Medical Insurance Biller and Coder

The Medical Insurance Biller and Coder program prepares graduates for entry-level employment as a medical office billing specialist by providing training in the knowledge, skills, and techniques needed to function in the medical front office, hospital, or medical clinic. Students will learn to set up patient records, computerized practice management, and other functions essential to the medical office environment. Students will also learn the basics of medical coding using CPT and ICD-10-CM codes, and preparation and processing of various insurance claims.

A graduate of the Medical Insurance Biller and Coder program may be employed as a medical administrative assistant, billing specialist, billing secretary, medical fee clerk, medical record administrator, or a medical record technician. Employment may be found in a variety of places, including corporate offices, medical offices, school administration offices, insurance offices, hospital billing offices, and private employment.

Glendale Career College seeks students who are interested in practical career training and who are motivated to succeed in their chosen career fields. Admissions representatives are available at each campus to assist potential students in the admissions process. All courses offered at North-West College are in English. The College does not offer ESL courses.

Although the college welcomes students from other countries, Glendale Career College does not issue student visas (F1 or M1). Additionally, the College is unable to vouch for any student on a student visa.

Admissions Requirement Pathways

Prospective students can apply to the College using one of the following pathways:

• Applicants who possess a high school diploma or equivalent;
• Applicants who do not hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and who established ability-to-benefit (ATB) eligibility under federal regulations prior to July 1, 2012 and registered for or attended a Federal Student Aid eligible program prior to July 1, 2012; or
• Applicants who do not hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and who did not establish ATB eligibility prior to July 1, 2012.

Students who do not possess a high school diploma or equivalent may not apply for admission to the Central Service Instrument Technician, Surgical Technology, Vocational Nurse, Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration, Associate of Arts in Nursing, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. Students are responsible for verifying licensure/certification eligibility requirements with the respective regulatory agency.

1. Applicants Who Possess a High School Diploma or Equivalent

Applicants must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent and provide verifiable documentation. The equivalent to a high school diploma includes:

• a GED®, HiSET™, TASC™, or other approved high school equivalency certificate;
• a certificate of the successful completion of the California High School Proficiency Exam; or
• for homeschooled students, a transcript or the equivalent, signed by the parent or guardian of a homeschooled student that lists the secondary school courses the student completed and documents the successful completion of a secondary school education.

All applicants, who possess a high school diploma or equivalent must complete the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) assessment during the enrollment process and achieve a required minimum score for the applicable program of study. In this admissions pathway, the applicant may apply for enrollment in any of the College's programs for which he/she qualifies. Federal Student Aid is available to those who qualify and are eligible.

2. Applicants Who Do Not Hold a High School Diploma or Equivalent, but Established Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) Eligibility Prior to July 1, 2012 and Registered for or Attended a Federal Student Aid Eligible Program Prior to July 1, 2012

Ability-to-benefit (ATB) students are those individuals who wish to attend the College but do not possess a high school diploma or recognized equivalent, and are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State of California. If the applicant's ATB eligibility was established prior to July 1, 2012, the applicant will be required to provide the official ATB test scores to document eligibility. In addition to the test scores, the student must also have registered for or attended a Federal Student Aid eligible program prior to July 1, 2012. Applicants utilizing this pathway are not required to take an entrance exam or retake the ATB test. An admissions decision will not be made until all required documentation has been received by the College. Federal Student Aid is available to those who qualify and are eligible.

3. Applicants Who Do Not Hold a High School Diploma or Equivalent and Did Not Establish ATB Eligibility Prior to July 1, 2012

Applicants who do not hold a high school diploma or equivalent and did not establish ATB eligibility prior to July 1, 2012 may apply to the College, but are not eligible to apply for Federal Student Aid. Applicants in this admissions pathway will be required to achieve a minimum score on a U.S. Department of Education-approved Ability-to-Benefit test, in place of the standard entrance exam prior to enrollment at the College. The student must achieve the minimum passing scores to be considered for admission to the College.

4. Applicants in Process of Earning a High School Diploma or Equivalent

Active high school students who have not yet graduated are permitted to apply to Glendale Career College programs, but cannot be officially enrolled until they have completed their secondary studies. Once the student has received their official diploma or equivalency, they will follow the process outlined for high school graduates.

Admissions Process

Glendale Career College requires applicants who meet the criteria set forth in one of the three admissions pathways to complete the following admissions process:

• Complete an admissions interview and tour of the College (Note: Central Service Instrument Technician, Surgical Technology, Vocational Nurse, Associate of Arts in Nursing and RN-to-BSN programs may require an additional interview with the Campus Director, Program Director, Director of Nursing, Nursing Admissions Committee, or their designee);
• Provide or request official high school graduation or applicable equivalent documentation;
• Take and pass a standardized basic skills assessment designed to measure aptitude for successful completion of the chosen program of study (see the testing requirements in the admissions pathway information above). The College does not require Surgical Technology Accelerate Alternate Delivery (ST-AAD) applicants to take and pass a standardized basic skills assessment exam for admission to the program. Please note that the College does not require ACT or SAT scores for admission; consider advanced placement credit and experiential learning credit in the admissions process; or give credit for advanced placement courses or experiential learning, except for programs with Boards or Bureau requirements such as the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician (BVNPT).
• Applicants in the full distance education or blended programs, will be required to complete a Distance Education Readiness Assessment questionnaire during the admissions process;
• Applicants from foreign countries where English is not the primary language must be proficient in English as demonstrated with a minimum TOEFL score of 450 or a passing score on the College's entrance evaluation;
• Interview with a Financial Aid Advisor prior to completing the enrollment process;
• Review the College's catalog and all required programmatic, state, and federal disclosures;
• Complete all necessary paperwork for admission including completion of a College Enrollment Agreement; and
• Pay the $100 Application Fee on or prior to the start date, or make arrangements to pay.

Applicants in California will not be subject to questions about their criminal history on an initial application form or at any time during the admissions process before a final admission decision has been made; however, in some programs, students will be subject to criminal background checks, physical examination, and drug screening prior to being assigned an externship or clinical site. Certain convictions, and/or drug screen positive results may prevent a student placement in externship/clinical rotations.

In addition, students enrolled in the Associate of Arts in Nursing program have additional admissions requirements. Please see the Associate of Arts in Nursing Program Handbook for additional information. Final acceptance to the Associate of Arts in Nursing program is determined by the Nursing Admissions Committee.

Glendale Career College does not discriminate in their admissions practices with regard to race, age, gender, gender identity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin of the applicant.

Admissions Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)

All RN-BSN students must meet general admission requirements for Glendale Career College. There are two admission pathways:

• Graduates from the MFSON ADN program may apply and be accepted into the BSN program immediately upon graduation. These students begin general education classes and must obtain a California RN license by the start of BSN core nursing classes.
• Applicants from other prelicensure programs qualify for admissions with a current unencumbered California RN license and a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher from their associate degree nursing program.