This option is designed to prepare the student with the necessary skills to be employed as a medical coder in coding and reimbursement in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, long-term care and insurance companies.
Coding guidelines will be studied in detail, as well as concepts in insurance and reimbursement, including the various prospective payment systems and managed care systems. Students will apply knowledge of disease processes and procedural techniques to coding.
Students will participate in a non-paid practicum experience that takes place upon conclusion of all courses, in the month of September. Cases are coded online and 30 hours are spent coding in a health care facility. The onsite component is typically the fourth week of September. Students may request placement in their geographic area. Tuition and fees are assessed for this course.
Healthcare facilities may require the student undergo a criminal background check prior to accepting them on professional practice/internship experiences. A previous felony conviction may affect placement. The applicant must visit with the department chair if this applies.
The program is available both online and in a traditional campus environment. Online students complete all courses online, while on-campus students complete their HIT courses online and several of the related/general education courses in a traditional classroom.
Biology labs can be taken from other accredited colleges or online through colleges in the North Dakota University System. Course descriptions must be approved by the NDSCS Registrar prior to taking the course.
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIT 176 | Introduction to Health Information | 4 |
| HIT 184 | Basic ICD-9-CM Coding | 3 |
| HIT 185 | Basic CPT Coding | 3 |
| HIT 285 | Reimbursement Methodologies | 3 |
| HIT 286 | Intermediate Diagnosis Coding (ICD) | 3 |
| HIT 287 | Computer Applications in Healthcare | 3 |
| HIT 288 | Intermediate Procedure Coding (CPT/ICD) | 3 |
| HIT 197C | Practicum | 2 |
| * BOTE 277 | Medical Office Procedures (optional) | 4 |
| Related/General Education Courses | ||
| CSCI 116 | Business Use of Computers | 3 |
| BIOL 115 | Human Structure and Function | 3 |
| BIOL 213 | General Pathology | 3 |
| BOTE 171 | Medical Terminology | 4 |
| PHRM 100 | Basic Pharmacology for Allied Health | 2 |
| TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS | 39 (43*) | |
| Suggested sequence of study | ||
| First Semester (Fall) | Second Semester (Spring) | |
| BOTE 171 | BIOL 213 | |
| BIOL 115** | PHRM 100 | |
| HIT 176 | *BOTE 277 (optional) | |
| HIT 287 | HIT 184 (first 8 weeks) | |
| CSCI 116 | HIT 185 (second 8 weeks) | |
| Third Semester (Summer) | Fourth Semester (Fall) | |
| HIT 285 (June-July) | HIT 197C (September) | |
| HIT 286 (June-July) | ||
| HIT 288 (June-July) | ||
| Six semester suggested sequence of study | ||
| First Semester (Fall) | Second Semester (Spring) | |
| BOTE 171 | HIT 184 (first 8 weeks) | |
| BIOL 115** | HIT 185 (second 8 weeks) | |
| PHRM 100 | ||
| Third Semester (Fall) | Fourth Semester (Spring) | |
| HIT 176 | BIOL 213 | |
| HIT 287 | HIT 285 | |
| CSCI 116 | *BOTE 277 (optional) | |
| Fifth Semester (Summer) | Sixth Semester (Fall) | |
| HIT 286 | HIT 197C (September) | |
| HIT 288 | ||
| *Recommended for students interested in pursuing outpatient coding as an area of focus. | ||
| **Recommend BIOL 115L for students who may be interested in pursuing the HIT A.A.S. degree. | ||
The applicants must be high school graduates or equivalent. Helpful courses to prepare for this program are computer literacy, anatomy and medical terminology.
A grade of ‘C' or above must be achieved in all courses in order to advance in the program and to be placed on practicum. A minimum keyboarding competency of 35 words per minute is also required.
Upon successful completion of the required courses, students will be awarded a certificate in Health Information with an emphasis in Medical Coding.
The American Health Information Management Association offers a voluntary entry-level coding credential examination, the Certified Coding Associate. It is strongly recommended candidates have at least six months experience in a healthcare organization applying ICD-9-CM and CPT coding conventions and guidelines, or have completed either an AHIMA-approved coding certificate program or other formal coding training.
This program is approved by the American Health Information Management Association. Approved coding programs are recognized as offering quality coding instruction.
Program goals and student outcomes available for review in program handbook.
