• Medical Training Institute of New York
paper in the table with ballpen and stethoscope

Medical Billing and Coding

Course Overview

The Medical Billing and Coding Program at Medical Training Institute of New York is designed to prepare students for careers in a variety of healthcare settings, including medical offices, hospitals, clinics, and skilled-care facilities. The curriculum is structured to include didactic instruction in several areas, including, but not limited to, billing practices and systems, coding and reimbursement systems, data abstracting, health record maintenance, and healthcare computer applications. The final portion of curriculum includes a supervised clinical externship at a medical facility.

This program introduces the student to the medical coding and billing health insurance and reimbursement processes. In this course, the student will become familiar with the health insurance industry, legal and regulatory issues, ethical issues, and differences in reimbursement methodologies. Demonstrate the ability to use the three major coding manuals, CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II. The student will learn principles of medical billing related to proper claim form preparation, submission and payment processing, and the follow-up process. This program is recommended for anyone who is preparing for a career in a medical billing or coding department at a physician’s office, hospital, clinic, or other healthcare environments, regulatory or insurance agencies.

WHAT DO A MEDICAL BILLER AND CODER DO?

Medical Billers and Coders are responsible for processing patient data including medical records and related insurance. In this position, you will code a patient’s diagnosis and then request payment from the patient’s insurance company. You will play an important role in ensuring that healthcare providers are quickly and accurately paid for the treatment they give patients.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MEDICAL BILLING AND A MEDICAL CODING?

Yes. Medical coders translate patient care into current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that the medical services provided are accurately coded. Medical billers are responsible for creating a claim based on the codes a medical coder provides. Many professionals in this area do both medical billing and medical coding.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING CAREER?

Entry-level positions typically require completion of a certificate and passing one of the certification exams or an associate degree program in medical billing and coding. Additionally, medical billing and coding professionals must understand the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Program Summary

Competency-Based Instruction

Competency-based instruction focuses on the mastery of skills that will be used as part of a professional coding practice.

Competency-Based Instruction will:

  • Focus on student learning and performance rather than on instruction, teaching techniques, textbooks, and instructor activity.
  • Emphasize student mastery of skills, habits, and attitudes that represent actual job requirements and situations.
  • Give students opportunities to problem-solve and apply information and skills.
  • Require students to demonstrate knowledge and skills in ways that are observable to both themselves and instructors.
  • Shift the focus of the traditional classroom from teacher performance to student performance, from teaching to learning, from instructors presenting to students presenting, and from instructors teaching to instructors guiding students as they teach themselves.
  • Present program content that is based on actual workplace application of the material being covered. This requires an integrated education structure in which all material, theory, ethics, practical application, and so forth are interrelated instead of taught as separate ideas.
  • Require the active involvement of students in the learning process instead of only passive

Competency-Based Lessons:

  • Are built on actual career expectations and applications.
  • Include performance activities as early in the program as possible.
  • Require students to think and perform like actual coding professionals.
  • Provide students with opportunities to create, problem-solve, and develop solutions.
  • Teach students how to monitor and evaluate their own performance instead of relying only on instructor evaluations.
  • Provide an opportunity for students to be active participants during classroom time.
  • Minimize instructor lectures and maximize student study groups, small-group work in the classroom, individual or group presentations, and projects.
  • Emphasize hands-on practical application of the material.

Competencies for the Professional Practice of Medical Billing and Coding

In general, the competencies required for a successful practice of medical coding fall into four areas:

  • Service coding with CPT and HCPCS
  • Diagnosis coding with ICD-10-CM
  • Reimbursement issues
  • Application of terminology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology skills Service coding involves the facts, concepts, and theories presented in the textbook about the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) and application of the service codes and modifiers.

Diagnosis coding uses the ICD-10-CM to report the diagnosis for which the patient received services.

Admission Requirement: GED/High School Diploma

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Role of an Insurance Billing Specialist
  • Privacy, Security, and HIPAA
  • Compliance, Fraud, and Abuse
  • Basics of Health Insurance
  • The Blue Plans, Private Insurance, and Managed Care Plans
  • Medicare
  • Medicaid and Other State Programs
  • TRICARE and Veterans' Health Care
  • Workers' Compensation
  • Disability Income Insurance and Disability Benefit Programs
  • Medical Documentation and the Electronic Health Record
  • Diagnostic Coding
  • Procedural Coding
  • The Paper Claim CMS-1500
  • The Electronic Claim
  • Receiving Payments and Insurance Problem Solving
  • Collection Strategies
  • Ambulatory Surgery Center
  • Hospital Outpatient and Inpatient Billing
  • Medical Billing & Coding Externship
  • Job Placement Assistant
  • Seeking a Job and Attaining Professional Advancement

