1. Is enrollment limited?
The Medical Information Coder/Biller program can only accept 15 students each year. The applications may be submitted any time during the year. Selection is made in mid-October and is based on completion of the prerequisite course and Cumulative GPA. Those applicants with a GPA of 2.5 or better will be viewed more favorable.
2. What is the employment outlook?
The employment outlook is good.
3. What salary can I expect to earn?
One can expect to earn between $9.00 – $12.00 an hour working in a physician office setting.
4. What are the typical working hours in this profession?
Regular working hours are 8am – 5pm.
5. What are the program hours?
The Medical Information Coder/Biller program is a day program. The class schedule currently is:
Spring semester: Monday & Wednesday from 8 am – 12:30 pm
Summer A semester (6 weeks): Monday through Thursday from 8 am – 12 pm
Fall semester: Monday & Wednesday from 8 am – 12:30 pm
Clinical one day per week for 6 weeks from 8 am to 2pm
6. How much does the program cost? What about books, lab fees?
At an in-state rate of $104.48 college credit hours, the tuition cost for this 34 credit hour certificate would be about $3,552. For out-of-state students, the fee would be approximately $13,817 ($406.40 per college credit hour). Books will cost about $500 for program required books, and an insurance fee (billed as a “lab fee”) of $15 is also required.
7. FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement)/Level II Background Screening and Drug Testing
Prior to enrolling in the program students will be required to complete an FDLE/Level II Background Screening which includes Fingerprinting and Drug Testing with cost approximately $90. Information on how to begin this process will be provided once a student is provisionally accepted into the program.
8. Must I take a national certification exam upon completion of this program?
Although no exam is required, it is highly recommended that you obtain national certification through the American Association of Professional Coders as a CPC, or the American Health Information Management Association as a CCS-P.
9. Is a license required to work in this occupation?
No license is required in this field.
10. Do I need to take a college placement exam?
All applicants are required to take the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) and be at the 10th grade level for reading, language and arithmetic. You may need to enroll in remedial coursework to achieve this. If you do not meet the math requirement you will need to complete MAT0024.
11. What courses may I take before starting the major courses?
You must complete HSC 1531 (Medical Terminology) prior to beginning the program. You may also take ENC 1101 (College Composition I) and BSC 1020 (Human Biology).
12. Is clinical or externship training required in the program?
Yes. A short internship is required in the last semester of the program.
13. I have previous college courses. Will they count in this program?
If assessed as equivalent to courses in the program, credits will be transferable.
14. When may I start the program?
The Program begins once per year in the Spring semester (January).
Rev 3/2013
