Overview

Coding Basics is a self-paced, 12-course, introductory online program for individuals interested in pursuing a career in medical coding.

Coding professionals abstract clinical data from health records and assign appropriate medical codes. These codes are used for classification, reimbursement, planning, and research. Comprehensive training for inpatient and outpatient coding is provided in the AHIMA Coding Basics Program, as well as prerequisite background courses in health record content, medical terminology, and disease process.

Upon completion of the program, a graduate of AHIMA's Coding Basics program will be able to:

Accurately apply diagnosis and procedure codes utilizing ICD-9-CM, CPT®, and HCPCS
Understand what changes are coming with the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS classification systems
Interpret coding guidelines for accurate code assignment
Identify the importance of documentation on code assignment and the subsequent reimbursement impact
Practice AHIMA's Standards of Ethical Coding

Students who successfully complete the Coding Basics program (four clusters with three classes per cluster or 12 single classes) will receive a Coding Basics Certificate of Completion and may choose to sit for the Certified Coding Associate® (CCA) national certification exam.

Learn more about the CCA national certification exam

American Council on Education (ACE) Transcript Service

For the benefit of our Coding Basics and Anatomy and Physiology students, AHIMA's Online Education Program participates in the American Council on Education's (ACE) Transcript Service. The ACE Transcript Service offers a lifelong record for students who have successfully completed AHIMA courses that have been reviewed for ACE CREDIT. This service enables adult learners to present a nationally recognized transcript to the college or university of their choice for the potential award of academic credit. For more information, visit ACE CREDIT Transcript Service. Please note that transfer of credit is determined by the receiving institution.

View a list of credits recommended for individual courses and other details

Students may register any Coding Basics courses or the Anatomy and Physiology: Core Lessons for Health Professions course with ACE once they are successfully completed. All of a student's ACE-evaluated courses are shown on one transcript with easy-to-read descriptions, credit recommendations, and suggested transfer areas. Upon request, the transcript can be released at any time to a college of the student's choice.

To use the ACE CREDIT® Registry and Transcript System to maintain an account of your ACE-reviewed training or order an official ACE transcript,students need to complete an online registration with ACE.

Program Requirements

Please review the program requirements before enrolling to help ensure a positive experience with AHIMA's Coding Basics program:

Anatomy and Physiology

Prior to beginning the first Coding Basics course, students must provide official proof that a college-level Human Anatomy and Physiology course (that covers the structure and function of all body systems) was completed with a grade of "C" or better. No lab is required.

To help meet this prerequisite, AHIMA offers an online human anatomy and physiology course. Click here for course details and to register for AHIMA's Anatomy and Physiology: Core Lessons for Health Professions course and its required textbook.

Step 1: Submit the Coding Basics Prerequisite Form

All prospective students must complete the Coding Basics Prerequisite form before beginning any course in this program. Each student needs to submit the form only once.

Step 2: There are four different ways to fulfill the prerequisite:

Transcript
If a student previously completed a college-level human anatomy and physiology course with a grade of "C" or better, contact the school to arrange to have official transcript sent directly to AHIMA. After a student submits the online Coding Basics Prerequisite form, the student will receive complete instructions on how to submit the official transcript.
RHIAs and RHITs
RHIAs and RHITs have already satisfied the Coding Basics prerequisite course and will not need to submit transcripts. After submitting the Coding Basics Prerequisite form, RHIAs and RHITs may enroll in the Coding Basics courses immediately without awaiting prerequisite verification.
AHIMA's Anatomy and Physiology: Core Lessons for Health Professions Course
Students who successfully complete AHIMA's Anatomy and Physiology: Core Lessons for Health Professions course will not need to submit transcripts. After submitting the Coding Basics Prerequisite form, students may enroll in the Coding Basics courses immediately without awaiting prerequisite verification.
Physicians and Nurses
We will accept a copy of a nursing or medical license in lieu of a transcript.

Prerequisite Verification

After we receive an official transcript or medical license, AHIMA will send an e-mail message to each prospective Coding Basics student containing the status of the prerequisite and eligibility to begin the Coding Basics courses.

RHIAs and RHITs, as well as students who successfully complete AHIMA's Anatomy and Physiology: Core Lessons for Health Professions course, will not receive this e-mail verification but may enroll and request activation of courses immediately after submitting the Coding Basics Prerequisite form.

Coding Basics enrollees are required to obtain AHIMA membership so they will have access to the features offered on the Engage Communities and to materials located in the AHIMA HIM Body of Knowledge™ (BoK).

AHIMA membership benefits go far beyond book savings. All AHIMA resources—including the Journal of AHIMA, the AHIMA Engage Communities and BoK — are complimentary to AHIMA members. After payment for the first class or three-class cluster has been received and processed, students can apply for AHIMA membership.

