Online Degree in Health Care Administration

The advances of information technology have made it more possible than ever to get an online degree in health care. Also, many opportunities throughout the health care profession have been opened because of the online degree option. Opportunities in health care are expected to increase quite rapidly in the near future because of the aging Baby Boomer population that will inevitably be seeking more health care.

Nurses and other providers are crucial to the initial encounter but it does not stop there. The doctor, hospital, pharmacist, caregivers, and staff all have to be paid. This is where the health care back office comes into the picture. The patient receiving the care probably does not have the funds to pay the expense of the medical encounter so it is at this point the health insurance carrier steps in to pay the hospital. The back office health care professionals are educated in how to review and process claims for payment to the providers. This is where the online degree in health care administration prepares leaders in the industry responsible for the proper payment of health care providers.

Claims must be coded properly in order to be paid. Health care payers usually have elaborate and powerful computer systems to adjudicate claims and cut checks for payment to providers. But those claims must be entered into the system. There is a complex standard known as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) that ensures the transmission and receipt of health care claim data from provider to claim payer. In a perfect world, EDI would be a seamless process in a cycle of claim to payer and check to provider. However in the real world, claims often lack information or are not coded properly and the data received by a payer must be edited. This is where an online degree in medical billing and coding comes in handy as it prepares the student to work in this area of editing claims data to get them into a payable status.

Case management makes sure that a patient’s care is managed properly for the best patient value with the most effective results. Case managers in a medical claims organization track the patient cases requiring major medical procedures. Case managers review cases for medical necessity and most of all to see if the prescribed treatment plan is appropriate for the patient. An online degree in health care case management can give you the skills needed to be an effective case manager and help to make sure patients get the best in health care.

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  1. Thank you for this informative site. I’m looking for a Bachelor Degree study program suitable for my age (67 yrs.) and requirement; my requirement being: 1) preferrably in the health care profession, 2) Administrative field, 3) I’ve been a secretary most of my life and now am a home health nursing assistant. I’ve trained in two different hospitals and have taken a Medical Office Assistant course at home (no credintials, i.e., associate degree awarded) but I earned all A’s and a few B’s. About 20 years ago I studied English Composition, Environmental Science, Basic Algebra and Chemistry at Reading Area Community College. At present (and for the past six years have been working as a home nursing assistant. Could you please advise me? Thank you in advance.

    Sincerely,

    ~Elaine

  2. PLEASE DELETE THE ABOVE VERY PERSONAL REMARKS. THANK YOU.

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