Medical Billing and Coding, AAS

Program Description

This Associate of Applied Science Degree program prepares students for careers as an AAPC-credentialed medical coder.   Medical groups and physician practices. Courses in this program will also articulate with Tacoma Community College’s Health Information Technology (HIT) program. Graduates from this program will be prepared to sit for the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) professional coding certification.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify and adhere to systems that ensure the protection of health information, to include health law, data privacy, confidentiality and security, and the release of information.
• Explain data and use technology found in health information technologies.
• Apply policies and procedures for the use of data required in healthcare reimbursement and evaluate the revenue cycle process.
• Demonstrate understanding of medical code sets to include ICD-10-CM and CPT.
• Identify policies and apply procedures for compliance of healthcare regulatory requirements, to include medical coding, fraud surveillance, and clinical documentation improvement.
• Identify major concepts in supporting body of knowledge to include pathophysiology and pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and computer applications.
• Prepare effective written and oral communication.

Requirements