Student membership is currently available to most Coding Basics enrollees, however, students are not eligible for student membership and must join as an active member if:

Student has previously been an active member of AHIMA
Student has an AHIMA credential or has registered for an AHIMA exam

Student membership offers students a savings on AHIMA books! First-time students who want the membership discount must follow this process:

First, register and pay for a class, classes, or cluster.
Apply for AHIMA membership online.
After an official AHIMA ID number is received, return to this page to verify which book editions are currently required for the course(s).
Submit required book order online.

Online Membership Form
Learn more about AHIMA membership

All Coding Basics finals must be taken under the supervision of a proctor. Students must ask a manager, supervisor, human resources personnel, or HIM coworker to be in the same room as exams are completed. If taking the courses outside of work, students may ask a friend to be the proctor. Spouses or family members cannot serve as proctors.

Proctoring is necessary for the Coding Basics courses to be accepted for credit. Detailed proctoring instructions and forms can be viewed here:

this Program requires the use of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader and Adobe Flash plug-ins.
Click here for more information.

Course Registration

The 12 courses that comprise this program have been arranged into four groups for an optimal learning experience. The Coding Basics program has been designed so that students can complete the program in about 15 months by following the recommended pace of taking four clusters of three classes, each cluster lasting 15 weeks.

AHIMA's 12 Coding Basics courses are for sale in clusters or individually to allow students to set their own pace as they progress though the program. However, because learning is designed to be cumulative throughout the program, AHIMA recommends that students not take more than 2-6 weeks off between classes or clusters.

Cluster/Course Length

Full Program or Clusters

Students who have registered for the full Coding Basics program (all four clusters) will be enrolled in one cluster at a time. Students have 15 weeks to complete all three classes within each cluster. Students who purchase a single class will have 15 weeks to complete it.
Because this program is self-paced, some students may take less than 15 weeks to complete a class. If the student is ready to begin the next class before the 15-week access period for the current class(es) has expired, students may do so.

Repeating Classes

The student will have 15 weeks to complete each individual class. Students who do not complete a class before deadline, or complete a class with an average below 70%, will need to repeat that class in order to receive a certificate at the completion of the program. Submit a customer support request to contact Coding Basics Administration about repeating a class, using your AHIMA ID and password.

Extensions

Extensions will be considered only for students with extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances such as bereavement or medical emergency. Please submit requests for extensions through our Customer Support Request Form.

Full program registration

Register for entire program at one time and save!

$2000.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Register for entire cluster at one time and save!

$550.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Healthcare Delivery Systems

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-2)

An introduction to the financing, and delivery of healthcare services, this course gives an overview of the organization and activities of hospitals, nursing homes, mental health and ambulatory care centers, home health agencies, and hospices. Students also learn about the educational preparation and responsibilities of healthcare professionals and government regulations.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Medical Terminology

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

Students are taught how to break medical terms into prefixes, suffixes, and roots, and become familiar with the spelling, abbreviations, and definitions of common medical terms related to major disease processes, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, drugs, and treatment modalities.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Computer Basics in Healthcare

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

This course offers a general overview of computers and the Internet and the role each has played in healthcare and will play in the future. Students will learn the basics of hardware and software and will gain a general understanding of the most commonly used applications. Online tools used by AHIMA, such as the Communities of Practice (CoP) and the Body of Knowledge (BoK), will be explored, as well as the various applications used in the teaching of online courses.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Register for entire cluster at one time and save!

$550.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Pathophysiology/Pharmacology

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

Emphasis is placed on the disease processes affecting the human body via an integrated approach to specific disease entities. Included will be the study of causes, diagnosis and treatment of disease, as well as an understanding of the basic principles of pharmacology.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Basic ICD Coding, Part 1

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

An introduction to basic inpatient coding concepts using ICD-9-CM, this course emphasizes practice in the assignment of valid diagnostic and procedure codes.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Healthcare Data Content and Structure

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

This course introduces students to the contents, use, and structure of the health record including data and data sets. It explains how these components relate to primary and secondary record systems and gives an overview of the legal and ethical issues applicable to health information.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Register for entire cluster at one time and save!

$550.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Basic ICD Coding, Part 2

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

A continuation of Part 1 of the Basic ICD Coding course, Part 2 focuses on ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding. This course emphasizes practice in the assignment of valid diagnostic ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Basic CPT Coding, Part 1

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

An introduction to basic coding concepts using CPT/HCPCS coding systems, this course emphasizes practice in the assignment of valid diagnostic and procedure codes in an ambulatory care setting. The course covers procedural terminology in current use, evaluation and management (E/M) codes, medicine, HCPCS Levels II and III, and CPT Category II and III codes.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Medical Office Procedures

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

An introduction to medical office reimbursement processes and procedures, this course covers insurance claims completion, electronic claims submission, health insurance contract requirements, fraudulent and abusive billing practices, working through the appeal process with third-party payers, and the resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS). The course also provides an overview of the revenue cycle for both physician office and hospital settings.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Register for entire cluster at one time and save!

