bringing to the top

Posted By: diddles on 2005-12-22
In Reply to: medical coding - looking for work

First I would encourage you that if you are serious about coding, do NOT go to a course that does not allow to test for NATIONAL certification.  There are only 2 organizations in the US that do national certification.  AAPC (the first) and AHIMA.  With AAPC there are numerous companies that offer their course.  The cost runs between $1200 and $1600 for a three month course of 8 hour classes plus your proctored exam and membership to AAPC, or you can do the self-study course for the same money (I chose to be in a classroom setting so I could have questions answered on the spot).  You can opt to take the course for hospital coding CPC-H (which few hospitals will recognize as official) or the doctor/outpatient based course - CPC, which is widely recognized.

I don't know the cost of AHIMA's testing but it is as intense as AAPC's but it is mostly taken by people who either already have AAPC certification or are already working in a medical coding setting.  Both organizations offer apprecentice programs if you are not already in a coding setting until you can clock some coding hours.  I think you need references to enter either program as to your character - remember, if you make a mistake the penalty could be monetory and/or a jail term.

Now, can you get a job and is the money worth it.  Most hospitals want AHIMA's inpatient certification and 1-2 years OTJ experience, unless they are hiring for their outpatient clinics and/or ER (which they will then accept the AAPC's CPC).  Most of these positions pay between $15 and $24/hr plus bennies.

It is very hard to get into the coding industry.  It's just like trying to get into MT without any experience, only harder.  I would network, join both organizations as a member and go religiously to the monthly meetings to network and learn.  Both certifications require a high number of CEU's to be earned each year.  It is easier to get into a physician's office setting as a CPC.  Most of these jobs pay $9 to $18/hr depending on geography, but again you'd have to be very, very good and have good references from certified mentors to help you get a job with no experience.

Most jobs are obtained by word of mouth.  If you are very good, you could skip working in a hospital or doctor's office and become a consultant and/or instructor without any working experience (more $$ for the instructor's certification).  It would be like working as an IC.  You would have to hustle to get clients and build a reputation.  I was lucky and got a job with a hospital in their outpatient clinic side at $19/hr with hospital bennies and had an offer with the people whose course I took to become an instructor and consultant for them even before I got the results from my test score (but I had prior coding experience).  My job was basically consulting, doing audits and giving feedback and education to doctors on how to maximize their reimbursement, how to document charts properly and be available for their coding questions.  I loved the respect I got from the doctors.  It was totally unlike what I get directly from doctors as an MT.  They are eager to learn, listen to what is being taught, are interactive, friendly and recognize that you are there to help them succeed.

If your MTSO is also adding a coding department to their company, that would be an easier way to get into coding as it could be done from home with access to electronic medical records.  There are a number of tools available to coders that help to electronically code and flag potential errors, hopefully your company would pay for all that because it can be quite expensive.

I tried to portray a clear and realistic picture with discouraging you.  It's a lot like going into MT without someone being realistic with you, so the fact that you asked is a good sign.

• Coding sm - 27 year MT
  • bringing to the top - diddles
    • Diddles, thank you! Major information on a fog-enshrouded highway. - Thx!
  • AHIMA is the best course to take - best school
  • Andrews has a coding program, & its reputation is as good as their MT course. - nm
  • Coding - mtmom
    • Medical coding - diddles
    • Supposedly more dfficult to find work as coder, than as MT. - Good luck.
      • Heck, coding is complex, but definitely FINITE and physically non-demanding. sm - di
        • I totally disagree -- politely :) - diddles
        • I agree with you. When I first started sm - 27 year MT
          • yer welcome. with the advent of computers, it's MUCH easier here in Iowa to get a coding job at - than it is to get an MT job at home.
            • My 2 cents - coder/mt

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are running it under XP AND have updated to the service pack 2? Tech Support says that's the only thing he can think of as everything else looks fine on my system. And on the converse, how many of you use DQS and DON'T have XP with or w/o service pack 2, or are just using the original XP w/o any upgrades. I don't want to be doing something to my machine that's going to screw it up even more. Thanks for your help. nm

A better alternative to Lap band is the Medifast 5 and 1 plan. You eat 5 of their meals a day and then what they call a Lean and Green that you prepare yourself. I've only just started, but have lost 9 pounds in 4 days. Check out the website... Medifast1.com

Read the info and check out the message boards. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

You can spend 17+ thousand dollars for a band and eat 6 small meals a day or spend a couple of hundred dollars a month and eat 6 small meals a day.

