Medical Coding Specialist | Western Technical College

Medical Coding Specialist

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Technical Diploma

Program Number: 

315302

Credits: 

30.00
Financial Aid Eligible

Typical Start: 

Summer

If you enjoy precision and detail, consider a medical coding career. As a medical coder, you'll review medical documentation provided by physicians and translate it into numeric codes that represent diagnoses and treatment. In addition to coding, courses also cover anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, diseases, health data management, and computer applications. The coded data are used for many purposes, including healthcare claims and research.

Graduates of this program are employed as entry-level coding specialists in hospitals, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers, care facilities, consulting companies, billing services, and insurance companies.

Graduates are eligible to take the Certified Coding Associate exam of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Additional certification exams and career opportunities are available for those with on-the-job coding experience.

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Estimated Program Costs

Estimated Program Cost

Medical Coding Specialist

This program will cost about $4,925* based on tuition and basic program fees. There may be additional fees for books, materials, and testing. For more information on tuition costs, view the Tuition page or Cost of Attendance document.

* Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Graduation Employment Stats

Graduation Employment Stats

Western conducts a follow-up survey of all grads six months after graduation to find out if they are employed in a job related to their program, how much they are making, and where they are employed.

Survey information is not currently available for this program. Please contact an Admissions Coach or call 606-785-9200 for more information.

Career Opportunities

Certified Medical Coder
Certified Professional Coder
Health Information Coder
Medical Billing Specialist
Medical Coding Specialist

Program Outcomes

  • Living responsibly
  • Refining professionalism
  • Cultivating passion
  • Collect health data
  • Apply coding and reimbursement systems
  • Model professional behaviors and ethics
  • Use electronic applications to support coding and data collection

Admission Requirements

College Requirements

Application
$30 Application Fee
High School or GED/HSED Transcript

Additional Requirements

To enroll in the Medical Coding Specialist program, first apply for admission to the College, then read the program’s Technical Standards. You can find a link to this document below. The last step for admission to the program will be to complete an Intent to Enroll form. Please see the details below.

Software and Technology

Most of Western’s classes require the use of a personal computer or laptop, standard software, internet access, and other technology-related items.

If you do not have a personal computer or laptop, or if the one you have does not meet the following criteria, resources may be available. Submit a Student Resource Request using our online form.

Computer/Laptop Hardware

  • Smartphones are not recommended for completing assignments.
  • Chromebooks are not recommended due to issues with installing software that is needed for classes, such as Office 365.
  • Web camera with microphone (usually built into newer laptops or can be purchased separately) is necessary for online participation.

Software Needs

For detailed specifications, please review Technology and Software Recommendations for Most Classes on Western’s IT Knowledgebase.

Campus Resources

Need Assistance?

  • Contact the Learning Commons! The staff are happy to answer questions, provide individualized assistance, and direct you to other supports as needed.

Additional Information

Our Health and Public Safety programs are required to report additional information to prospective students, including certification exams, licensure, program completion rates, etc. You can find this information in the document below:

Program Contact

Susan Summerfield
Program Chair, Medical Coding Specialist
608-789-6103
SummerfieldS@westerntc.edu

 

Career Pathways

This program is part of a career pathway, a laddered approach to career education. It allows you to earn employer-recognized credentials that lead to job and career advancement.

Medical Coding Specialist

Career Pathways

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