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Jobs in healthcare continue to expand to not only roles serving patients directly but many support and administrative roles needed to update and maintain patient records, handle insurance claims and process payments. University of Phoenix now offers a Medical Billing and Coding Professional Development track that provides people with skills to enter this type of career path.
“The medical billing and coding track helps individuals learn valuable skills, so they can stay competitive in today’s evolving healthcare job market,” said Mukund Sudarsan, vice president, general manager of Professional Development at University of Phoenix.
Medical Billing and Coding Professional Development Track at University of Phoenix
The Medical Billing and Coding Professional Development Track at University of Phoenix features six non-credit courses that allow for self-directed learning. The track is designed to prepare students to sit for an industry certification exam to become a Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) offered by the National Healthcareer Association. The courses cover all the fundamentals students need to know to pursue careers in medical billing and coding.
The track begins with a course on Electronic Medical Records, which covers laws and regulations around patient electronic medical records and how to maintain their integrity. Students can also learn how government and other entities influence policy and practices around electronic medical records and learn the industry language.
In the Medical Billing and Processing Fundamentals course, students will learn the ins and outs of reimbursements, how to identify payer policies and responsible payers, how to appeal medical claim denials and how to prepare claims forms and other transactions. A course in Medical Coding Fundamentals focuses on teaching the industry manual and code books needed to assign correct codes for claims and correctly identify medical procedure or services claims to government and other payers.
Students can learn how to locate relevant information from patient medical records in three courses on Anatomy, Physiology and Coding. One focuses on the cardiovascular system, another on the gastrointestinal system, and the final course on the neurological system. In these courses, students can learn how to resolve medical record discrepancies, collaborate with providers and respond to claim rejections. They can also learn how to ensure that all medical processes are properly captured and coded for optimal reimbursement.
Each course in this Professional Development Track takes approximately 30 hours to complete, and students can retake the courses often as they would like throughout the year they have access in order to best retain the concepts and prepare for their certification exam.
Advantages of a Career in Medical Billing and Coding
Like many careers in healthcare, jobs in medical billing and coding are on the rise. These include jobs such as medical coders, outpatient coders, certified medical coders, inpatient coding specialists and medical coding specialists. The labor market analysis company Emsi Burning Glass has identified over 12,500 unique job postings for Medical Billing and Coding from 2020-2021, a 42 percent increase from 2018-2019.
University of Phoenix partners with Emsi to develop key data points around which skills related to medical coding and billing are most in demand from employers. This information also helps to ensure that students develop these particular skills during their professional development courses. In-demand skills that students can develop include understanding electronic medical records, fundamentals of billing and coding and anatomy and physiology coding systems.
Additional Professional Development Skill-Building Opportunities at University of Phoenix
The Medical Billing and Coding track is just the latest of a number of Professional Development offerings at University of Phoenix. Others include Information Technology tracks like Scrum for Product Owners, Scrum Master Advanced and Scrum Master Fundamentals. There are also Professional Development tracks in Virtual Education and Marketing with a focus on Social Media Marketing and Digital Marketing.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is committed to advancing the educational goals of adult and nontraditional learners and to help students navigate career options and degree programs that best suit their interests. The University’s degree programs are aligned with numerous in-demand career paths including in computer software, nursing, and business. Students can benefit from flexible start dates, online classes and numerous scholarship opportunities that can help make it possible for anyone to pursue their educational goals. In addition, the University’s Career Services for Life® commitment to active students and graduates can provide resources to help them be competitive in the workforce for no additional charge. These services include resume and interview support, career guidance, education and networking opportunities. Numerous Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) provide University of Phoenix students and alumni with lifelong connections that can help them network. For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.
