West Virginia University, through a partnership with Gatlin Education Services, offers online career training services for adults who want to attain the skills needed for many in-demand professions such as Medical Billing and Coding.

Computer Requirements
The Medical Billing and Coding online course must be taken from an IBM Compatible (PC) computer running Windows 98 or any later version with a CD ROM drive.  Students need to have access to a word-processing program like Microsoft Word or Works.  Students must have internet access.  While the program will work from a dial-up connection, high-speed Internet access (like DSL or Cable) is recommended.  A Macintosh computer will not work for this course.

Materials
With this program, students will receive the following materials:

• A Guide to Health Insurance Billing
• Quick and Easy Medical Terminology
• Professional Review Guide for the CCA Examination
• Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary
• 2008 CPT-4
• 2008 ICD-9-CM
• Medical Abbreviations

Background
In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers.  Patient information must be entered into computer databases to comply with new Federal legislation requiring the use of electronic patient records.  Health care facilities are having difficulty attracting qualified workers, mostly because of the lack of both formal training programs and sufficient resources to provide on-the-job training for coders.  All of these factors have combined to create a huge potential job market for qualified medical records technicians.

Course Goal
This course will provide the student with the skill set and expertise for an entry-level position doing medical billing or coding in a medical office setting.  In addition, the course will prepare the student to sit for the CCA national certification exam.

Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the Medical Billing and Coding program, students will:

• Be proficient in skills such as medical terminology, communication, telephone techniques, organization and time management.
• Have knowledge of Medical Practice Settings and Specialties, as well as the differences in Traditional and Managed Care.  Students also learn about Commercial, HMO/PPO, Federal and State insurance plans, including eligibility and coverage, as well as reimbursement methodologies.
• Have knowledge of the legal and ethical responsibilities of an administrative medical specialist, including the HIPAA mandates, the rules for maintaining privacy of medical records and protected health information, and the types of consents and disclosures that are required in a medical office environment.
• Be able to perform tasks associated with the entire Accounts Receivable and Revenue cycle, including registration of patients, posting of accounting transactions, completion of insurance claim forms, and collections.
• Be able to perform the day-to-day tasks associated with medical coding, medical billing and completing insurance forms.
• Be prepared to take an Advanced Coding course to prepare for more advanced national certifications.

Course Structure and Schedule
This is a non-credit course offered for 240 hours.  The student can register at any time during the year.  Cost is $1,595 per student.  A certificate for course completion will be issued.

Upon registering, the student is given an initial six months to complete the program.  If the student needs more time, they may request a six month extension at no additional charge.

Prerequisite(s)
Students should be proficient in keyboarding, have a basic understanding of a word-processing computer program (Microsoft Word recommended), and have a command of English grammar and punctuation.  No healthcare or medical office work experience is required.

Please Note:  This course prepares the student for the CCA certification.  The student must also meet the Professional Association’s Eligibility Requirements for the examination.  The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) eligibility requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent.

Overview/Subject Matter

• Module 1 – Introduction to Healthcare
• Module 2 – Compliance, Law, & Ethics
• Module 3 – Medical Terminology
• Module 4 – Diagnostic Coding
• Module 5 – Procedural Coding
• Module 6 – Insurance Billing
• Module 7 – Patient Billing and Collections
• Module 8 – CCA Prep

Registration

Register online through our secure server or fill out this form and fax or mail it to Extended Learning. You will be given class access by email within five working days. Call 1-800-2Learn2, or email WVUEnrich@mail.wvu.edu if you have any questions. Major credit cards and electronic checks are accepted.

Refund Policy
Any cancellation and refund request must be submitted in writing by the student to WVU Extended Learning. A $50 processing fee will be charged to the student for a cancellation requested before materials (books) are mailed to the student. If the student cancels within ten days after the materials are mailed to the student, then a $100 processing fee will be charged, provided the student returns the materials, within five days of the written request, in their original condition. If the materials are not returned within the specified period of time or are not in their original condition, then a $500 processing fee will be charged to the student. If the student cancels any time between eleven and thirty days after the materials ae mailed to the student, then a $300 processing fee will be charged, provided the student returns the materials, within 5 days of the written request, in their original condition. If the materials are not returned within the specified period of time or are not in their original condition, then a $500 processing fee will be charged to the student. No other refunds will be considered.