Absolute Medical Coding Institute

Thank you for allowing me to address this complaint: My name is ***. I am the Curriculum Director of AMCI. We have an online Medical Coding Course called the CCS Course. The following represents the website advertisement. https://www.absolutecodinginstitute.com/ccs-certification-training

I will respond to Mr. points.

#1. It is not as advertised that it is a Guided Course because whenever I need help from the course, nobody answers the phone to guide me e.g.12/20/2018 I need help and guidance about my course, but nobody answers their phone after I called many times.

Response:

A. As advertised on the website, the course begins on January 10th. The course is an Instructor guided course, and all instructors were on Christmas break since December 17th.

B. Mr. had 7 interactions with AMCI administrators:

December 18th through our customer service portal.
December 19th a 30 minute 3-way telephone conversation with myself and Mrs.y
December 19th a 3-minute telephone conversation with Mrs.y about the pricing
December 20th - Mr. called and left a message at 7:12p.m. Easter (after business hours)
December 21st - Mrs.y returned his call at 9:18a.m. with no answer
December 21st - Mrs.y returned the call again and spoke with him at 9:34 a.m. there was a 9-minute conversation and for some unknown reason the phone line disconnected.
December 21st - at 9:48 a.m. Mrs.y attempted to return the call again, and there was no answer.

#2. I learned after I signed up and paid that the Introduction to the Medical Coding had already started las October 2018 and I cannot even join the live lecture to ask live questions from the instructor.This Introduction to the Medical Coding is an 8 week part of the course that is for new coders like me and how can I finished that with few days remaining until the start of a new part of the course scheduled for January 10,2019.It is completely unacceptable

Response:

A. The introduction to Medical Coding class is Optional class that can be taken independently. CCS Students who elect to take this class understand they have to take this class independently as outlined in the syllabus (below), as the class recordings are from a previous live class.

AMCI/CMCCT CCS Course Syllabus:

Classes Begin each January and May.
The Course is divided into two phases: Phase I - Domains II and III and Phase II - Domains I - IV.

Phase I consists of:
Domain II - ICD-10-CM Coding
Domain III - CPT, HCPCS, and Modifiers Coding

Phase II Consists of:

Domain III - ICD-10-PCS
Domain I - Clinical Documentation
Domain IV - (Reporting Requirements for Inpatient Services)
Domain V - (Reporting Requirements for Outpatient Services)
Domain VI - (Data Quality Management)
Domain VII - (Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical Issues)

If your classes have not begun, you can elect to take our optional classes independently:

Introduction to Medical Coding
Business of Medicine

Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology is a required course which you may also take Independently prior to the time classes begins or concurrently. We recommend completing both Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology prior to classes.

3. The course is a combination of Independent and Guided course, so it is not as described as a Guided Course.

Response:

The Course's instruction is 100% guided, however as a courtesy; we offer opportunities to take these courses Independently: Introduction to Medical Coding, Business of Medicine, and Medical Terminology and A&P. However, the student can take all of these classed in Guided fashion if they choose.
When I spoke with Mr., I expressed that the CCS course is a rigorous course, and I do not recommend the CCS course for beginners. I recommend the CPC course for beginners. Mr. assured me that he could do the work. Also, during the December 21st conversation with Mrs. Radachovsky, she offered him to switch over to the CPC course and return to the CCS course at no additional cost.

4. I was led to believe by their website's CCS course description that it is a Guided course and there's no disclaimer that the Introduction to Medical Coding had already started, have I known these facts, I will not sign to enroll. Therefore I'm exercising my right to cancel and have a full refund due to this breach of contract and misrepresentation of the product training course makes the contract voidable. As of today after exchanges of CHAT with their online schools' customer service,they still insist their no refund policy.

Response:

Mr. is correct, but the website also clearly indicates that course begins on January 10th and ends on June 20th, 2019.

Conclusion:

AMCI is licensed by AAPC, and we have a strict no refund policy, due to the licensed AAPC content, and AMCI trademarked content. Mr. signed this No refund policy a total of 11 separate times, and Mr. completed 25% of the CCS course. The CCS is an advanced level course, and introduction to medical coding is not a part of the CCS curriculum. It is clear that Mr. did not understand the course components outlined on the website and that the course begins on January 10th.

Thank you for considering my response.

Our syllabus specifically states that Introduction to Medical Coding is an Optional class for the course. Our records show that the student has read the syllabus. This course's curriculum consists of Domains I through ViI. Introduction to medical coding is not a part of the domains.

We have detailed transcripts (written and telephone) of all communications between the claimant and our school, and the claimant was given accurate information, and I can not understand the basis for his claims.

We have a strict no refund policy, and would like to honor it as we are not at fault,, and this circumstance was caused solely by his own misinterpretation of the course.