Purpose
The four-semester College Credit Certificate (CCC) Medical Information Coder/Biller (MICB) is tailored to prepare students for employment in a variety of health care settings as entry-level medical information coders and billers. A medical information coder/biller is a specialist who analyzes health records and converts information into diagnosis and procedure codes. Medical information coding professionals provide reliable and valid data and information for healthcare reimbursement, research, statistics, and policymaking.
Medical Information Coding professionals work in a multitude of healthcare settings including hospitals, physicians’ offices and clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, insurance companies, government agencies, and medical coding and billing companies.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 16 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.” The demand for health services is expected to increase as the population ages and will lead to an increased need for health information specialists to update clinical registries, abstract relevant details, and convert data into meaningful information. Current occupational and wage data for Health Information Technicians/Registrars are published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/health-information-technologists-and-medical-registrars.htm#tab-6
The Certificate is comprised of courses that provide coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards, and technical knowledge and skills necessary for further education and careers in the Health Science. This competency-based applied learning contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills required of programs in the Health Science Career cluster.
The Medical Information Coder/Biller CCC program has an associated Associate of Science in Health Information Technology degree program.
Accreditation
The Florida SouthWestern State College Health Information Technology Associate in Science (AS) degree program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100 Chicago, IL 60601-5800 www.cahiim.org/
Program Application Deadline
May 31
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Medical Information Coder/Biller, CCC program is selective and based on the following criteria.
To be considered for acceptance, students must:
- Be admitted to FSW.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Complete and pass a college-approved criminal background check and drug testing at the applicant’s expense.
- Complete the Medical Information Coder/Biller, CCC program application.
Upon acceptance into the program, students must meet with the School of Health Professions student advisor before enrolling in classes.
After acceptance and before enrollment in the internship course (HIM 2814C), students must provide the following:
- Provide a current college-approved criminal background check and urine drug testing at the applicant’s expense.
- Provide documentation of a health physical and functional evaluation from a healthcare provider including all required immunizations.
- Provide evidence of tuberculosis (TB) screening.
- Provide proof of personal health insurance.
- Provide evidence of current Basic Life Support Provider Certification (CPR and AED).
The program is to be completed in 4 semesters by college-ready students (i.e., completed all developmental coursework). Students will progress through the MICB program as a cohort and courses must be taken in sequence. Withdrawing from a course will result in a delay in the completion of the program.
The curriculum includes a combination of classroom, laboratory, and clinical practice experiences. All MICB courses are offered online or virtually via synchronous Live Online evening courses.
The Medical Information Coder/Biller Certificate incorporates selected courses from the Health Information Technology, AS degree program. Upon completion of the certificate program, students will receive a College Credit Certificate (CCC).
Students who complete the Medical Coder/Biller Certificate may continue their studies and pursue the Health Information Technology, AS Degree while working in the field.
Internship Requirements
The MICB program includes two (2) professional practice virtual lab simulation and/or in-person experience (internship) courses. The HIM 1800C Health Information Simulation course will provide a virtual lab simulation of a real-world work environment in which students will experience the use of an electronic health record.
The HIM 2814C Coding Office Experience course will provide a virtual lab simulation of a real-world medical coding work environment. Students will also complete a total of 30 hours of professional practice experience in a healthcare setting. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the clinical sites.
- Student assignment to facilities or lab simulation is made by the Health Information Technology Faculty and is based upon site availability.
- Facilities may be selected from within the Southwest Florida region which includes Lee, Collier, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hendry, Glades, and Sarasota Counties.
- Clinical sites are usually open during normal business hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.), and they are usually closed evenings and weekends. Students are expected to be at their clinical sites Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
- As part of this program, the student cannot receive compensation from the clinical site.
Course Prerequisites
Many courses require prerequisites. Check the description of each course in the list below for prerequisites, minimum grade requirements, and other restrictions. Students must complete all prerequisites prior to registering for a course.
Graduation Requirements
Students must fulfill all requirements of their program to be eligible for graduation. All courses required for the certificate must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.