Medical Insurance Biller & Coder

The number of health insurance customers and people using health care services today is greater than ever as the aging population increases and more individuals have access to health insurance programs. As a result, there is a greater need for trained Medical Insurance Billers and Coders to organize and manage health care information data.

Medical Insurance Billers and Coders organize and manage health information data and are responsible for documenting patients’ health information, including medical histories, symptoms, examination and test results, treatments, and other information about health care services provided to patients. Their duties vary by employer and by the size of the facility in which they work.

The Medical Insurance Biller and Coder program at North-West College focuses on teaching the skills and best practices needed to work in a health care or medical office, including medical terminology and basic human anatomy, front office procedures, how to submit medical claims, insurance reimbursement, managed care procedures, computer billing applications and computer medical coding.

Medical Insurance Billers and Coders routinely perform a variety of important tasks, including:

• Scheduling patient appointments.
• Reviewing patients’ records for timeliness, completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of data.
• Organizing and maintaining data for clinical databases and registries.
• Tracking patient outcomes for quality assessment.
• Using classification software to assign clinical codes for reimbursement and data analysis.
• Electronically recording data for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and reporting.
• Maintaining confidentiality of patients’ records.

Program objectives. 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, medial 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.

North-West 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.

Applicants who possess a high school diploma or equivalent apply through the standard pathway; applicants who do not hold a high school diploma or equivalent may still apply through the College’s Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) pathways described in the catalog. Non-high school graduates are encouraged to apply.

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 some programs, students will be subject to criminal background checks, physical examination, and drug screening prior to being assigned an externship or clinical site.

Programs offered at North-West College are only offered to residents of the State of California.

The majority of weekday classes meet Monday through Thursday, while others meet Monday through Friday and/or include weekend classes. Programs scheduled to meet evenings and/or weekends may have a longer program length than the day programs.

Upcoming start dates from the 2026 catalog addendum: 11/9/2026. Morning session. North-West College reserves the right to change or cancel any of these start dates.

Program charges.

• Tuition: $19,265
• Books and supplies: $630
• Registration fee (non-refundable): $100
• STRF: $0.00
• Total program charges: $19,995

Books and Supplies consist of Uniforms, Textbooks, Supplies, and Tutoring. Also, Review Courses where License or Certification is required. For Federal Financial Aid purposes, an academic year is a minimum of 30 weeks, 900 clock hours, or 24 semester credits.

Cost of attendance. The cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of expenses and costs for a typical student to attend a college or university for one academic year. It includes estimated costs you may incur for housing, food, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses. For informational purposes, the average monthly estimated costs for a student who lives off-campus for the 2025-2026 school year is $3,015 per month.

Financial aid. North-West College participates in federal and state financial aid programs. All applicants must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and meet with the Financial Aid Office either by telephone or in person on campus to complete the financial aid process. Programs available to students who qualify include: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Direct PLUS Loans, the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant and VA educational benefits. Federal School Code (FAFSA): 016581.

Payment plans. Students may also choose to make payments towards their tuition and fees directly to the College. North-West College offers a credit extension option, which includes a payment plan without interest where the balance must be paid within 12 months. Students who have limited financial aid assistance may qualify for alternative educational loans through a private lender.

Graduates of the program routinely find jobs working in:

• Physician’s offices
• Medical clinics
• Hospitals
• Nursing care facilities

Careers. Medical Biller, Professional Coder, Medical office professional.

North-West College cannot guarantee employment.