OM 229: Medical Language for the Medical Office Manager
This course provides a basic understanding of medical language related to medical office management. Medical vocabulary will be studied including prefixes, suffixes, and root words as well as plural forms of medical words, spelling, and pronunciation. Word-building exercises will aid in the understanding and spelling of medical vocabulary. Students will be introduced to medical language associated with the anatomy and physiology of all body systems including the respiratory system, the integumentary system, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. The medical terminology of common pathology, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic procedures will also be presented.
OM 230: Medical Office Management I
This course will introduce students to various medical office responsibilities including appointment scheduling, patient reception and processing, written communications, mail processing, and the daily operations of the medical office. The creation and maintenance of medical records will be discussed, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules for maintaining privacy of medical records and protection of health information, as well as the types of consents and disclosures that are required.
OM 231: Understanding Health Insurance Principles
This course will introduce students to the common types of health insurance plans that are available today. Private insurance and managed care health plans will be discussed as well as government plans including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and Workers' Compensation. Student will learn the life cycle of an insurance claim from completion of the claim form to third-party processing. Paper and electronic submissions will be discussed including basic guidelines for properly submitting the claim and common errors to avoid to minimize claim denials. The CMS-1500 Health Insurance Claim Form is the standard claim form that most insurance companies require to process the payment of outpatient medical services. This course focuses on providing the student with an understanding of all fields on the CMS-1500 form, including the NPI (National Provider Identification), the secondary insurance, and the modifier fields. Students will be provided with the opportunity to complete CMS -1500 forms. Regulatory requirements such as HIPAA compliance and privacy rules will also be covered.
OM 232: Introduction to Medical Coding
This course introduces students to basic medical coding skills that are essential to health care reimbursement. Using diagnostic codes, ICD (International Classification of Diseases) and procedural codes, CPT (Current Procedural Terminology), and HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedural Coding System) students learn basic coding principles used in filing insurance claims. The basic format and content of the CPT and ICD manuals will be covered as well as the coding for evaluation and management, anesthesia, surgery, radiology, medicine, pathology, and laboratory services. HCPCS codes, which cover a wide variety of services, such as specific drugs, durable medical equipment, and ambulance services, will also be discussed. The basic steps in coding will be reviewed and students will be able to practice with actual coding exercises.
OM 233: Fundamentals of Medical Office Bookkeeping and Accounting
This course will provide students with basic knowledge regarding the financial activities commonly encountered in a medical office. Various types of accounting and basic medical office bookkeeping concepts of journal entries and ledger accounts will be covered. Students will learn about banking practices including writing checks, making deposits, handling returned checks, and reconciling accounts. Credit card processing; entering, tracking, and paying bills (accounts payable); entering patient charges, adjustments, patient payments, and insurance payments (accounts receivable); and debt collection procedures will also be presented.
OM 234: Medical Office Management II
This course will explore the guidelines and techniques for running the medical office including the management of personnel. The course will review electronic medical records (EMRs), which allow medical providers to keep patients’ medical information on the computer and help eliminate the need for paper recordkeeping. Essentials of ethical and legal issues, including the roles and ethical responsibilities of the health care team, will be covered. The types of medical practices and the various medical specialties available to patients will also be discussed. Additional topics for this course will include documentation guidelines, risk assessment in the physician practice, the auditing of medical records, fraud and abuse legislation, and compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.