You can prepare for a career in the medical billing field without leaving your home by enrolling in online medical coding/billing courses through several distance learning opportunities. You will be able to get assignments, take quizzes and exams, submit your homework and communicate with your fellow students online from your home or office.
Medical billing courses teach you about medicine, anatomy and pharmacology so that you will have an understanding of the services that the doctor provides. You will learn some basic and some advanced coding languages, and you will prepare to take a certification exam.
Here are some distance learning programs for medical billing:
The American Intercontinental University offers an Associate of Arts in Business Administration (AABA) with a concentration in medical coding and billing. The AIU program features the practical application of medical vocabulary, the procedures, skills and activities for maintaining an efficient work environment and an introduction to the generic components of health records within a variety of health care organizations.
Colorado Technical University Online has an associate's degree in medical billing and coding (ASMBC), which gives students a foundation in billing and coding, medical terminology, disease processes, health care organizations and management.
Penn Foster Career School offers a distance learning medical coding and billing program designed to teach students how to manage medical records, file claims, prepare insurance forms and handle the billing process. Students will learn law and ethics in medicine, reimbursement methods, medical terminology, anatomy, physiology and medical information management.
The Commission on Accreditation for Health Information Management and Education (CAHIIM) is the accreditation body for the education programs in the health information management industry. There is a program directory on their web site. (See Resources.)
In the medical billing field, you can find work alongside medical professionals in private medical practices, hospitals, home health care companies, nursing facilities, insurance companies or private billing companies. This is a career with a satisfying variety of growth opportunities.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for those in the medical records and health information management professions is expected to grow faster than average with good job prospects. Because of the aging of our population and the rapid changes in the health care industry, medical billing jobs are a secure career choice.
The ACCP has published a Model Curriculum/Syllabus Integration Checklist that should be helpful to you as you are comparing the various distance learning options for medical billing courses. This checklist is available as a free download on the AHIMA website. (See Resources.)