Diplomas

Medical Billing & Coding Diploma Programs

Medical billing and coding diploma programs are one of the shorter, less demanding training programs for medical billing and coding specialists. A medical billing and coding diploma will provide you with the essential skills to join the medical billing and coding job market and perform the essential job duties of medical billing and coding.

Career and community colleges typically offer medical billing and coding diploma programs. They can usually be completed in nine months to a year.

Medical Billing and Coding Diploma Curriculum

Unlike some degree programs, diploma programs do not focus heavily on general education courses. These programs are designed to quickly train students to qualify for entry-level work as medical billers and coders. They focus primarily on typography, medical knowledge, and other core courses. Unlike certificate programs, medical billing and coding diploma programs do not usually require prior college experience.

Most medical billing and coding diploma programs cover subjects such as:

  • Healthcare Procedures
  • Medical Terminology
  • Medical Coding
  • Medical Reimbursement
  • Computer Applications
  • Clinical Simulations

The total number of credits in the online medical billing and coding diploma program National American University offers is 60. You’ll enroll in key core classes as well as general education courses. This online medical billing and coding diploma program covers the areas such as Medical Terminology for Health Professions, Human Pharmacology, Medical Law and Ethics, Medical Records Management, Introduction to Pathophysiology, Healthcare Coding and Billing I, Healthcare Coding and Billing II, Medical Billing & Coding Capstone, Medical Billing & Coding Practicum. 

Herzing university‘s online medical billing and coding diploma program offer subjects such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, insurance claims, processing and adjudication, and the healthcare revenue cycle. Coding courses cover CPT, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and HCPCS codes.

Specific courses vary from school to school.

Diploma Program Requirements

A high school diploma or a GED is normally required to enroll in a medical billing and coding diploma program.

Although not a requirement, some of the high school courses that will help you to succeed in this program include:

  • Accounting
  • Biology
  • Physiology
  • Health
  • Computers

Choosing the Right Medical Billing and Coding Diploma Program

The most critical step in finding the right diploma program is making sure the program is accredited.

Accreditation is a credential awarded to schools by regulating agencies that help ensure educational excellence. To keep their accreditation, schools must prove that they adhere to a certain level of quality. They must, for instance, teach classes that meet basic industry standards. If you enroll in an accredited diploma program, you can be confident you will get the education you need to enter the field.

Another good reason to attend an accredited school is to obtain voluntary certification after graduation.

The three most trusted accreditations come from:

FAQ On Medical billing and coding diplomas

  • Which medical billing and coding certification is the best?

Professional Coder (CPC) (CPC)

For people interested in working in an outpatient setting, such as a physician’s office or an outpatient clinic, the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification may be a good fit. In the realm of medical coding, the CPC test is the most prominent medical coding certification exam.

  • Is it possible to learn medical billing and coding on your own?

Certainly not. Self-taught medical coding is more accessible for people currently employed in the healthcare industry and has a solid understanding of medical language and insurance concepts. It would be challenging for someone with no experience in healthcare or medical coding to do so.

  • Is there any mathematics involved in medical billing and coding?

Medical billers handle bills and notify insurance companies of pending charges for a patient’s services using math. They need to figure out how much insurance companies are willing to pay to cover a patient’s medical expenses. They spend the healthcare provider if the insurance claim is approved.

  • Do medical coders have a memorized list of codes?

The ICD-10 codes that become most familiar to medical coders will be memorized. Medical coders who understand how they are memorized can easily access or locate the others.

Medical Billing and Coding Diploma Programs Enrolling Now

Welcome to the in-demand field of medical billing and coding. You have made a good and secure career choice. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists this field as one of the fastest growing occupations. To enter this field, however, you need extensive training in a wide range of subjects. The good news is that you can receive this training in as little as nine month by completing a medical billing and coding diploma program.

What is Medical Billing and Coding?

Do you ever notice those little codes on your medical bills? Medical coders entered them into a database so that the doctor, or the hospital, could bill you correctly.

But doctors and hospitals aren’t the only ones who use these codes. Insurance companies use them to reimburse medical facilities, government bodies use them for data collection purposes, and health organizations use them to calculate statistics of illness and disease.

Because so many different agencies use these codes—the same coding system regardless of the agency—they must be entered correctly.

How Do I Start?

Because a medical coder’s job is so detailed and complex, you will need to obtain formal training in this field. One of the quickest, most direct routes, to this training is through a medical billing and coding diploma program. Career and community colleges offer such programs, which you can usually complete in nine months to one year.

Medical Billing and Coding Diploma Programs

But don’t let the short time of completion for these programs fool you into thinking that their training is sub-standard. Rather, medical billing and coding diploma courses are designed to quickly train you for a medical coding job. To that end, all of your courses will cover that which you will likely need to know to correctly perform your new job. There are usually no general education requirements in a medical billing and coding diploma program.

What Do I Need to Apply?

You will need either a high school diploma or a GED to enroll in a medical billing and coding diploma program.

Although not a requirement, some of the high school courses that will help you to succeed in this program include:

  • Accounting
  • Biology
  • Physiology
  • Health
  • Computers

How Do I Choose the Right Schools?

The most important step in finding the right medical billing and coding diploma degree program is that you make sure that the program is accredited.

To keep their accreditation, schools have to prove that they adhere to a certain amount of educational excellence. They must, for instance, teach quality classes that meet industry standards. If you enroll in an accredited school, you can be sure that you will get the quality education that you will need to succeed in the medical coding field.

Another good reason to attend an accredited school is so that you can obtain certification. To become certified in this field, you must have graduated from an accredited medical billing and coding program. But not any accreditation will suffice.

For you to become certified, you must have graduated from a medical billing and coding program that has been accredited by at least one of these three agencies:

American Academy of Professional Coders
American Health Information Management Association
Regional Accreditation Agencies

What Courses Will I Take?

As a medical coder, you will need to know a wide variety of subjects from physiology to accounting. Your courses in medical billing and coding, therefore, will include:

  • Anatomy
  • Office Administration
  • Computers
  • Accounting
  • Medical Terminology
  • Insurance Claims Procedures
  • Medical Coding