Grant helps MCTC students pay for medical course

MCTC students are getting help to pay for their training for the national medical coding exam, thanks to a grant from the Higher Education Policy Commission.

The Higher Education Adult Part-time Student Grant, or HEAPS Grant, was awarded to students in the MCTC Continuing and Community Education department for a medical coding course designed to prepare them for the Certified Professional Coders' Exam, said Erika Bailey, director of MCTC's Continuing and Community Education.

The class is for experienced coders who want to be nationally certified.

The course does not teach the basics, said Pamela Asbury, instructor of the class.

It's for students who already know anatomy, medical terms, basic coding and have had medical experience.

Practice tests are given throughout the semester to prepare students for the five hour and 45 minute timed test of 150 questions, she said.

West Virginia residents who qualify financially may be considered for the grant, which helps pay for the $1,850 course, including instruction fees, American Association of Professional Coders membership, national certification exam fee and textbooks and coding manuals, Bailey said.

Certified coders are definitely in demand, Asbury said.

She will proctor the exam after teaching the course because she is a Certified Professional Coder and member of the American Professional Coders.

One of the biggest reasons to get certified is to learn the coding on the forms that go to the insurance companies correctly so the physicians get paid correctly, Asbury said.

"When these students go to work for a physician, they are much better informed and they get paid a lot better," she said. "It's rewarding to teach people how to do things correctly, and it's nice to help them feel good about themselves too."

Those who need basic instruction in medical coding can find classes at MCTC, too, Bailey said. Most of the students in the advanced class started their basic coding training at MCTC.

The next 18-week advanced course will begin August 5 and basic coding classes are offered every fall.

Elizabeth Adams can be contacted at mccoma36@marshall.edu.