Program Description

The Medical Coder/Biller Specialist Program prepares students for employment as Medical Coder/Biller. The student will learn to translate diagnoses and procedures into numerical designations (codes) using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT-4).

The program involves coding, classifying and indexing diagnoses and procedures for purpose of standardization, retrieval, and statistical analysis. The student will also be trained to prepare and file insurance claim forms for reimbursement. There is special emphasis on ethical and legal responsibilities, data quality, financial reimbursement, reimbursement, diagnosis-related groups (DRG’s) and ambulatory patient classification (APCs).

The Medical Center Campus Coder/Biller Specialist Program is a Vocational Credit Certificate program that is a 5 semester course of study requiring 33.3 vocational credits (1000 contact hours). Before entry into the Coder/Biller Specialist Program, students must complete the Test of Adult Basic Education (T.A.B.E.) Completion of this test does not guarantee admission to the program.

The Coder/Biller Specialist Program provides learning experiences that enable the student to acquire and assimilate the necessary technical competencies to function effectively as a supportive health care provider in the health information management profession. In keeping with its mission and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medical Center Campus promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. Please see the ADA Standards listed for this program.

This program is highly demanding, and students are therefore more successful if they do not work while in the program. If students must work for financial support, the program strongly recommends a limit of 20 hours of employment per week. Students should also consider family responsibilities before committing to a full-time accelerated program.

To facilitate the clinical portion of the program, students are assigned to a clinical facility within Miami Dade County. Students are responsible for their own transportation to the campus and to various agencies in the community to which they are assigned for clinical experiences.

Students that successfully complete all program/course requirements and receive their certification of completion are eligible for 27 college credits towards the Associate in Science Degree in Health Information Management.

Testing

Students applying to the Coder/Biller Specialist Program must complete the Test of Adult Basic Education (T.A.B.E.). The Testing Department at the Medical Center Campus is located in room 1303. Please call the Testing Department at 305-237-4375 for a testing schedule or contact any of the Testing Departments at any of the MDC campuses for their testing schedule.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Students who have earned an A.A., A.S., or higher degree or have passed the C.P.T. on their first attempt are exempt from the T.A.B.E. Test.

For the Coder/Biller Specialist Program the scores that are required are:

READING - 11.0
MATH - 9.0
LANGUAGE - 11.0

Requirements 

To be eligible for admission to the Coder/Biller Specialist Program, you must complete the following steps:

1. You are 18 years old and have earned, or will earn at the time of enrollment into the program, a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (GED).

2. If you have not been enrolled at Miami Dade College during the past 12 months, complete an Application for Admission or Readmission to Vocational Credit Courses.

3. Register for and complete the Test of Adult Basic Education (T.A.B.E.) through Testing Services, Room 1303, Medical Center Campus, 305-237-4275, or through the testing center at any of the other MDC campuses. Get Bursar Authorization form from the Admissions Office or an Advisor.

4. Request former school and/or non MDC colleges to forward transcripts (including high school and degree) to the Admissions Office, before the admission review deadline.

5. Complete the Program Application process by submitting an application for Program admission. Application must be received by May 30th for August entry and October 30th for January entry.

Where Do I Send My Application Materials? 

You may send your MDC application to any admissions office located on any of the six campuses of Miami Dade College . Applications for admission may also be filled out on line at http://www.mdc.edu.
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

You must also send the following:

1. application fee (check or money order - no cash)

2. official high school transcript and official college transcripts (if available) to the Admissions Office.

Send your Application for Program Admission or visit the New Student Center , at the address below:

Miami Dade College
Medical Center Campus
New Student Center
950 N.W. 20th Street
Miami , FL 33127

Criteria For Program Selection

Enrollment in the program is limited. Meeting the admissions requirements does not guarantee program acceptance. For this reason, the selection committee uses the following criteria to determine which applicants will be admitted. Please note that there is no waiting list.

• Overall GPA

• TABE Scores

• Final acceptance will be based on the submission of all required documents received at the mandatory program orientation session.

ADA Standards Americans With Disabilities Act

In keeping with its mission and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medical Center Campus promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. The definition of individuals with disabilities are those who currently have, have a record of having, or are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and working.

