- Currently closed to new enrollees
Medical Coding
Reimagining Medical Coding
Calbright’s Medical Coding program provides the foundation for a career in the medical coding industry and prepares you for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification exam.
What is Medical Coding?
Medical coding is the process of turning healthcare information into universal codes that are used to document and bill for medical services. A medical coder reviews the health record and assigns codes that explain what was done and why. Medical coding plays a critical role in making sure healthcare systems run smoothly and that providers get paid accurately. It’s a skill that combines attention to detail, problem-solving, and knowledge of healthcare terms. With the right training, you can start a rewarding career in this growing field.
The need for medical coding professionals is expected to grow by 6% by 2034 with 50,000 job opportunities within the state and an average starting salary of $66,000.
What can Calbright’s Medical Coding program do for you?
Students will learn to:
- Identify coding guidelines and conventions
- Interpret legal and ethical issues that apply to health information management
- Apply accurate diagnostic and procedural coding and assign the correct procedure and diagnosis codes for professional (physician) services
2
9 weeks
9-12 months
Start any time
TBD
Introductory
English
This program is currently closed to new enrollees. Please enter your information below to get updates on future enrollment.
Get started with Calbright’s Medical Coding Program.
IMPORTANT: This program is currently open for limited enrollment only by individuals receiving direct invitations. Please enter the same email to which your invitation was addressed. If you did not receive an invitation but are interested in the Medical Coding program, enter your details here and we'll be in touch with future enrollment updates.
Key Outcomes
100% Free
Online
Flexibly Paced
Certificate in 1 Year
Overview
Jumpstart Your Medical Coding Career
In-demand skills for a growing field
Calbright’s medical coding certificate program will provide the foundation for a career in the medical coding industry and prepares you for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification exam and help you gain a new role in the medical coding profession.
You will be able to use your Calbright certificate to help health care providers and insurance companies use medical codes for billing and record keeping purposes. The need for medical coding professionals is expected to grow by 6% by 2034 with 50,000 job opportunities within the state and an average starting salary of $66,000.
This program is currently free to California residents.
Skills you'll gain
Proficiency in Medical Terminology Comprehension (Payel approved)
Understand medical terminology and basic anatomy and physiology
HIPAA Ethics and Compliance
How to interpret health information management law and ethics using the CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS medical code sets
Accurate Diagnostic and Procedural Coding
Apply accurate diagnostic and procedural coding and assign the correct procedure and diagnosis codes for physician services
Courses in this Program
Medical Terminology
This course is designed to provide the foundational language skills needed for success in medical coding. Students will learn the meaning of medical terms by breaking them into prefixes, suffixes, and root words, making it easier to understand healthcare documentation. By the end of this course, students will feel confident using medical terms to support accurate and efficient coding.
*You may satisfy the requirements for HC 510 by taking a proficiency test based on prior knowledge or experience.
Medical Coding
This course is designed to prepare you for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam and a successful career in medical coding. You will learn how to apply the correct codes for medical procedures, diagnoses, and services using industry-standard coding systems. Through hands-on practice and expert guidance, you'll build the skills in ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS to provide students with the confidence needed to pass the CPC exam and to start their journey in the growing field of healthcare coding.
Topics Covered
Calbright programs are designed to reflect labor market needs, and are built in collaboration with employers. You’ll build knowledge and skills in the key Medical Coding areas that businesses need. The program covers these topics and more:
Note: While Calbright programs are flexibly paced, enrollment agreements are limited in duration. Students are enrolled in successive 6-month terms for a maximum program length of three years.
- Term construction
- Identify body systems and structures
- Medical Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Medical terminology
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Health insurance and reimbursement
- ICD-10-CM
- Healthcare Common Procedures Coding System (HCPCS)
Careers and Outcomes
What can you do with a Medical Coding certificate from Calbright?
The following entry-level roles are examples of attainable positions with the skill set and industry-recognized credential made possible via Calbright's Medical Coding program.
