Now Offering Weekend Medical Administrative Billing & Coding classes Starting March 24, 2012. Saturdays From 9:00AM-5:30PM For 20 Weeks. Call Us for Details.

Contra Costa Medical Career College’s Medical Administrative Assistant/Billing and Coding Specialist course thoroughly prepares students for the administrative skills medical administrative assistants/ Billing and Coding Specialists need to know. This program integrates all of the front office topics and skill competencies required for today’s industry standards. This program also covers material dealing with medical office, medical records, management skills, client service skills and responsibilities, client education and legal/ethical issues. Administrative duties include scheduling and receiving patients, preparing and maintaining medical records, performing basic secretarial skills and medical transcription, handling telephone calls and writing correspondence, serving as a liaison between the physician and other individuals, and managing practice finances. This course will cover the usage and management of health information and the electronic health record (EHR). This course will also introduce duties that thoroughly prepare students to code patients’ medical records correctly and optimize reimbursement for a full range of medical services. Students are introduced to several techniques for finding and applying the correct codes in today’s standard coding systems. Topics covered include: current procedural terminology, international classification of diseases, clinical modification, healthcare procedure coding system, resource-based relative value scale, insurance form preparation, Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Workers’ Compensation, No Fault, HMO’s, diagnosis-related groups, peer review organizations, and ambulatory patient groups.

Upon completion of this single course you will receive a certificate of completion in medical terminology as well as a certificate of completion from the Medical Administrative Assistant/Billing and Coding Specialist program. You will also qualify to sit for the National Certification exam through NHA (National Healthcareer Association) for both Certified Medical Administrative Assistant and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist. 

When Medical Administrative Assistant/Billing& Coding Specialist and Clinical Medical Assisting are taken in conjunction, there will be only one registration fee AND only one-160 hour externship will be required. Tuition for the second of the two courses taken will also be reduced by $200.00.   

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to

• Display Professionalism
• Apply Communication Skills
• Demonstrate Keyboarding Skills And Computer Awareness
• Perform Business Software Applications
• Work Within Computer Operating Environments
• Perform Administrative Duties
• Apply Legal, Ethical, And Confidentiality Concepts To Practice
• Manage The Office
• Provide Patient Instruction
• Manage Practice Finances
• Articulate the main roles and responsibilities of the Medical Office Assistant, including administrative, clinical and general.
• Identify different types of medical institutions and medical offices.
• Understand personal/professional, medical/legal and bio-ethical standards, and the importance of safeguarding confidentiality.
• Define acceptable office behavior, including proper telephone etiquette and the importance of patient sensitivity and confidentiality.
• Define medical malpractice, abandonment, fraud and abuse
• Be able to distinguish among the five drug schedules of controlled substances
• List procedures for scheduling and referring patients, and handling walk-in emergency patients
• Identify and discuss at least three important interpersonal skills
• Identify and become familiar with the various types of written correspondence in a medical office
• Create a block-style letter that conforms to all formatting requirements
• Discuss an insurance company claim process.
• Discuss the process for obtaining authorization for additional treatment by a healthcare specialist.
• Discuss the authorization process for a patient requesting an initial appointment with a health care specialist.
• Discuss the difference between the terms “primary diagnosis” and “principal diagnosis”.
• Identify and properly use special terms, marks, abbreviations, and symbols used in ICD-9-CM coding system.
• Explain the format of the CPT system.
• Discuss the qualifications for a “preventative medicine visit”.
• Define the following terms, phrase and abbreviations:
• Medical necessity
• Subjective, Objective Assessments
  • Plan
  • Operative report
  • OP notes
• Code diagnoses and procedures from source documents to complete insurance information on the CMS-1500 claim form. (Formerly HCFA-1500)
• State the four processing steps that must occur before a completed form can be mailed to the insurance company.
• Explain function of National Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
• List six categories of persons eligible for Medicare coverage.
• List and define seven types of insurance programs that are primary to Medicare.
• State the deadline for filing Medicare claims.
• List Medicaid federal guidelines.
• List services covered under the federal portion of Medicaid assistance.
• Explain how to verify a patient’s Medicaid eligibility.
• List Tricare eligibility categories; List six services that are not covered by Tricare.
• Demonstrate understanding of HIPAA Compliance, PHI, and Confidentiality
• List and define the levels of Tricare coverage.
• List the categories of workers covered by the federal compensation program.
• List and describe types of workers compensation available at state level.
• Describe the correct billing procedures for workers compensation cases.
• Describe how to set up a filing system for completed claim forms. 
• Define the terms and distinguish among: Express, Implied and Informed Consents
• Understand the financial terms and procedures involved in operating a medical office practice, including Income, Expense, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Cash and Accrual Accounting, Write-off Adjustments
• Define safety and infection control standards and procedures in a medical office
• Demonstrate awareness of HIPAA Compliance, Confidentiality Laws, PHI
• Create a personal Resume and Cover Letter incorporating the new medical office skills and concepts developed through this course

Type of degree conferred : Certificate

2012 Program Schedule - Certified Medical Administrative Assistant/Billing and Coding Specialist

Day Program Schedule 2012- Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM and Wednesdays from 9:00am-1:00pm for 10 weeks  

2012- Class begins Monday March 12th through Thursday May 17th   

2012- Class begins Monday May 21st through Thursday July 26th

2012- Class begins Monday July 30th through Thursday October 4th

2012- Class begins Monday October 8th through Thursday December 13th   

Evening Program Schedule 2012- Monday through Thursday from 6:00pm-10:00pm for 10 weeks

2012- Class begins Monday March 12^th through Thursday May 17^th   

2012- Class begins Monday May 21^st through Thursday July 26^th   

2012- Class begins Monday July 30^th through Thursday October 4^th   

2012- Class begins Monday October 8^th through Thursday December 13^th   

Weekend Program Schedule 2012- Saturday's from 9:00AM to 5:30PM for 20 weeks  

2012- Class begins Saturday March 24th through Saturday August 4th, 2012

2012- Class begins Satuurday August 11th through Saturday December 29th, 2012   

There is a 160 hour externship following successful completion of the didactic portion of the course. Hours to be arranged.