(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s statewide Workforce Training office is offering an 11-hour online Telehealth and COVID-19 bundle aimed at providing guidance to people working in medical coding and billing.
Participants who register for the training can take the 10 sessions through the Practice Management Institute at their own pace, but there is a time limit to complete the work. Topics include billing, cybersecurity, telehealth reimbursement and COVID-19’s impact on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The sessions have been created using federal public health guidelines.
The American Medical Association and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued this year new procedure codes to use for COVID-19 laboratory testing and billing for non-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory testing for the virus, according to the Texas Medical Association.
“Medical billing and coding is ever changing, so it is always important for us to keep up with the most current guidelines,” said Carra Benson, a TMA practice management associate. “I feel the COVID-19 pandemic was a huge reminder of that.”
The training is open to Texas residents, no matter their proximity to a TSTC campus. Participants need access to a computer and internet to take the courses. Those completing lessons will receive certification from PMI, and if they are registered with TSTC’s Workforce Training office, they can receive continuing education hours.
Medical facilities who have staff that can benefit from the lessons can contact TSTC’s Workforce Training office, which can apply for Texas Workforce Commission Skills Development Fund money to cover the training cost.
“That is why a lot of businesses, organizations and vendors work with us because the (TWC) funds have to be filtered through a college,” said Cindy Brunett, a TSTC Workforce Training project manager.
To learn more about TWC funding and register for the training, go to tstc.edu/workforce/onlinelearningcovid-19.
