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Coding Basics Program | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coding Basics is a self-paced, 12-course program which will help you learn the skills you need to become a coding professional. Coding professionals abstract clinical data from health records and assign appropriate medical codes. These codes are used for reimbursement, planning, and research. Comprehensive training in inpatient and outpatient coding is provided, along with the necessary background courses in health record content, medical terminology, and disease process. Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be able to:
The Coding Basics program has been designed so students can learn all the fundamentals in about 15 months by following the recommended pace of taking four clusters of three classes, each cluster lasting 15 weeks. We have arranged the 12 classes in these four groups for an optimal learning experience. However, AHIMA also realizes there are also busy individuals who wish to approach the program at a slower pace, so AHIMA is now offering all 12 Coding Basics classes for sale individually, so students can take classes in groups of two or, occasionally, one at a time. Because lessons learned in one class will help support lessons learned in the others, we recommend that students not take more than 2-6 weeks off between classes or clusters, or they may experience difficulty keeping up with the coursework. All Coding Basics classes are designed to be self-directed and are not led by instructors. The advantage of a self-directed program is that you aren't forced to wait until the 15-week access period is over before moving on to the next class or cluster of classes —you can complete the program more quickly if you want to! Students who successfully complete the Coding Basics Program
(four clusters with three classes per cluster or 12 single classes) will receive a Coding Basics Certificate of Completion and may
choose to sit for the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) national certification
exam. Click on the category names below to see more detail.
Click on one of the cluster titles below for a detailed description of the three classes in that cluster.
Prerequisites Prior to your initial enrollment in Coding Basics, you must provide official proof that you completed a basic Human Anatomy and Physiology course (no lab is required) and received a grade of "C" or higher. Ask the college or university to mail the official transcript to the following address. Note that faxes of the transcript are not acceptable.
Important: If, when you completed the required Human Anatomy and Physiology course, you were using another name (such as maiden name), please email coding.basics@ahima.org to let us know that your transcript will be arriving under a name that differs from your registration name. To help you meet this prerequisite, AHIMA offers an online Human Anatomy and Physiology course. Click here for information on AHIMA's Human Anatomy and Physiology course and its required textbook. Note to nurses and physicians: We will accept a copy of your nursing or medical license in place of a transcript. Requirements Books Technology Proctored
Final Exams Proctoring is necessary for the Coding Basics courses to be accepted for credit. Detailed proctoring instructions and forms can be viewed here:
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print the three documents
above. Be sure you have the latest version of this free software. Membership
Student membership is currently available to most Coding Basics enrollees at $35 per year, but there are some exceptions:
Membership guarantees you discounts on all books published by AHIMA. But the benefits go far beyond book savings...when you join, all AHIMA resources including the Journal of AHIMA, the FORE Library HIM Body of Knowledge, and AHIMA Communities of Practice will be yours to enjoy. After payment for your first class or three-class cluster has been received and processed, you may apply. >
Go to the online membership form Credits For the benefit of our Coding Basics students, AHIMA Distance Education participates in the American Council on Education's (ACE) Transcript Service. The ACE Transcript Service offers a lifelong record for students who have successfully completed our courses that have been reviewed by ACE CREDIT . This service enables adult learners to present a nationally recognized transcript to the college or university of their choice for the potential award of academic credit. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT Transcript Service website. Note: Transfer of credit is determined by the receiving institution. > View a list of credits recommended for individual courses and other details Students may register any Coding Basics course they've successfully completed with ACE. All of a student's ACE-evaluated courses are shown on one transcript with easy-to-read descriptions, credit recommendations, and suggested transfer areas. Upon request, the transcript can be released at any time to a college of the student's choice. To join the ACE Transcript Service, students must pay a one-time set-up fee of $40.00 and a nominal fee of $15.00 each time they request the release of a transcript. > Complete an online registration with ACE (for Coding Basics students)
Clusters/Classes Begin As soon as a student's payment has been received and processed, AHIMA will send a registration confirmation via e-mail. Students may then begin their coding basics courses on any date, as long as their A&P prerequisite has been satisfied, by following the steps below. After you have registered, there are two steps you need to take, to start your class: Step 1: Log In and Request Approval Step 2: Self-Activate If you have registered but have not yet ordered and received the textbooks for your course(s), you should wait until the books arrive, and THEN request approval to start your courses. Cluster/Class Length and Repeat Class Registrations Full Program or Clusters Because this program is self-paced, some students may take less than 15 weeks to complete a cluster of classes. If you are registered for the full program and are ready to move on, you may request activation of your next cluster before the 15-week access period for your current cluster is over. Some students may decide to register and activate a class or cluster before they've completed what they're currently working on. Remember that if you choose to overlap classes/clusters, you must complete all the work by deadline. Single Classes Extensions Registration
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