• Medical Training Institute of New York
paper in the table with ballpen and stethoscope

Advanced Medical Coding Specialist and Auditing

Course Overview

The Advanced Medical Coding and Auditing Program at Medical Training Institute of New York is designed to prepare students for careers in a variety of healthcare settings, including medical offices, hospitals, clinics, and skilled-care facilities.

This course focuses on application of coding principles learned in CPT/ICD coding. In this course, the student codes source documents that he or she can expect to encounter on the job. The student will analyze and synthesize source documents and apply ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS codes based on documentation.

Advanced Medical Coding and Auditing requires the student to apply previously learned coding in CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10-CM concepts to a wide array of medical reports. The student is presented with more in-depth coding information on a topic, such as coding pacemaker implantation, and then the student applies the knowledge by assigning CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10-CM codes to the services and procedures from an original source document. The student uses an audit form and assigns the correct level of E/M services based on documentation.

Advanced Medical Coding and Auditing, presents the student with coding practice that simulates the type and complexity of reports the student will encounter on the job.

Auditing Review reports are available for each chapter on Evolve. The reports simulate the type of auditing tool the student will need on the job.

Program Summary

Competency-Based Instruction

Competency-based instruction focuses on the mastery of skills that will be used as part of a professional coding practice.

Competency-Based Instruction will:

  • Focus on student learning and performance rather than on instruction, teaching techniques, textbooks, and instructor activity.
  • Emphasize student mastery of skills, habits, and attitudes that represent actual job requirements and situations.
  • Give students opportunities to problem-solve and apply information and skills.
  • Require students to demonstrate knowledge and skills in ways that are observable to both themselves and instructors.
  • Shift the focus of the traditional classroom from teacher performance to student performance, from teaching to learning, from instructors presenting to students presenting, and from instructors teaching to instructors guiding students as they teach themselves.
  • Present program content that is based on actual workplace application of the material being covered. This requires an integrated education structure in which all material, theory, ethics, practical application, and so forth are interrelated instead of taught as separate ideas.
  • Require the active involvement of students in the learning process instead of only passive

Competency-Based Lessons:

  • Are built on actual career expectations and applications.
  • Include performance activities as early in the program as possible.
  • Require students to think and perform like actual coding professionals.
  • Provide students with opportunities to create, problem-solve, and develop solutions.
  • Teach students how to monitor and evaluate their own performance instead of relying only on instructor evaluations.
  • Provide an opportunity for students to be active participants during classroom time.
  • Minimize instructor lectures and maximize student study groups, small-group work in the classroom, individual or group presentations, and projects.
  • Emphasize hands-on practical application of the material.

Competencies for the Professional Practice of Medical Coding

In general, the competencies required for a successful practice of medical coding fall into four areas:

  • Service coding with CPT and HCPCS
  • Diagnosis coding with ICD-10-CM
  • Reimbursement issues
  • Application of terminology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology skills Service coding involves the facts, concepts, and theories presented in the textbook about the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) and application of the service codes and modifiers.

Diagnosis coding uses the ICD-10-CM to report the diagnosis for which the patient received services.

Admission Requirement: GED/High School Diploma

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

The students will apply CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10-CM codes to a wide variety of subspecialty areas:

  • Evaluation and Management Services
  • Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Pathology and Laboratory
  • Integumentary System
  • Cardiovascular System
  • Digestive System, Hemic/Lymphatic System, and Mediastinum/Diaphragm
  • Musculoskeletal System
  • Respiratory System
  • Urinary, Male Genital, and Endocrine Systems
  • Female Genital System and Maternity Care/Delivery
  • Nervous System
  • Eye and Auditory Systems
  • Anesthesia

WHO WILL BENEFIT

nurse hat

Those Considering Coding and Auditing

Coding is a great career choice for anyone who wants to be in a non-patient-facing position within the healthcare industry. It also offers the benefits of working from home and having a very flexible schedule

Coders can work in various settings including hospitals. outpatient clinics, urgent care facilities, nursing homes, treatment centers, physician offices, and insurance companies. There are also multiple outsourcing agencies that employ coders to work remotely for a variety of clients.

