Medical coders and billers may work in an office or from home analyzing patient charts to assign universal numeric codes for reporting and billing purposes. Knowledge of health care, disease process, and treatments is used to expertly determine these codes. Also, knowledge of medical insurance and government payer expectations are used for reimbursement. Critical thinking, attention to detail, and accuracy are essential in this field.Program Description: Everett Community College offers an Associate in Technical Arts degree in Medical Coding and Billing with embedded Medical Coding (MC) and Medical Billing Specialist (MBS) Certificates. Both the MC and MBS certificates are offered in an online environment. All MC classes are offered every quarter. Subsequent courses for the MBS certificate are not offered every quarter; be sure to plan your schedule with care. Some MBS classes may be worked into the first four quarters. You'll want advising before you start each phase. The Medical Coding Program provides the training required to obtain a position as an entry-level medical coder. The program is fully online, and any course may be entered at the beginning of any quarter. Each course requires an average of 3 hours of study time per credit hour per week. There are 2 track options available to earn this certificate, allowing you to complete the program in 12 or 18 months. There are built-in prerequisite requirements and courses that must be taken in a specific sequence. Completion of the Medical Billing Specialist (MBS) Program helps students develop computer literacy in Microsoft Office software and gain familiarity and experience with medical terminology, insurance reimbursement, front office scheduling and registration, as well as ethical decision-making skills. This is an online program with most classes offered on campus, as well. Not all courses are offered every quarter. Consult with a program advisor and review the class schedule to plan course selection(s).