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Looking for a fun, challenging job that's always in demand? If so, AMA (administrative medical assisting) may be just the field for you! In this lesson, you'll look at the exciting job opportunities for AMAs, the variety of careers they can choose from, and the different settings where they can work.

The law and medicine go hand-in-hand, so this lesson will teach you the laws that you'll need to know if you become an AMA. The lesson will cover everything from contracts to malpractice and will also delve into HIPAA (a federal act that affects everyone in the health care field).

In this lesson, you'll explore the office equipment and computer hardware that you're likely to use as an AMA. In addition, you will delve into software—both standard office programs and the specialized software used in the field of medical information management.

If you think filing is a bore, this lesson will change your mind. You will discover what the rainbow of colored stickers on a medical file means, and you will even practice creating a patient chart yourself. You will also find out why medical offices love lateral files, and you will master the tricky rules of alphabetizing. (Yes, it's more challenging than it looks!)

Now that you're an expert on the outside of a patient chart, it's time to look inside. In this lesson, you will find out which forms go in a medical record and just where to put each one. In addition, you will learn about two styles of note-taking: SOAP and CHEDDAR. Finally, you will delve into the topic of medical record audits and find out the legal way to correct a patient's chart.

It's time to introduce the star of the show: the patient. You will learn everything about a patient encounter. This lesson will focus on the phone skills you can use to make appointments, handle questions, and soothe angry callers. Next, flip open the appointment book and explore the tricks for scheduling patients easily and efficiently. Finally, you'll follow a patient's visit from start to finish, and see how many tasks an AMA does during that appointment.

This lesson will start in the waiting room, where you will learn more about the tasks a receptionist handles—from opening and closing a medical office to keeping the reception area ship-shape. After that, understand barriers to communicating effectively with patients, and you will discover ways to overcome them. The lesson will conclude with a fun and creative jobs that AMAs do: creating informational brochures and teaching aids.

Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, commercial insurance—what does it all mean? In this lesson, you will find out! First, you will learn the meaning of terms like managed care, capitation, and fee-for-service. Next, you'll explore government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation, and TRICARE. By the time you're done, you will have a good feel for the many types of insurance an AMA handles every day.

Have you ever studied an insurance claim form? If so, you know it contains dozens of mysterious questions and checkboxes. As part of this lesson, you will come face-to-face with one of these claim forms and learn how to conquer it. By the end of the lesson, you will know how to fill in each field of the CMS-1500 claim form. In fact, you will even get to try it yourself!

Medical coding is a hot field for AMAs, so it's a great specialty if you're looking for job security. In this lesson, you will take a quick look at diagnostic coding and see why it's both fun and challenging. Explore the ICD-10-CM, talk about the detective work involved in abstracting a diagnostic statement, and explore the steps of coding a diagnosis.

This lesson will finish up your tour of medical coding with an overview of procedural coding. First, you will learn all about a manual called the CPT and discover how to use it to code everything from surgeries to X-rays to acupuncture. After that, you will examine a second manual called the HCPCS ("hix-pix"), which contains codes for ambulances, root canals, and much more. This lesson will also delve into anesthesia coding, a tricky but rewarding sub-specialty.

The final lesson will conclude with a visit to the business office and focuses on how AMAs keep track of the money coming in and going out. In addition, you will learn about inventory control and supply ordering—two crucial jobs that help keep a medical office running smoothly. Finally, you'll explore payroll management and investigate several jobs that fall under the umbrella of human resources.