Just for some other information.  When Hurricane Rita hit in Texas, i.e. Jasper, Beaumont area, these people were not prepared.  They were not prepared because hurricanes do not come in that far inland.  The Jasper area is one of the areas where most hurricane victims evacuate too.  There are people in that area that are still without power including elderly people and children.  Most of the surrounding areas (Pineland, Rosevine, Hemphill) are retirement areas.  These are also low income areas as well.  These people definitely would not have expected the hurricane to effect them in the way that it did, but it did.

Also, people in Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas were effected from it as well.  Again, a hurricane never has come close to these areas and these areas are also where evacuees come.  During the time we had evacuees from Galveston, Beaumont, Houston, and still the ones we had from Louisiana drained the resources that we did have here (not saying anything negative by this – just a statement).  None of the businesses could get trucks in to deliver gas, food, ice, water, etc.  When we did get gas delivered, the lines were so long that people were waiting 9-10 hours to get gas and of course by the time most got up there, it was gone again.  This went on for several days.  Even the Wal-Mart here and in Nacogdoches was only able to be open a few hours a day and for the first few days after the hurricane because of the amount of extra people in these areas, they finally had to limit the number of people they were allowing in the store at a time.

Some of you say, people should be prepared.  I do agree and especially more so if you live in a coastal area.  However, these people affected in the areas I mentioned above do not live on the coast; however, were heavily impacted by this natural disaster.  You are saying these people don't deserver help?!  Well let me tell you this.  When we had a lot of LA evacuees here, FEMA stepped in and for a lot (not all of course) they received $2000.00 for help with housing, another $600.00 for food, and there $400.00 for something else (honestly do not remember what it was).

However, my mother and father-in-law who are elderly went 14 days without power, lost everything in the freezer and refrigerator, and they are also raising 2 of their grandchildren (both young teenagers).  They were unable to get FEMA to help with anything. 

I guess the point is this.  Before spouting off about who needs to do what or who the government does or does not need to help (or where you tax monies go), you might want to think about the fact that this was a natural disaster and therefore, no one can ever really be prepared for one.  I hope none of you ever have to deal with anything like this.  It is not a pretty site in this area right now.  Clean up is still going on.  There are still trees down on houses and cars.  How would you feel if this were you? 

By the way, yes I do feel that my family was very lucky to come through it unscathed; however, some were not so lucky.

Just my 2 cents.

the ones that can not have a discussion about current events without mentioning their fanaticism.....

Most folks have some religion/spirituality.

Most folks don't interject it into every conversation 24/7/365.......just the fanatics!

my supervisor's attention (when I worked outside the home).  They are afraid to talk to the physicians about dictation - they don't want to bother them.  Makes no sense NOT to bother them!  Now that I work from home, I find that if I leave blanks ---- QA puts in what they THINK is right!  LMAO?  Makes no sense

Hi again,

Just to let you gals know, I got up the nerve at the last minute, partially because of the posters to my thread about starting my own business, to quickly print up a resume and cover letter along with a sample ortho report and take them to my physical therapy appointment. (They may need an at-home transcriptionist.)  The office manager was not in yesterday, but my PT gave me a little info about how the process works.  Unfortunately, we were interrupted when she was about to tell me what they dictate IN TO, but she mentioned that she thought that was going to change.  On my way out, however, when she was flipping through my chart to see when I should come in next, I asked her if they received the transcription via floppy disk or CD, and she told me, *No, paper.*  Yes, they still use *sticky paper*!  Too bad we got interrupted earlier.  I have a feeling they transmit the dictation via the internet or phone lines, then the Transcriptionist delivers the finished work to the office. 

Anyway, my PT says it is slow right now.  (Indeed, there were only 2 patients in the office at the time with 4 PTs.)  But she thought if things picked up and the sole remaining MT got overwhelmed, there might be a chance of picking up the overflow, which would be just peachy for me. 

More questions...(now, why did I, at first, capitalize the Q in question????)  I may as well start preparing as much as I can now in case I DO snag a job....

1.  Can anyone or everyone recommend a good medical spell checker that interfaces with Word?

2.  What about an Expander to work with Word? I know some use Instant Text, but at least one says she uses the Word Autocorrect feature. (I think.)  Does the Word autocorrect hold a bunch....can you put whole reports into it...large capacity?

3.  You all mentioned that the docs usually supply their letterhead and to use plain copy paper for subsequent pages.  Does the MTSO usually supply the paper or the docs?  Same question with sticky paper...that sounds expensive! 

4.  Any other inexpensive tips you gals can think of that can be gotten ready now besides the main transcriber? (Would want to wait on that to see which type the office uses.) 

Now that I have the ball rolling, I am also going to contact the two MTSOs that I know locally and ask if they have any overflow.  Might also send a sample psych report to my shrink and see if he can spread the word.  Scary stuff, but you gals really helped!  Thanks so much for all the encouragement!!  

tia