Degree Overview: Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree in Health Services Administration
Majors Overview March 7, 2014In order for a hospital or other healthcare facility to operate successfully, an understanding of coding, medical billing, and insurance claims are needed skills. These skills are usually taught in associate’s degree programs in health services administration.
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Programs in Health Services Administration
Associate of Applied Science in Health Services Administration Degree Programs are devised to train students in insurance claims reporting and general medical administrative tasks, insurance claims reporting, and general business management skills. Graduates can expect to become adept at managing health insurance claims, ensuring adherence to confidentiality regulations, and understanding reimbursement processes and data collection. It takes between 18-24 months to complete these programs that are offered in both traditional classroom-based and distance-learning formats.
Education Requirements
Technical and community colleges are among the schools that commonly offer associate’s degree programs in hospital business management. Admission criteria usually require applicants to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma, in addition to ACT/SAT scores. Minimum test scores and grade point averages vary by school.
Coursework
Apart from business and general education classes, various courses related to hospital business management may be included in the coursework which may also comprise of topic areas such as:
•Legal issues
•Administrative medical office procedures
•Accounting
•Medical collection
•Insurance coding and reimbursement
•Medical terminology
•Facility and physician billing
•Claims processing
Career Choices
Those who graduate from health services administration programs can perform several roles in healthcare administration including:
•Medical records clerk
•Hospital administrative assistant
•Medical office assistant
•Medical admissions clerk
•Medical claims clerk
•Patient account specialist
Continuing Education Choices
Students who wish to continue their education in the field may enroll into a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in law, business administration or healthcare administration. Graduates of such programs become eligible for various leadership roles, including that of a manager in the billing department of a hospital.
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