Medical Office Assistant Training Course

Medical Office Assistants help ensure the efficient operation of today's medical offices, hospitals and clinics. The Medical Office Assistant Training Program is designed to prepare graduates to work as an entry-level medical front office assistant, receptionist, insurance billing, insurance collector, appointment scheduler or medical records clerk in healthcare centers, clinics, hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and medical billing offices.

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PCI MOA PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The medical office assistant program is a six month course focusing on administrative skills used in health care offices. Students will learn computer skills, insurance claim processing, medical coding and billing, medical records collections and front office management procedures.

COURSE CURRICULUM, TRAINING AND SKILLS LEARNED

UNIT 1

100 HOURS

MEDICAL FRONT OFFICE SKILLS

DURING THIS UNIT OF TRAINING, STUDENTS WILL STUDY COMPLETING PATIENT HISTORY FORMS, DEVELOP COMPUTER SKILLS, UNDERSTAND MEDICAL RECORD MANAGEMENT, APPLY MEDICAL ETHICS AND LEGAL CONCEPTS TO DAILY ACTIVITIES, UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY, TELEPHONE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS, APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING, PROCESSING MAIL, INSURANCE AUTHORIZATIONS, WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE AND TYPING SKILLS.

UNIT 2

100 HOURS

MEDICAL PROCEDURES

STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE, COPE WITH AND MANAGE STRESS, IDENTIFY COMMON MEDICAL TERMS AND MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY, PERFORM BASIC FIRST AID, CPR CERTIFICATION, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) REGULATIONS, ASSESS PATIENTS' VITAL SIGNS AND PATIENT CHARTING

UNIT 3

100 HOURS

MEDICAL BILLING & MEDICAL COLLECTIONS

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN AND UTILIZE DIAGNOSIS AND MEDICAL PROCEDURAL CODES FOR BILLING PURPOSES, EFFECTIVELY COMPLETE HEALTH INSURANCE CLAIM FORMS AND CONDUCT FOLLOW UP WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES. ICD9 (DIAGNOSIS CODES), CPT (PROCEDURE CODES), PATIENT BILLING, HEALTH INSURANCE CLAIMS, INSURANCE BILLING AND MEDICAL COLLECTION PROCEDURES

UNIT 4

100 HOURS

MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT

MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT, MEDICAL OFFICE BOOKKEEPING (ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, ACCOUNTS PAYABLE) MULTI - CULTURAL AWARENESS, UTILIZING RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

UNIT 5

200 HOURS

EXTERNSHIP

AFTER COMPLETING THE CLASS ROOM PORTION OF TRAINING, STUDENTS WILL GAIN REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE IN A MEDICAL OFFICE, CLINIC, LAB OR HOSPITAL SETTING APPLYING THE SKILLS LEARNED IN A VARIETY OF SPECIALTIES. THIS PORTION OF TRAINING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENT TO PERFORM VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICIES ARE ENFORCED DURING THE EXTERNSHIP AND THE DIRECTOR OF PLACEMENT MUST APPROVE THE EXTERNSHIP SITE.

MOA students will learn basic medical office administrative skills, medical terminology, learn to take patients' vital signs, create and manage medical charts and records, learn to use proper accounting and bookkeeping methods and insurance authorizations, claims and medical billing. Students will also learn to perform basic first aid and CPR.

Graduates of the MOA program may work in a variety of jobs including medical office assistant, medical administrative assistant, patient representative, medical billing or administrative assistant.

Nature of MOA Work

Medical Office Assistant graduates will be employable in a number of areas including Front desk reception, patient representative, insurance claims, coding and billing, medical collections, hospital unit clerk, hospital secretary, data entry and many other administrative non-invasive positions.

Medical front office assistants perform many routine administrative duties that keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists running smoothly. They answer telephones, greet patients, update and file patient medical records, fill out insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handle insurance authorization, medical billing and office bookkeeping.

Medical front office assistants may also arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean. They constantly interact with other people, and may have to handle several responsibilities at once.

MOA Employment

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Records Technicians are among the Top 25 fastest growing occupations in the nation, with a projected growth rate of 44% through the year 2008.

Medical front office assistants held about 252,000 jobs in 1998. Sixty-five percent were in physicians’ offices, and 14 percent were in offices of other health practitioners such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. The remaining were employed in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.

Medical records and health information technicians held about 147,000 jobs in 2002. 37% of all jobs were in hospitals. The rest were mostly in offices of physicians, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, and home healthcare services. Insurance firms that deal in health matters employ a small number of health information technicians to tabulate and analyze health information. Public health departments also hire technicians to supervise data collection from healthcare institutions and to assist in research. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

The number of jobs available for medical office workers is expected to continue to grow well into the next century. The aging population, advances in medical technology, and the expansion of the health care industry should continue to afford medical office assistants a high degree of job security.

In addition to employment in hospitals and private physicians' offices many MOA graduates find employment in:

medical specialty offices
medical clinics
dental offices
chiropractic offices
home health care agencies
nursing homes
long term care facilities
civil service
insurance companies
public health clinics
hospice care
medical supply companies
out patient clinics
surgical centers
medical equipment companies
medical billing and collections companies
public and private schools
research labs
rehabilitation centers
radiology facilities
other allied health professionals or alternative health care providers

Some of the other fields of medicine that typically require the employment of Medical Office Assistants include:

Dentistry
Optometry
Osteopathy
Podiatry

Most full-time medical front office assistants work a regular 40-hour week. Some work part-time, evenings or weekends.

MOA Training, Skills and Career Advancement

Most employers prefer to hire graduates of formal programs in medical front office assisting. Such programs are offered from technical schools, postsecondary vocational schools, community and junior colleges, and in colleges and universities. Postsecondary programs usually last either 1 year, resulting in a certificate or diploma, or 2 years, resulting in an associate degree. Courses cover medical terminology as well as typing, transcription, record keeping, accounting, and insurance processing.

Because medical front office assistants deal with the public, they must be neat and well-groomed and have a courteous, pleasant manner. Patient communication and listening skills are very important. Medical front office assistants must be able to put patients at ease and explain physicians’ instructions and respect the confidential nature of medical information.

Career Advancement Opportunities. Medical front office assistants may be able to advance to office manager. They may qualify for a variety of administrative support occupations, or may teach medical assisting. Others with additional educational training may enter other health occupations such as nursing and medical technology.