Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding – Health Information Coding

You can advance your career options in medical coding by pursuing an education that prepares you for the specific roles you’re interested in. For example, if you’ve worked in small clinics and want to transition to medical coding for hospitals, consider earning an Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding – Health Information Coding here at DeVry.

In our program, you’ll study hospital-based coding sets like ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT. Plus, you can prepare to pursue the Certified Coding Specialist exam — a professional credential that stands out to hiring managers for hospitals, inpatient facilities, and other organizations. Our Career Resources can also help you polish your resume, prepare for interviews, provide job leads, and more.

Yes, insurance companies hire medical coders to help facilitate the reimbursement process, review claims, identify fraud, and conduct audits.

The difference between medical billing and coding and health information technology is:

• Medical billing and coding is the process of translating healthcare treatments, diagnoses, and procedures into standardized coding language that is used in patient records and health insurance claims.
• Health information technology is the systems and tools that record, manage, store, and secure patient data, which can be transferred digitally across healthcare facilities. Electronic health record systems are an example of health information technology.

The CCS exam is a test you take to earn your Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification. It’s offered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and indicates you have advanced proficiency in assigning inpatient and outpatient coding, translating medical documentation, understanding coding regulations, interpreting complex medical scenarios, and more.

To prepare yourself to pass the CCS exam you need to develop a deep understanding of core coding topics and skills in the following areas:

• Coding guidelines
• HIPAA compliance
• Human biology, anatomy, and physiology
• ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and advanced HCPCS coding sets
• Medical terminology
• Pathopharmacology
• Reimbursement models and systems

You can learn about these topics in our Coding and Practicum with Lab and CCS Review course, which offers Certified Coding Specialist exam prep to help you get ready for this next step. As with any exam, achieving a passing grade depends on a variety of factors like study time, prior experience, and education. To help support your learning process, we offer robust online resources like virtual tutors, an e-library, and more.

A health information specialist — or a health information coding specialist — assigns clinical codes to healthcare services, diagnoses, and procedures for insurance documents and patient health records. They play a vital role in ensuring accuracy, compliancy, and financial stability for healthcare-related organizations in the public and private sector.

Applying is quick and easy: 

1. Talk to an admissions representative: Fill out a brief form, and we’ll reach out to walk you through the process.
2. Submit your application: We’ll take you through the application over the phone. If you prefer, you can apply online. It only takes 5-10 minutes.
3. Enroll in your first courses: Once everything is submitted and verified, we’ll help you build your schedule.

Learn more about admissions.