Medical Coder
You’ll translate a patient's medical record into universal medical codes for accurate billing, medical records and physician reimbursement by insurance companies.
Medical coding professionals help ensure the codes are applied correctly during the medical billing process, which includes abstracting the information from documentation, assigning the appropriate codes, and creating a claim to be paid by insurance carriers.
Patient Account Representative
You’ll work with insurance company representatives to confirm that your patient has the necessary medical coverage needed for treatment(s), answer patient’s questions regarding their medical bills and address any questions or payment issues.
Risk Adjuster
You’ll identify and monitor insurance claims and provide the appropriate Clinical Conditions Coding categories based on your assessment of the medical treatment(s).
We'll help you get there!
No one should have to be in college alone, and at Calbright you’ve got a team working with you, supporting your success. Whether it’s help with your classes, help with technology, or even someone to help connect you to services you need in your life, we are here to be part of your journey to a better career and help transition you into a job in tech.
Jobs estimates via Janco Associates, Inc. study. Median wage and job growth figures via U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
$66k
median average wage for entry level medical coders
50,000
jobs in California
6 %
Expected job growth rate in CA by 2034
“Right now I’m not able to be mobile so much, so doing school remotely is better for me. And being able to do it at my own pace really helps.”
“I got in and then I felt like my life changed, I did a 180. Everybody was reaching out to me. I was getting all these Slack messages telling me things I could sign up for and do. Even though it’s remote it made me feel like I was doing a lot of things with people. It really made me feel fulfilled after two years of not doing anything.”
“it seemed too good to be true. I wondered if it was a scam, but I decided to check it out. It’s free, so why not give it a chance? And I’m really glad I did. It literally changed my life.”
FAQs
Who can be a student at Calbright?
Calbright is open to all California residents aged 18 years or older who have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
All Californians — regardless of immigration status — are welcome to enroll.
Why should I attend Calbright?
First, our training programs prepare you to earn industry-recognized certifications (via exams offered by third-party providers like CompTIA and Salesforce), proof to employers that you’re ready to succeed in a new career on day one of employment.
Second, every student that completes a program also gets a dedicated team of professional experts that will coach you to be the best version of yourself during your job search.
Third, all of our courses are flexibly-paced and 100% online — designed around your own unique life circumstances so school never gets in the way of other priorities.
Plus, Calbright comes at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Even the cost of the exams to receive industry-recognized certifications (such as the CompTIA A+, Security+, and Salesforce Certified Administrator exams) in your program of choice are covered.
We also offer resources that include (but are not limited to) technology support through our Chromebook and WiFi hotspot lending library; career counseling; and mental health services. All this and more make Calbright a great choice if you’re looking to level up your skillset.
It is really free? How?
Yes! All of our programs are currently free thanks to public funding from the State of California. That includes program tuition, testing costs, and technology resources like laptops and WiFi devices from our lending library.
Because our programs are free, we don’t need to offer financial aid.
Is Calbright accredited?
Yes! Calbright was granted accreditation by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission in July 2023, more than a year ahead of the deadline provided in the College’s founding legislation. Accreditation is an important consumer protection that validates the integrity and quality of the College’s academic programs and operations.
How long does it take to enroll and start classes?
Starting an application is easy! If you’re ready to begin your journey with us, click here. If you still have questions or would like to get in contact another way, you’ve got plenty of options.
You can always reach out to success@calbright.org and someone from our team will get back with you via email ASAP.
You can also use the webchat function on our homepage, call us at 1-833-956-0225, or text us at (510) 330-1817.
How long will the Medical Coding program take to complete?
What job training programs do you offer? What makes them unique?
We currently have seven online, flexibly-paced training programs: IT Support, Cybersecurity, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform Administration, Data Analysis, Project Management, Network Technology*, and Medical Coding**.
These programs are the first of many, with each fitting into wraparound services designed to prepare you for success in the job market.
*Please note that Network Technology is a pilot program and currently closed to new enrollees.
**Please note that we are currently not accepting new applications into the Medical Coding program.
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