Learn and Work at Home A Satisfying Career MEDICAL CODING TRAINING PROGRAM
MINIMUM COMPUTER SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS FOR CAREER STEP S ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS Hardware 450MHz processor (600MHz recommended) 128MB of RAM (256MB recommended) 56 KBPS modem (high-speed internet recommended) CD-ROM or DVD drive Sound card and speakers USB port or serial port (for foot pedal) Software Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.X or better, Netscape Navigator 7.X, Safari 1.X or Firefox 1.X Flash Player 7.0 or higher Apple Quicktime 7.0.2 or higher Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher Operating System Windows NT/2000/XP or Mac OS X 10.4.11 or better Program At-A-Glance While studying the Career Step medical coding program you will learn about: Technology and the Medical Professional Learning and Mastering Medical Technology Documentation, Confidentiality, and Ethics Evolution of Coding in the Healthcare Environment Healthcare Structure and Organization Anatomy, Pathophysiology & Disease Processes Exploring Pharmacology Medical Record Content Diagnostic Coding with ICD-9-CM Exploring Healthcare Reimbursement Medical Procedural Coding Outpatient Coding
accelerate your opportunities What is Medical Coding? Medical coding is TRANSLATING medical language into numeric language... CODES!! Medical coders work with medical records documents and patient charts. They are responsible for identifying diagnostic and procedural information and converting this information into simplified numerical codes that can be electronically processed for payment by 3rd party payers - insurance companies and Medicare, for example. Medical coders interact daily with health care professionals to ensure that payments and reimbursements are optimized. Most medical coding is performed by medical coders, working in hospitals or clinics, in virtually every town and city in the country. Medical coders work in a professional environment and perform a vital behind-the-scenes billing support activity. Coding professionals are also employed by coding and billing services, insurance companies, government agencies and consulting firms. There is a strong and growing demand in the industry for excellent medical coders. As a Career Step student, you will develop the skills necessary to qualify yourself for a great job in the medical industry. Get Certified, Get a Job The demand for medical coders continues to grow. Health care facilities are actively hiring trained and certified medical coders who have the skills to code and audit patient medical reports. Career Step encourages graduates to seek employment that will fit their unique lifestyle and situation. Career options for graduates include: Employment at a clinic or hospital as an outpatient coder Work for insurance companies auditing reports submitted by clinics or hospitals On contract or as a full-time employee with a consulting company or a CPA firm as a traveling auditor The Career Step Medical Coding program will prepare students with all the necessary information to obtain certification within the coding field. After graduation, entry-level or apprentice certification status is available from two recognized industry sources: American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) www.ahima.org CCA American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) www.aapc.com
Why Become a Coder? Medical coders generally work a 40-hour week with other medical professionals in comfortable offices, where they assign standardized codes to document health procedures. Coders develop a strong understanding of medical terminology. Their work enables healthcare providers to receive accurate and timely financial reimbursement from insurance companies and government programs such as Medicare. accelerate your thinking Medical Coding Makes a Great Career As a medical coder, you will be the healthcare professional who codes medical reports to bill insurance companies. As a Career Step student, you will rapidly develop all the skills necessary to code medical records and to step into a rewarding career upon graduation. You will become well versed in medical terminology and medical chart preparation. Upon completing Career Step s Medical Coding Course you will be prepared to begin a successful professional career in the healthcare industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average [increase 27% or more] through 2014 because of rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers. 1. Patient sees doctor 2. Doctor dictates into microphone 3. Voice captured on system 4. File sent to medical transcriptionist 5. File is transcribed 6. Uploaded to hospital/filed for patient 7. Coder codes the document from the transcribed report 8. Biller bills the visit from the coded document 9. Insurance and patient are billed 10. Completed documents are filed for patient