Individuals applying for admission, progression to clinical courses, and graduation from a program in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must be able to meet the physical and emotional requirements of the academic program. In addition, students admitted to the programs in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must possess the following qualities:

• The emotional maturity and stability to approach highly stressful situations in a calm and rational manner.

• The ability to make clinical judgment using critical thinking

• The ability to adhere to ethical standards of conduct as well as applicable state and federal laws

• The ability to provide effective written, oral, nonverbal communication with colleagues, health care providers, and the public

An individual who poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or themselves may be denied admission, progression or graduation. The college’s determination that a person poses a direct threat will be based on an individualized assessment that relies on current medical evidence or on the best available evidence to assess the nature, duration, and severity of the risk and the probability that the potential injury will actually occur.

In order to fulfill the requirements of the Coder/Biller Specialist program at Miami Dade College , students must be able to meet the physical demands associated with the profession. Examples of these requirement include but are not limited to the following:

Code: F = frequently O = Occasionally NP = Not Present

For specific Performance Standards associated with the Coder/Biller Specialist program, please contact the Program Coordinator

Because of the unique responsibilities involved in all Allied Health professions, each department reserves the right to require that the student who appears to be unsuited for any program therein withdraw from the program and be guided into another curriculum of study at the college.

Curriculum

Students are admitted to the Coder/Biller Specialist Program in January and August of each year. Course content is sequential, and students should plan to enroll in all Coder/Biller Specialist courses in the order and during the terms indicated in the following curriculum outline. Some courses associated with this program are offered through Virtual College only.

Ratio of Credits to Contact Hours 

In order to practice safely as a Coder/Biller Specialist, students must complete a predetermined number of classroom or "contact" hours. For this reason, the number of hours you spend in class will be greater than you might expect. The required ratio of credits to contact hours is spelled out in detail below.

Contact hours for vocational credit courses are the equivalent of 30 contact hour per semester for 16 weeks for each credit.

If courses are taught in less than 16 weeks, the total number of required contact hours will be divided by the number of weeks the course is offered.


Approximate Costs

As of August 2006, the cost of tuition is $57.62 per vocational credit for in-state students and $225.12. per vocational credit for out-of-state students. Here are estimates for total tuition, based on 33 vocational credits at these per-credit rates. In-state students: $1,919.00. Out-of-state students: $7,497.00. Tuition is due at the beginning of each term and can be determined by multiplying the number of credits by the cost per credit hour. Additionally, over the course of the program, students should expect to pay approximately $350 for books, $125 for name tags, uniforms and footwear, $15.50 for malpractice insurance and $10.50 for health insurance annually. Most laboratory courses have an additional fee between $20.00 and $50. All costs are subject to change..

Financial Aid

All students at the Medical Center Campus should apply for financial aid, which includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, and Federal Subsidized loans. The Campus also offers emergency short-term loans and a variety of scholarships.

Application can be made in the Financial Aid Office (Room 1201) on the Medical Center Campus. Those who apply before April 1 st for the following academic year are given priority. Only courses in which students have registered before the 100 percent refund date qualify for financial aid. For additional information, call the Financial Aid personnel at 305-237-4160.


Accreditation

Miami Dade College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). For further information, contact:

SACS
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur , Georgia 30033
Phone: 404-679-4500
Fax: 404-679-4558

http://www.sacs.org/
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site


Licensure

Upon completion of the Coder/Biller Specialist program, graduates are eligible to apply to the American Health Information Management Association for permission to participate in the examination process. The credentialing process associated with this profession is considered voluntary. For further information, contact:

AHIMA
233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2150
Chicago, IL 60601-5800

Main Number:
(312) 233-1100

Main Fax:
(312) 233-1090

http://www.ahima.org
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

Important Phone Numbers

The mission of the Medical Center Campus is to provide students with affordable, accessible, quality education in health care careers. Faculty and staff strive to respond to the changing needs of students, health care providers, and health care consumers in the community at large through collaboration with health care and business communities. The Campus provides and environment that is conducive to learning by recognizing and responding to the diverse learning styles, cultures, and resources of its students.