Associate of Applied Science in Medical Information Technology - Health Information Coding Specialty

Health information coders play a critical role in accurately identifying procedures and diagnoses to ensure accurate billing and reimbursement. Students are trained to:Understand anatomy, medical terminology, and disease processes necessary to determine correct codes and sequences.Analyze health records and to accurately abstract and code procedures and diagnoses utilizing legal and regulatory standards.Communicate with physicians, healthcare facilities, insurance companies, and patients to ensure accurate and timely reimbursement.Graduates are adequately prepared for many roles, such as working in a front office with patients or behind the scenes with insurance companies and healthcare facilities. Upon graduation, students are encouraged and eligible to sit for AHIMA Certified Coding Associate (CCA) and Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) or AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification exams to increase their employment opportunities.

To be considered for undergraduate admission to University of Montana, all international applicants must demonstrate English proficiency by submitting a score on an approved test or by qualifying for an exemption. To be eligible for admission, freshman students must have met/be on track to meet all upper/senior secondary school requirements with the equivalent of a 2.5 U.S. GPA to be automatically considered for admission to undergraduate programs. UM Undergraduate Admissions recognizes the following English proficiency tests. To meet the English proficiency requirement for each admission type, an applicant's test result needs to meet or exceed the posted minimum