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What does a medical coder do?

Medical coders help translate and transcribe important health documents for record-keeping. A large portion of their job is managing and protecting patient data, as well as ensuring that healthcare providers are paid for their services.

Where do medical coders work?

Medical coders work in many types of health care facilities such as, doctor's offices, surgery centers, hospitals and health care systems.

Why is certification important to becoming a medical coder?

Becoming certified shows your that you have obtain the proper training and skillset needed to be a medical coder.

What is the job outlook for a medical coder?

According to the BLS, the job outlook for a medical coder is expected to grow by 8% (faster than average) between 2022 and 2032, with 194,300 job opening annually.

Medical coding is the process of identifying diagnoses, medical tests, treatments, and procedures found in clinical documentation and then copying this patient data into standardized codes to bill insurance payers for physician reimbursement.

The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) course a step to obtain your coding certification—This certification is known as the gold standard for physician-based medical coding. By passing the CPC exam and earning the right to append the CPC to your name, you will become a healthcare professional recognized for professional-fee medical coding.

This course integrates all elements of the coding process, including:    

• Foundational knowledge of Medical Terminology and Anatomy
• Comprehensive overview of ICD-10 coding applications with instruction on proper application of codes    
• Comprehensive overview of CPT coding applications with instruction on proper application of codes    
• Comprehensive introduction to HCPCS coding
• Introduction to operative reports

Below are the topics that will assist you in earning your medical coder certification.

Module 1. Business of Medicine

• Medical Insurance
• Legal and Ethical Issues
• Medical Records

Module 2. Medical Terminology

• Introduction to Medical Terminology
  
• Dividing and Combining Medical Terms
  
• Abbreviations, Symbols and Special Terms
  

Module 3. Anatomy Review

• Anatomy: Landmarks and Divisions
• Cell and Tissue Anatomy and Pathology

Module 4. Introduction to ICD-10-CM and its Guidelines

• Introduction to ICD-10-CM and Coding for Infections
• ICD-10-CM Coding from Blood to Metabolic Diseases
• ICD-10-CM Coding from Mental Disorders to the Circulatory System
• ICD-10-CM Coding from Digestive to Musculoskeletal
• ICD-10-CM Coding from Genitourinary System to Complications of Pregnancy
• ICD-10-CM Coding from Symptoms to Abnormal Findings
• ICD-10-CM Coding from Morbidity to Health Factors

Module 5. Intro to CPT, Surgery Guidelines, HCPCS Level II, and Modifiers

• Surgical Coding, Part 1
• Surgical Coding, Part 2
• Radiology, Pathology, Anesthesia and Medicine
• Integrating Diagnostic and Procedural Codes
• The Basics of HCPCS Coding

Module 6. Intro to Surgery, Global Period, How to read an Operative report

• Evaluation and Management Coding, Part I
• Evaluation and Management Coding, Part II
• Evaluation and Management Coding, Part III

Module 7. Integumentary System

• Elements of the integumentary system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Integumentary

Module 8. Musculoskeletal System

• Elements of the Musculoskeletal system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Musculoskeletal system

Module 9. Respiratory, Hemic and Lymphatic Systems; Mediastinum and Diaphragm

• Elements of the integumentary system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Respiratory, Hemic and Lymphatic Systems

Module 10. Cardiovascular

• Elements of the Cardiovascular system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Cardiovascular

Module 11. Digestive System

• Elements of the digestive system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Digestive

Module 12. Eye and Ear Surgery Systems    

• Elements of the Ear and Eye system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Ear and Eye

Module 13. Endocrine and Nervous

• Elements of the Endocrine and Nervous system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Endocrine and Nervous

Module 14. Urinary and Male GU System

• Elements of the Urinary and Male GU System
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Urinary and Male GU System

Module 15. Female GU System and Maternity

• Elements of the Female GU System and Maternity
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Female GU System and Maternity

Module 16. Radiology

• Elements of the Radiology
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Radiology

Module 17. Anesthesia    

• Elements of the Anesthesia        
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Anesthesia

Module 18. Pathology and Laboratory

• Elements of the Pathology and Laboratory system
• Metabolic functions
• CPT Codes Pathology and Laboratory

Download Course Outline (PDF)

It’s important you know anatomy and medical terminology to be a successful certified medical coder. To ensure your success, Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology fundamentals courses can be purchased for a nominal cost in addition to course tuition. These courses are online and self-paced.

This course includes an electronic exam voucher for AAPC's Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) certification exam. This voucher also includes a retake option for those who do not pass the exam on their first attempt.

The AAPC CPC exam will be administered electronically. Students will have the choice of either taking their exam at home with a live remote proctor (LRP) or at a Meazure Learning-approved testing center.

AAPC voucher and membership are issued within one week of confirming successful course completion. Students will schedule and take the CPC exam on their schedule via their AAPC member account. Contact your Student Success Manager via email at tmunroe AT_TOWSON if you have further questions about the AAPC voucher or the exam process.

Instructor-led: Adrienne Blackstone is a dedicated, insightful, and results-driven healthcare professional with 20+ years of experience in healthcare administration and revenue cycle management. She is skilled in problem-solving, practice management, compliance, medical coding education, and developing and implementing medical billing processes in both private practices and academic practices. 

Self-paced: Susan Gochoco, CPC, CCVTC, CCP, CEMC, CPC-I, provides up to six hours of coaching time for students enrolled in the self-paced option of this course. Susan has worked in healthcare for over 30 years. She first earned a core coding credential and went on to earn several specialty credentials, including the certified professional biller certification most recently. In 2003, Susan began teaching coding and billing and has worked as an adjunct instructor at Towson University for over seven years. She enjoys teaching and is happy to share her extensive knowledge of healthcare with others. Susan is currently employed as a senior coder in the University of Maryland Medical System Department of Surgery.

Hardware Requirements

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• Webcams are strongly recommended.

Software Requirements

• PC: Windows XP or later.
• Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word (not included in enrollment).
• Windows Media Player.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the .
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.