The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Take the first step toward an exciting and rewarding career with our medical administrative assistant certification course. The Administrative Medical Specialist with Medical Billing and Coding (AMS/MBC) online program will give you the skills you need to find the job YOU are looking for as an Administrative Medical Specialist (AMS), Medical Billing Specialist, and/or Medical Coder. In addition to the extensive medical insurance billing and coding modules, you will learn all the other administrative tasks performed in a typical medical office – including appointment scheduling, patient check-in, registration, and check-out, accounts receivable and payable management, bookkeeping, and office management – to name just a few.

Gatlin Education Services has also partnered with National Healthcareer Association (NHA) to register and prepare you for skills certification in two areas.  Included in the tuition for AMS/MBC is a voucher for a study guide, preparation course, and the registration fee for the dual CMAA/CBCS (Certified Medical Administrative Assistant/Certified Billing Coding Specialist) certification credential.

Upon successful completion of the medical administrative assistant certification course, students will be prepared for an entry-level position doing medical billing or coding in a medical office setting and will be prepared to sit for the national certification exam.

The medical industry is experiencing a tremendous demand for individuals with knowledge of medical office operations, which includes billing and coding, processing insurance forms, and using medical software. According to the American Medical Association, there are more than 1.2 million Medical Specialists in the United States. This profession is listed as one of the fastest growing professions in allied health.

The career of an administrative medical specialist is a challenging one with new opportunities arising continuously. Job security is high for an individual who understands claims processing and billing regulations, possesses sharp coding skills, and is successful in appealing under-paid or denied insurance claims. Recent surveys of medical office personnel Help Wanted advertisements indicate the need for individuals with these skills. With this online AMS/MBC program, students will learn the job skills they need to be successful candidates in the workforce.

This medical administrative assistant certification program will give you the skills you need to be competitive in the healthcare market, as well as the credentials through certification to prove your qualifications.

In addition to the skills already mentioned, the AMS/MBC course includes legal, ethical, and regulatory concepts – including HIPAA compliance requirements, industry- specific techniques for filing, proper protocol for patient interaction and communication, medical records management, charting and documentation, telecommunication and telephone techniques, inventory management, banking, payroll and taxes, and other office management skills.

Some typical tasks for the AMS include:

• Receiving, making and documenting telephone calls.
• Scheduling appointments and registering of patient information.
• Performing insurance verification, pre-authorization and referral tasks.
• Preparing patient charts and maintaining medical records.
• Preparing and posting transactions on day sheets, charge tickets and patient accounts.
• Coding and billing insurance claims.
• Collecting patient payments and performing collection activities.
• Special Features
  

Videos
Throughout the course, video interviews of medical assistants and healthcare providers working at a real-world medical office are presented as part of our Gatlin Education Video Education Series.  As they talk about their day-to-day responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of working in the field – you can also watch them at work as they perform those tasks.  

Simulations
Each module contains step-by-step simulations for almost all of the tasks you will learn in the AMS w/ MBC course, including Patient Registration, Charge and Payment data entry, Insurance Claims Preparation and Processing, Appointment Scheduling, Pre-Authorization, and Bookkeeping – both accounts receivable and payable - to name just a few.

Games & Practice Quizzes & Activities
At the end of almost every topic within each module, Just for Fun! games like hangman, concentration, and crossword puzzles, and practice quizzes and tasks are presented.  There is no grade for the games and practice activities – but they will help reinforce the concepts and information in each Module.

Medical Office Simulation Software (MOSS©)
MOSS© is a unique, state-of-the-art software which simulates all the computerized administrative tasks performed in the medical office, including appointment scheduling, patient registration, charge entry and payment posting, insurance and patient billing, collections, and many others.

The Administrative Medical Specialist with Medical Billing and Coding + Medical Terminology program will give students both the complete AMS/MBC program plus a 60 hour Medical Terminology course!  

                         
The Medical Terminology course provides 60 hours of terminology training in the following modules.

Learning Medical Terminology

• The Body as a Whole
• The Integumentary System
• The Musculoskeletal System
• The Respiratory System
• The Cardiovascular System
• The Digestive System
• The Urinary System
• The Nervous System
• The Endocrine System
• The Sensory System
• The Hematic, Lymphatic, and Immune Systems
• The Female Reproductive System
  

The Male Reproductive System
Upon registering, you are given an initial six months to complete the program. Should you need more time, you may request a 6-month extension at no additional charge.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of our medical administrative assistant certification program, students will:

• Display a working knowledge of medical terminology.
• Be proficient in skills such as communication, telephone techniques, organization and time management.
• Have knowledge of Medical Practice Settings and Specialties, as well as the differences in Traditional and Managed Care. Students also learn about Commercial, HMO/PPO, Federal and State insurance plans, including eligibility and coverage, as well as reimbursement methodologies.
• Have knowledge of the legal and ethical responsibilities of an administrative medical specialist, including the HIPAA mandates, the rules for maintaining privacy of medical records and protected health information, and the types of consents and disclosures that are required in a medical office environment.
• Be able to perform tasks associated with the entire Accounts Receivable and Revenue cycle, including scheduling and registration of patients; posting of accounting transactions; completion of insurance claim forms, and collections.
• Be able to perform the day-to-day tasks associated with medical coding, medical billing and completing insurance forms.
• Be able to effectively input patient information, run office reports, and process insurance claims using Medical Office Simulation Software.
• Be prepared to take an Advanced Coding course to prepare for more advanced national certifications.

Module 1 - Introduction to Healthcare

• Course Introduction and Overview
• Medical Assisting as a Profession
• Healthcare: Past, Present & Future
• Communication Skills
• Introduction to Medical Office Simulation Software (MOSS)

Module 2 – Law, Ethics & HIPAA

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Law & Ethics

Module 3:  The Patient Encounter

• Telephone Procedures
• Appointment Scheduling
• MOSS© Appointment Scheduling
• Filing Procedures
• Medical Records Management
• The Receptionist & Facility Environment
• MOSS© Patient Registration
• Drugs & Medications
• MOSS© Procedure and Payment Posting

Module 4: Billing & Reimbursement

• Medical Insurance Overview
• Billing & Reimbursement
• CMS-1500 Claim Form (Provider)
• MOSS© Insurance Processing
• Insurance Carriers
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• TRICARE
• Worker’s Compensation
• Reimbursement & Follow-up

Module 5 - Diagnostic Coding

• Diagnosis Coding Overview
• Abstracting from the Medical Document
• ICD9 Conventions, Layout and Guidelines
• Steps for Diagnostic Coding
• ICD9 Guidelines by Body System

Module 6 - Procedural Coding

• CPT Overview
• Evaluation & Management Coding
• Anesthesia Coding
• Surgery Coding (by body and organ system)
• Laboratory & Pathology Coding
• Radiology Coding
• Medicine Coding
• HCPCS Level II Coding

Module 7:  Business Office / Management

• Daily Financial Practices
• Accounting Practices
• Medical Office Simulation Software (MOSS©)
• Office Manager
• Human Resources Management

Module 8 – Completion & Certification Prep

• Instructions for marking course complete
• Employment Strategies
• Certification
• Steps to access National Healthcareers Association
• Certification preparation module
• Certification handbook and study guide
• Certification exam

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