AS in Medical Billing and Coding from American Intercontinental University
Degree Description: To earn an associate degree in medical billing and coding, students are required to take a series of core general education courses in addition to courses in their concentration, which include Medical Records, Introduction to Coding and Billing, and Introduction to ICD Classification and Reimbursement. These courses are designed to give students the knowledge and skills necessary to manage complex medical records and health information. Students will learn about medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal issues regarding health information, and other topics that will help them succeed in the field. In order to graduate, students must complete 90 credit hours. At $260 an hour, this will cost students $23,450 for the two years they work to complete the degree. Fortunately, financial aid is available for students. Students who are currently working might also qualify to have their tuition reimbursed by their employers. In both cases, students should contact American Intercontinental University for more information regarding fees.
Degree Outlook: Graduates of a program in medical billing and coding are prepared to join the rapidly expanding health services industry as qualified medical records and health technicians, a job that is growing at above-average rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau expects career opportunities for medical records and health technicians to increase by 20 percent from 2008 to 2018. Likewise, the Bureau expects medical and health services assistants, another position for which a graduate of this degree program is qualified, to increase 27 percent across that same time frame, adding 125,500 new jobs to the workforce. In 2008, the median yearly salary for medical records and health technicians was $30,610 while medical and health services assistants earned a median annual salary of $30,190 that same year. Additionally, graduates can choose to go back to school to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a related subject area, such as nursing or health services.
