The Center for Innovative and Professional Learning will be offering online courses for ICD-10, the newest revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
“Medical coding and billing is undergoing a transformative change on a national scale,” Rosa Diaz-Mulryan, assistant vice president of the Center for Innovative and Professional Learning, said. “There is a federal mandate to shift to the use of ICD-10 from the current ICD-9 by October 1, 2014.”
The 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, which is created by the World Health Organization, is mainly a list of medical codes for various conditions and diseases. The list, called the International List of Causes of Death in the late 1800s, is used all over the world today and is even sponsored by the United Nations. By Oct. 1, the newest revision will be mandatory for all medical coders and billers.
“According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there is tremendous job opportunity in medical coding and billing with job projections in the profession continuing to show faster-than-average employment growth,” Diaz-Mulryan said.
With the implication date less than a year away, many students hoping to become medical coders, current coders and clinicians are looking to master the newest coding and billing requirements.
Although the certification is not officially required, many students may seek the program in order to become marketable in their field. Students pursuing a career as a physician, clinician, nurse or in the medical coding and billing profession may want to consider this course.
“Training in ICD-10 to be in compliance of the mandate is also essential to insurance carriers for providing reimbursement, including the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services,” Diaz-Mulryan said. “Therefore, there is an immediate need for ICD-10 training for new physicians, clinicians, coders, hospital executives and other personnel involved in patient care and health records.”
Ramapo’s ICD-10 Medical Coding and Billing program, run through The Codesmart Group, is an entirely online, self-paced course. Codesmart, a highly ranked online education program, provides instructors and customized training based off the students’ profession.
After receiving the Codesmart certification, students are eligible for employment in the coding and billing profession in any state as well as 24 continuing education units (CEUs) from the American Health Information Management Association and the American Academy of Professional Coders.
“The self-paced online nature of the program makes it very convenient for students to complete at the same time as they complete their regular credit coursework. You move through each topic at your own pace and move on to the next topic after you pass the online quiz,” Diaz-Mulryan said.
Students interested in registering or have any further questions on the program can contact the Center for Innovative and Professional Learning or the Codesmart group by phone at (305) 779-7904 or by email at information@codesmartuniversity.org.
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ssprovie@ramapo.edu