WHO WILL BENEFIT

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Those Considering Coding and Auditing

Medical Billing and Coding is a great career choice for anyone who wants to be in a non-patient-facing position within the healthcare industry. It also offers the benefits of working from home and having a very flexible schedule

Medical Billing and Coding specialist can work in various settings including hospitals. outpatient clinics, urgent care facilities, nursing homes, treatment centers, physician offices, and insurance companies. There are also multiple outsourcing agencies that employ coders to work remotely for a variety of clients.

doctor

Aspiring Medical Professionals

Working as a Coder gives many of us our first taste of working in the medical field. You might gain inspiration to continue that career path and get a more in-depth understanding of the medical world. It's okay to share this desire with your interviewer. It shows your dedication to the field and a willingness to learn

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Job Stability

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical billing and coding specialists earn an average annual salary of $40,350 and work in one of the fastest-growing professions The Bureau of Labor Statistics also estimates that at least 27,000 new jobs will be needed in this profession by 2026

Total Program Cost

Program Medical Billing and Coding
Hours 600
Registration Fee $100
Tuition $2,500
Technology Fees $300
Clinical & Lab Fee $400
Total Program Cost $3,300

Fees:

Registration Fee

A non-refundable Registration Fee of $100 was due during registration to reserve a seat.

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Clinical/Lab Fee

Clinical/Lab Fee is used to cover the cost of Liability insurance policy and student lab operations and to provide students with Liability Insurance at clinical rotation internship sites.

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Technology Fees:

Technology Fee provides students with Online Learning Resources, the learning management system, and the student portal.

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Books:

Students are required to purchase all textbooks on their own. Textbook costs are estimated at $700.00. Required books can be purchased from the school bookstore or online at portal.mtiofnewyork.com/stores

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Uniform

Students are required to purchase MTI logo scrubs on their own. MTI logo scrubs can be purchased from the school bookstore or online at portal.mtiofnewyork.com/stores.

health workers uniform

Tuition:

Medical Billing & Coding is $907 for each of the program's three (3) quarters, and a total of $3,300 for the entire program, with tuition payments due as follows:

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Quarter Cost Per Quarter
Prior to Quarter 1 & 2 $2,200
Prior to Quarter 3 & 4 $1,100

Schedule of Sessions

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Morning Classes

The Morning program will be 5 hours per day, Monday-Wednesday.

16-25 hours per week for approximately 24-38 weeks.

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Evening Classes

The Evening program will be 4 hours per day,

5 days per week, for approximately 30 weeks.

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Weekend Classes

The Weekend program will be 8 hours per day, Saturdays and Sundays,

16 hours per week for approximately 38 weeks.

Frequently asked questions about Medical Billers

What is the difference between a Medical Biller and a Medical Coder?
Medical Billers work directly with patients and insurers to communicate about the status of invoices and account balances, while Medical Coders primarily work with the records themselves, entering data and classifying treatments based on their insurance classifications. After a patient undergoes medical treatment, the Medical Coder reviews their records and assigns codes to designate the correct billing information for their insurer. Medical Billers then use those codes to file the insurance claim and communicates with patients about the process. Medical Billers also follow up to collect payment and explain details about a patient’s deducible, premium and payment plan.
What are the qualities of a good Medical Biller?
Medical Billers are both administrative professionals and customer service providers, so they should have a combination of sharp clerical skills and friendly interpersonal habits. Medical Billers need to have enough interest in the medical field to memorize the meaning of different codes and notice any errors in the system. Good Medical Billers are active listeners who can respond appropriately to any questions from either patients or insurance professionals. They are patient enough to navigate the bureaucracy of complex insurance claims and to follow up with patients about their accounts. They enjoy solving problems through research and investigation.
What are the daily duties of a Medical Biller?
Medical Billers spend most of their time performing data entry on the computer or speaking on the phone to insurers and patients. They tend to work during typical business hours and may begin the day by preparing invoices for the previous day’s treatments and procedures. Medical Billers send invoices via mail or email before reaching out to patients over the phone about their bill. Based on medical codes in patient files, they submit claims to insurers and track their status. Medical Billers can appeal claim denials and work out payment plans with the medical office on behalf of the patient.
Who does a Medical Biller report to?
Medical Billers can report to a Billing Supervisor that oversees the entire billing processes of a medical office and sets standards and expectations for billing procedures. In smaller offices, Medical Billers might have more responsibility and report to an Office Administrator with updates about the status of collections. Private practices may have Medical Billers communicate directly with the lead Physicians to work out how billing impacts the clinic’s budget.