Why Choose Career Step? Career Step is changing the way the medical coding industry is educated. Since 1992, Career Step has provided comprehensive, competency-based training programs. Our medical coding program excels in Quality Training, Personal Support and Employment. Career Step s innovative programs have been featured on the Wall Street News Hour, as well as many journals and magazines, including HOME Business Journal, Opportunity World, Home Business Connection, and Inc. Magazine. Benefits of the Career Step Program Training Career Step s competency based approach to training provides students with the precise knowledge and skills they need to succeed as a medical coder. Career Step students learn coding protocols and will code hundreds of medical records in all major specialties. Our unique, intensive practicum prepares you for the real world. Support Although the program is self-paced, you can rest assured that an experienced support staff is on call to answer your questions through a combination of online, email, fax, and toll-free phone support. Certification and Employment Professional certification is your first step on the road to a rewarding career, and the Career Step coding curriculum is designed to prepare you to take and pass national entry-level certification exams. As a certified coder, your skills will be in high demand as employment opportunities for certified coders are abundant at hospitals and clinics across the country. accelerate your graduation day I have to give the course the credit. The AAPC test was tough, but not as tough as the final test of the course. When I was called in to test for a position, I was very well qualified to take [their preemployment] test and did get the first job I was called in for. My employers are very satisfied with my level of knowledge, especially considering, I had never been a coder before. I learned so much in the course and all of it has served me well. I tell anyone that is interested in becoming a coder to check into the course! -- Jennifer (Bellview, MI)
Free Reference Books! Your FREE personal reference library (VALUED OVER $370) includes: Dorlands Medical Dictionary Merck Manual of Medical Information Mosby s Drug Guide for Nurses ICD-9-CM Manual Physician s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Manual HCPCS Level II Expert Enroll Online After you ve determined the online enrollment level that is appropriate for you, visit our private & secure online enrollment at: www.careerstep.com/enroll accelerate your lifestyle I currently work for a national healthcare consulting company and thanks to the Career Step program my career is advancing very rapidly... I am taking the AAPC exam in the next few weeks and I feel very comfortable thanks to the Career Step program. Without Career Step I never would have been ready for the national exam. The setup of the program was very user friendly and if I ever had a question it was answered in a very prompt manner. I have referred others to the program and my co-workers have also mentioned the program to others looking to prepare for the certification exam. THANK YOU CAREER STEP!!!! -- Rachel, Stilesville, IN
accelerate your career Save Hundreds Even Thousands on Quality Training Platinum Level Enrollment $1875.00 Includes Graduate Support Package Training Features Personal employment consultation Resume evaluation Referral letter Help hotline for one year after graduation Online course materials Access to the Career Step Student Support Staff Hotline Access to the Career Step Medical Coding Forum and Chat Room Job Opportunities Guide Subscription to CS Coding Bulletin for the duration of the course Final Examination testing and grading Career Step Certificate of Graduation Complimentary Personal Reference Library FREE 30-day access to medical coding software
Accelerate your future! enroll with Career Step today! I am getting VERY positive feedback from Career Step grads who are hired along with grads from other programs... Grads from other programs are unable to sit for the certification test and are told by their schools to go out and TRY to get a job, work for a year or two, and then take the test. Their programs are 6 months, in classrooms, and cost between $9,500 and $10,000. SHAME ON THEM!! My Career Step grads have said that students from other programs don t have a clue about what to do on the job and are frustrated and unhappy. My grads feel good about the education they got and are happy with their jobs! More excellent news! Kaiser Medical visited the Emily Griffith Opportunity School in the Spring to do some mock interviewing. They kept resumes from all our students they interviewed with and called to offer ALL of them jobs. Chris Foster, Manager, Emily Griffith Opportunity School (Career Step academic partner) Contact information www.careerstep.com Toll Free: 1-800-246-7837 1220 N. Main St., Suite 6 Springville, UT 84663 1-801-489-9393 Toll-free: 1-800-246-7837 Fax: 801-491-6645 Copyright 2006 Career Step. All Rights Reserved. CS-MK-BR-002-010707