doctor

Aspiring Medical Professionals

Working as a Coder gives many of us our first taste of working in the medical field. You might gain inspiration to continue that career path and get a more in-depth understanding of the medical world. It's okay to share this desire with your interviewer. It shows your dedication to the field and a willingness to learn

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Job Stability

The demand for medical coders is growing. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this field to grow by 22% through 2026, About 34,300 openings for medical records and medical coding specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire

Total Program Cost

Program Advanced Medical Coding and Auditing Specialist
Hours 770
Registration Fee $100
Tuition $5,700
Technology Fees $700
Clinical Lab Fee $500
Total Program Cost $7,000

Fees:

Registration Fee

A non-refundable Registration Fee of $100 was due during registration to reserve a seat.

woman registering using laptop

Clinical/Lab Fee

Clinical/Lab Fee is used to cover the cost of Liability insurance policy and student lab operations and to provide students with Liability Insurance at clinical rotation internship sites.

people doing lab work

Technology Fees:

Technology Fee provides students with Online Learning Resources, the learning management system, and the student portal.

nurse using computer

Books:

Students are required to purchase all textbooks on their own. Textbook costs are estimated at $700.00. Required books can be purchased from the school bookstore or online at portal.mtiofnewyork.com/stores

book and stethoscope

Uniform

Students are required to purchase MTI logo scrubs on their own. MTI logo scrubs can be purchased from the school bookstore or online at portal.mtiofnewyork.com/stores.

health workers uniform

Tuition:

Advanced Medical Coding & Auditing Specialist is $1,910 for each of the program's three (3) quarters, and a total of $7,000.00 for the entire program, with tuition payments due as follows:

students using laptops
Quarter Cost
Prior to Quarter 1 & 2 $5,333
Prior to Quarter 3 & 4 $2,667

Schedule of Sessions

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Morning Classes

The Morning program will be 5 hours per day, Monday-Wednesday.

16-25 hours per week for approximately 31-48 weeks.

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Evening Classes

The Evening program will be 4 hours per day,

5 days per week, for approximately 39 weeks.

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Weekend Classes

The Weekend program will be 8 hours per day, Saturdays and Sundays,

16 hours per week for approximately 48 weeks.

Frequently asked questions about Medical Coders

What is the difference between a Medical Coder and a Medical Biller?
Medical Coders and Medical Billers work together to make sure that healthcare providers receive payment for their claims. Medical Coders work behind the scenes to translate medical records into a series of codes, making it easy for insurers to quickly confirm or deny a claim. After completing a patient’s file, Medical Coders pass the information to Medical Billers, who communicate with patients and insurance representatives about the outstanding balance associated with an account. If an insurance provider denies a claim, Medical Billers prepare invoices for patients to pay out -of-pocket and arrange payment plans when necessary.
What are the daily duties of a Medical Coder?
Medical Coders usually work standard office hours alongside other medical office staff. After a patient completes their visit, the Medical Coder reads their chart or file and classifies the information from their appointment into different categories. If they are unsure about the type of code for a certain treatment, the Medical Coder references medical coding guidelines and researches the correct code. They carefully put the codes in sequence and submit them to the patient’s insurance provider or to the Medical Biller on their staff. If there is an issue with a submission, they review existing codes and document any corrections.
Do Medical Coders have different responsibilities in different industries?
Medical Coders have the same basic role regardless of what kind of medical office they work in, but they can use different types of coding systems for various specialties. Most standard Medical Coders use three main codes: International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Technology (CPT), and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPS). Many types of specialized medical offices use their own coding systems, including emergency departments, chiropractic offices, dermatology practices, pain management centers and plastic surgery centers. Medical Coders need to learn the details of each specialty to appropriately process each type of treatment.
What are the characteristics of a good Medical Coder?
The most important characteristic of a good Medical Coder is the ability to pay attention to small details. Many medical codes have a single letter or number that differentiates a treatment from a completely different procedure, and coding mistakes could lead to a claim being denied or a significant delay in receiving payment. Good Medical Coders diligently check their work after translating a file into medical codes, checking that each entry is accurate. They are good at troubleshooting problems with a patient’s file and determining the cause of any discrepancies in someone’s medical history and insurance claim.