$550.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Basic CPT Coding, Part 2

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

A continuation of Part 1 of the Basic CPT/HCPCS Coding course, Part 2 utilizes higher level, more complex examples (case studies, records, and scenarios). This course covers surgery coding, anesthesia coding, radiology coding, pathology and laboratory coding, and reimbursement in the ambulatory setting. Students are assigned exercises to complete using the online QuadraMed® Quantim® encoder.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Reimbursement Methodology

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-3)

Emphasis is placed on the uses of coded data and health information in reimbursement and payment systems appropriate to all healthcare settings and managed care. Students are exposed to the contemporary prospective payment systems used by the US government and other key health plans that comprise most patients' source of payment for healthcare services.

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Professional Practice Experience

(ACE Recommended Semester Credits-4)

This course simulates tasks a coding associate may be expected to perform on the job. Students utilize what they’ve learned in the program so far by stepping through six different settings to complete 80 online coding exercises using either code books or the online QuadraMed Quantim encoder. Then, the student tackles a series of eight projects on such topics as CMS Reporting Requirements and Coding Compliance in a Physician's Office before completing a summary assessment. (Note: This work has been evaluated to equal 60 hours of professional practice. We realize some students may have access to a practice affiliation site, and these students are provided with appropriate documents and encouraged to get real-world experience. However, clinical affiliation is not a requirement for successful completion of this course.)

$225.00 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register

Required Books

Textbooks are not included in the program tuition fees and must be ordered separately. Please order required books two weeks before activating class(es) and beginning the coursework to help ensure you receive the appropriate edition.

How to Order Coding Basics Books

All required books can be purchased at the AHIMA Online store. AHIMA membership is required for enrollment in this program and includes book discounts. Be sure to review the Requirements for information on how to purchase a membership and how to access this discount on your first book order.

Note: If purchasing books from other sources, please verify the correct edition by matching the ISBN.

Computer Basics in Healthcare (1 Textbook Required)

Introduction to Computer Systems for HIT

Authors: Nanette B. Sayles, EdD, RHIA, CCS, CHPS, FAHIMA and Kathy C. Trawick, EdD, RHIA
Publisher: AHIMA
ISBN: 978-1-58426-220-6
AHIMA Product Number: AB103409
Healthcare Delivery Systems (No books required.)
All material provided online.

Medical Terminology (1 Textbook Required, 2 Books Optional)

Mastering Healthcare Terminology, 4th Edition

Author: Betsy J. Shiland, MS, RHIA, CCS, CPC, CPHQ, CTR
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 978-0-323-08032-3
AHIMA Product Number: CB502112

Note: This course calls for the third edition "Mastering Healthcare Terminology" book, which is no longer available. However, there were very few changes from the third edition book to the fourth edition book, so students will be able to take the course using the fourth edition book with no problem.

Optional Books for Cluster 1

Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 32nd Edition
Pocket Glossary of Health Information Management and Technology, 3rd Edition

Click Here to Download Order Form

Basic ICD Coding, Part 1 (1 Textbook and 1 Code Book Required)

Note: The 2013 ICD Part 1 course uses the 2013 code book and the 2012 textbook

ICD-9-CM Professional for Hospitals, Volumes 1 through 3, 2013 Edition

Publisher: Optum
ISBN: 978-1-60151-621-3
AHIMA Product Number: VC208113

Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS and ICD-9-CM Coding, 2012 Edition

Author: Lou Ann Schraffenberger
Publisher: AHIMA
ISBN: 978-1-58426-318-0
AHIMA Product Number: AC200511
Healthcare Data, Content, and Structure (No books required.)
All material provided online.

Pathophysiology and Pharmacology (2 Textbooks Required, 1 Optional)

Introduction to Pharmacology, 12th Edition

Author: Mary Kaye Asperheim, MD
Publisher: Elsevier/Saunders
ISBN: 978-1-4377-1706-8
AHIMA Product Number: CB602011

Pathophysiology for the Health Professions, 4th Edition

Author: Barbara Gould
Publisher: Elsevier/Saunders
ISBN: 978-1-4377-0965-0
AHIMA Product Number: CB601010

Optional Book for Cluster 2

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 19th Edition

Click Here to Download Order Form

Basic CPT Coding, Part 1 (1 Textbook, 1 Workbook, and 1 Code Book Required)

CPT 2013 Standard Edition

Publisher: American Medical Association
ISBN: 978-1-60359-683-1
AHIMA Product Number: VC205113

Basic CPT/HCPCS Coding, 2013 Edition

Author: Gail Smith, MA, RHIA, CCS-P
Publisher: AHIMA
ISBN: 978-1-58426-400-2
AHIMA Product Number: AC200613

Basic CPT/HCPCS Coding Exercises, 2nd Edition

Author: Gail Smith, MA, RHIA, CCS-P
Publisher: AHIMA
ISBN: 978-1-58426-251-0
AHIMA Product Number: AC210610
Also available as an eBook.

