Program Description

The Medical Coding Specialist Technical Diploma program prepares individuals for employment as entry-level coding specialists in health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, physician practice groups, surgery centers, long-term care facilities and home health care agencies. Coding specialists are also employed in consulting firms, coding and billing services, insurance companies, governmental agencies and computer software companies.

The medical coding specialist reviews medical documentation provided by physicians and other health care providers and translates this into numeric codes. The coding specialist assigns and sequences diagnostic and procedural codes using universally recognized coding systems. Several uses of coded data are for payment of health care claims, statistics and medical research.

Medical Coding Certification can be obtained after graduation through either the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Certification requires successful completion of a written examination.

Please note: This program is subject to the Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion and some courses listed will not be eligible for full financial aid funding based on the program’s credit hours.

Approximate Program Cost

$5,177
Tuition & Fees: $4,847
Books & Supplies: $330

Starting Salary

$33,280–$49,920
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).

Available

100% Online
An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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The application takes just a few minutes to complete.

Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
at Wausau
100%
at Antigo
100%
at Medford
100%
at Phillips
100%
at Spencer
100%
at Wittenberg
100%
at Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Use electronic applications to support coding and data collection
  • Model professional behaviors and ethics
  • Apply coding and reimbursement systems
  • Collect health data

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Outpatient Coder
  • Claims Analyst
  • Coder
  • Coding Specialist
  • Medical Coding Specialist

Courses

The Medical Coding Specialist Technical Diploma is a 29–30 credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

Please note: This program is subject to the Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion and some courses listed will not be eligible for full financial aid funding based on the program’s credit hours.

First Term

Medical Terminology 3.00
Gen Anatomy & Physiology 4.00
Body, Structure & Function 3.00
Human Diseases For Hlth Profes 3.00
Digital Literacy For Healthcare 2.00
College 101 1.00

Second Term

ICD Diagnosis Coding 3.00
CPT Coding 3.00
Foundations Of HIM 3.00

Third Term

ICD Procedure Coding 2.00
Healthcare Revenue Management 3.00
Intermediate Coding 3.00

Credit for Prior Learning Available

View All Detailed Course Information

Cost of Attendance

2024–2025 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semesters — Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
Expenses Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $3,008 $9,147
Books / Supplies $1,465 $1,465
Transportation $4,017 $4,017
Personal Expenses $3,608 $3,608
Loan Fees $85 $85
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$17,027
Out-of-State
$19,310
In-State
$23,166
Out-of-State
$25,449

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2024–2025 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $149.50 per credit and Out-of-State resident tuition is $224.25 per credit.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, Student Fees include: a minimum $5.00 material fee and a $13.15 per credit activity fee. A $4.00 per semester insurance fee will be assessed to students taking at least one course which has a scheduled session on campus.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Additional Information

Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion

This program is subject to the Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion and some courses listed will not be eligible for full financial aid funding based on the program’s credit hours.

Term Course Credit Hours Financial Aid Credit Hours
1 COLLEGE 101 1 1
1 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 3 1.8
1 DIGITAL LITERACY FOR HEALTHCARE 2 1.2
1 HUMAN DISEASE FOR HLTH PROFES 3 3
1 BODY, STRUCTURE & FUNCTION 3 2.4
1 or GEN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY 4 3
2 FOUNDATIONS OF HIM 3 3
2 CPT CODING 3 3
2 ICD DIAGNOSIS CODING 3 3
3 HEALTHCARE REVENUE MANAGEMENT 3 3
3 INTERMEDIATE CODING 3 3
3 ICD PROCEDURE CODING 2 2

For more information, please refer to our Financial Aid Policies.

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

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The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

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What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.