Medical Coding Specialist
29–30 Credit Technical DiplomaProgram 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.
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Approximate Program Cost
$5,177
Tuition & Fees:
$4,847
Books & Supplies: $330
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
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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.
* 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.
* College 101 (10-890-165) is not part of the program credit requirements but is a College Requirement for graduation that must be passed with a “C” or better.
Credit for Prior Learning Available
View All Detailed Course Information
Cost of Attendance
2023-2024 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.
| 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) |
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| Living Expenses (Housing & Food) | $4,052 | $9,614 | ||
| Books / Supplies | $2,061 | $2,061 | ||
| Transportation | $2,007 | $2,007 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $2,245 | $2,245 | ||
| Loan Fees | $83 | $83 | ||
| Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance |
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* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2023-2024 academic year with a projected base increase of 1.65%. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.
Students with dependent care, computer or study abroad expenses should contact the Financial Aid Office to document allowable expenses which may serve to increase their COA.
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
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.
Fill out our application
The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.
Apply NowWhat’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.