7600!!!
Posted By: sm on 2008-08-17
In Reply to: More training - Virginia
$7600 is too much to pay for a coding/billing program. There are some that cost $13,000. Those programs at "career colleges" usually only train you to do doctor's office level coding and billing, i.e., "front office" general work. Making appointments, logging in payments, etc. Be careful about them saying they provide placement assistance, because that does not mean they guarantee you'll get a job.
That is about how much you'll can pay for a college coding program, unless your local college is inexpensive. Those will require about 32 credit hours of work, which could take you a couple years part-time. Some of them require additional prerequisite work like A&P, math, etc., before they'll let you in. Be sure to check with employers in your area (hospitals, etc.) to determine if they will hire you on graduation from those programs and without a CCS or CPC credential. If the college teaches only to the CCA level, ask the employer if they'll consider that--most will not.
You're right about working as a med recs tech. If you can get that job, you should. Once you are working there, you'll understand what you need to do to get a coding job, and they'll be more likely to let you move into one. There are online programs available that teach the same material as a college, but emphasize the coding itself more to enable students to pass the CPC and CCS. They can be a good choice for someone working in med recs, because they are flexible, part-time, and can be priced reasonably.
Working in other areas of the hospital usually won't help you get a coding position, so try to work in med recs.
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$7600?????
Is there a local community college nearby? You can get all the training you need without that price tag. Or see if a local hospital is offering training.
Night ward clerks at hospitals tend to make better pay, if that is an option for you. My daughter had a friend who was only 19 at the time who worked night shift at a local hospital by monitoring CCU patients. If a monitor went off, she notified someone. Boring job but it helped pay her way through college. Got paid really well.
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