Basic ICD Coding, Part 2

For Basic ICD Coding Part 2, continuing students will use the same books they purchased for Basic ICD Coding Part 1 plus an additional textbook, listed below. (If student has not taken Basic ICD Coding Part 1, purchase the latest editions of the ICD-9-CM code book and Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS and ICD-9-CM Coding.)

Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS and ICD-9-CM Coding, 2012 Edition

ICD-9-CM Professional for Hospitals, Volumes 1 through 3, 2013 Edition

Clinical Coding Workout: Practice Exercises for Skill Development, 2013 Edition, with Answers

Publisher: AHIMA
ISBN: 978-1-58426-417-0
AHIMA Product Number: AC201514

Medical Office Procedures (1 Textbook and 2 Code Books Required)

For Medical Office Procedures, continuing students will use the same code books they purchased for ICD-9-CM Part 1 and CPT Part 1. Plus, all continuing students will need an additional textbook, which is listed below. (If student has not taken ICD-9-CM Part 1 and CPT Part 1, purchase the latest editions of the ICD-9-CM and the CPT code books.)

ICD-9-CM Professional for Hospitals, Volumes 1 through 3

CPT Standard Edition

Understanding Health Insurance: A Guide to Billing and Reimbursement, 10th Edition

Author: Michelle A. Green and JoAnn C. Rowell
Publisher: Delmar Cengage Learning
ISBN: 978-111103-518-1
AHIMA Product Number: CB511210

Click Here to Download Order Form

Basic CPT Coding, Part 2 (2 Textbooks and 1 Code Book Required)

For CPT Part 2, continuing students will use the same code book and textbook they purchased for CPT Part 1. Continuing students are given the option of using the Clinical Coding Workout book they purchased for ICD-9-CM Part 2 to complete additional exercises. (If this is the student's first AHIMA CPT course, purchase the latest editions of all required books.)

CPT Standard Edition, softbound

Basic CPT/HCPCS Coding

Clinical Coding Workout, with Answers: Practice Exercises for Skill Development (OPTIONAL but recommended)

Professional Practice Experience (1 Textbook and 2 Code Books Required)

For Professional Practice Experience, continuing students will use the same edition of the Clinical Coding Workout book and the same ICD-9-CM and CPT code books they purchased for ICD-9-CM Part 2 and/or CPT Part 2. (If student has not yet taken either of these courses, purchase the latest edition of the book listed under Basic ICD Part 2 in Cluster 3.)

ICD-9-CM Professional for Hospitals, Volumes 1 through 3

CPT Standard Edition

Clinical Coding Workout, with Answers: Practice Exercises for Skill Development

Reimbursement Methodology (1 Textbook Required)

Principles of Healthcare Reimbursement, 4th Edition

Author: Anne B. Casto, RHIA, CCA and Elizabeth Forrestal, PhD, RHIA, CS, FAHIMA
Publisher: AHIMA
ISBN: 978-1-58426-340-1
AHIMA Product Number: AB202011

Click Here to Download Order Form

Course Activation

As soon as course payment has been received and processed, AHIMA will send a registration confirmation e-mail. Students can then begin Coding Basics courses as soon as the anatomy and physiology prerequisite has been satisfied by following the steps in the Program Requirements tab.

After registration, there are two steps to start a class:

Step 1: Log In and Request Approval

Students should order and receive required textbooks before requesting approval to begin a course.
Once the required textbooks arrive, log in to the campus, and click My Classes:

Click the title of the new class or cluster.
Click the Request Approval button and submit the brief form.

An AHIMA welcome email will arrive within three business days. This email will contain instructions on next steps.

Step 2: Self-Activate

Once the welcome email from AHIMA has been received, self-activate course(s) to initiate the 15-week course period.
Follow the instructions in the welcome e-mail to log in and self-activate or start the course or cluster.
Be sure to self-activate a course or cluster within two weeks of receiving the welcome e-mail.
To request an extension of the self-activation period, submit a Customer Support Request using your AHIMA username and password and select appropriate topic under E-Learning in the FAQs section that is linked from the Overview Tab.