:
  • Algebra (testing, college coursework or bachelor’s degree in a related biological science)
  • English and Reading (testing, college coursework or bachelor's degree)
• Course Requirements: Must be completed in the last five years to satisfy program requirements
  • Body Structure and Function or General Anatomy and Physiology or Anatomy and Physiology 1&2
  • Medical Terminology
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Digital Literacy for Healthcare

Petitioning

This program petitions for entry into the following term:

• Fall - Petition window opens on April 1

Review the Petition Process for details on how and when to petition.

After Petitioning

If awarded a seat, you will receive instructions regarding the below required items. If you do not complete the required items, it may result in losing your seat and starting the application process from the beginning.

• Mandatory Orientation
• Enrollment in core program courses. Students who are awarded a seat are expected to start the core program courses for the awarded term. Students who choose not to begin the core program courses or are not able to begin core program courses may be discontinued from pre-program status.

Questions?

Contact Enrollment Services at or 608.246.6210.

Career Outcomes

After completing the Medical Coding Specialist program at Madison Area Technical College, you will be prepared to:

• Collect health data
• Apply coding and reimbursement systems
• Model professional behaviors and ethics
• Use electronic applications to support coding and data collection

Graduate Summary

Graduate Report Summary Overview Count Percents| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Number of Program Graduates| 22| 20| 23 Number of Surveys Sent| 22| 20| 23 Number of Surveys Returned| 16| 17| 15 Percent of Surveys Returned| | | Available for Employment| 16| 17| 14 Percent Available for Employment| 100.0%| 100.0%| 93.3% Not in Labor Market| | | Percent Not in Labor Market| 0.0%| 0.0%| 6.7% Available for Employment Count Percents| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Graduates Employed| 14| 13| 9 Percent of Graduates Employed| 87.5%| 76.5%| 64.3% Employed in Related Occupation| 7| 6| 5 Percent Employed in Related Occupation| 50.0%| 46.2%| 55.6% Employed in Unrelated Occupation| 7| 7| 4 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation| 50.0%| 53.8%| 44.4% Employed - No Response| 0| 0| 0 Percent Employed - No Response| 0.0%| 0.0%| 0.0% Seeking Employment| 2| 4| 5 Percent Seeking Employment| 12.5%| 23.5%| 35.7% Reaction To Training at Madison College Count Percents| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4)| 3.8| 3.4| 3.4 Number of Satisfaction Responses| 16| 16| 14 Very Satisfied (4)| 12| 9| 6 Percent Very Satisfied| 75.0%| 56.3%| 42.9% Satisfied (3)| 4| 5| 8 Percent Satisfied| 25.0%| 31.3%| 57.1% Unsatisfied (2)| 0| 1| 0 Percent Unsatisfied| 0.0%| 6.3%| 0.0% Very Unsatisfied (1)| | | Percent Very Unsatisfied| 0.0%| 6.3%| 0.0% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College Count Percents| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Number of Primary Reason Responses| 16| 17| 15 Preparation for Getting a Job| | | Percent Preparation for Getting a Job| | | Career Change| | | Percent Career Change| | | Improvement of Existing Skills| | | Percent Improvement of Existing Skills| | | Preparation for Further Education| | | Percent Preparation for Further Education| | | Personal Interest| | | Percent Personal Interest| | | Other| | | Percent Other| 0.0%| 0.0%| 0.0% When Employment was Obtained Count Percents| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Number of When Employment Obtained Responses| 14| 13| 9 Before Enrollment| 8| 5| 0 Percent Before Enrollment| 57.1%| 38.5%| 0.0% While Attending the College| 0| 2| 3 Percent While Attending the College| 0.0%| 15.4%| 33.3% After Training at the College| 6| 6| 6 Percent After Training at the College| 42.9%| 46.2%| 66.7% Location of Employment (related and unrelated) Count Percents| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Number of Employment Location Responses| 14| 13| 9 In College District| 9| 9| 7 Percent In College District| 64.3%| 69.2%| 77.8% In Wisconsin, Not in District| 5| 3| 1 Percent of In Wisconsin| 35.7%| 23.1%| 11.1% Outside of Wisconsin| 0| 0| 1 Percent Outside Wisconsin| 0.0%| 0.0%| 11.1% Employer Location Unknown| 0| 1| 0 Percent Location Unknown| 0.0%| 7.7%| 0.0% Salary TrendSalary Trend| 2022| 2023| 2024 ---|---|---|--- Full Time Employment (Related Job)| Full Time Salary Count| 7| 6| 3 Average Monthly Wage| $3,838| $3,771| $4,020 Average Hourly Wage| $22.31| $21.92| $23.37 Average Work Hours per Week| 40.0| 40.0| 40.0 Part Time Employment (Related Job)| Part Time Salary Count| | | 2 Average Hourly Wage| | | $20.03 Average Work Hours per Week| | | 28.0

Graduate Employers

Graduate Employers for academic year: 2024Employer(s)| Job Title| City*| State**| Positions ---|---|---|---|--- Connections Counseling| Front Desk Receptionist| | | Mile Bluff Medical Center| Outpatient Coder| Mauston| | Turville Bay MRI Centers| Coder| | | Unity Point Health-Meriter| Patient Access Specialist| | | UW Medical Foundation| Medical Coder| Middleton| |

• • Only cities outside of Madison will display.

** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.

• If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• The Medical Coding Specialist program prepares individuals for entry-level coding specialist positions in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, managed care organizations, skilled nursing facilities, coding and billing services, physician practice groups, governmental agencies, home health agencies, computer software companies, clinics, consulting firms, insurance companies, and veterinary hospitals.
• The program emphasizes the translation of written medical documentation into numeric form using universally recognized coding systems.
• Coded information is used for reimbursement, research, public health, and patient care.
• The technical diploma can be completed in 1.5 years (35 credits) on a part-time basis.
• The program is offered online, with a few classes requiring proctored final exams on campus or by other arrangements.

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Outline:

• Cluster 1:
• Foundations of HIM (3 credits)
• Human Disease for Health Professions (3 credits)
• ICD Diagnosis Coding (3 credits)
• Cluster 2:
• CPT Coding (3 credits)
• Healthcare Revenue Management (3 credits)
• Management of Coding Services (1 credit)
• ICD Procedure Coding (2 credits)
• Cluster 3:
• Intermediate Coding (3 credits)
• Advanced CPT Coding (3 credits)

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Careers:

• The program prepares graduates for entry-level coding specialist positions in healthcare facilities.
• The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts steady growth in the health information management field (7% or more) through 2031.
• The 2023 Madison College Graduate Employment Report indicates an average annual salary of $46,405 ($22.31/hour) for new graduates.
• A 2023 national survey done by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) indicates the average annual wage for certified professional coders (CPC) is $58,895 ($28.31/hour) and for certified outpatient coders (COC) is $64,267 ($30.90/hour).
• A 2019 national survey done by the American Health Information Management Association indicates the average annual salary for a coding professional is $66,370 ($31.90/hour).
• As of June 2023, the website www.salary.com indicates the annual salary range for a medical coder in the Madison area is $41,119 - $68,612 ($19.77 - $32.99 per hour) with the median salary at $53,421 ($25.68/hour).
• Several certification exams can be taken to earn national coding credentials, which can lead to a salary increase and/or promotion.