That book is worthless... Sm

That book is worthless... Sm [2008-06-16]
I really hate having to break the news to you, but after you finish with this book, you will in no way be prepared to transcribe anywhere. I know this because I took a course from a techonology school and they utilized this book. After finishing the course, I went and tested for a local transcription company and total BOMBED the test. I was horribly embarrassed. So, I enrolled at Everett Community College and took the Career Step course through there. Nine months later after completing the course, I went back to the same transcription company and aced the test with 100%. I was offered a job that day. This was about 4 years ago, maybe they have changed some things in that book, but I know from my experience with it. It wasn I don I wish you the very best in your endeavors. Good luck to you!

Coding Business book [2007-07-17]
Independent Medical Coding, May 2007 go to Rayveproductions.com. How to became an independent medical coder, where/how to get training and lots more.

Coding [2008-11-06]
Oh great, more confusion to look forward to eh? Actually, I am working part time in coding and I am able to “train” on my time on harder charts that are already done, see how I do, then compare to what is coded. I love orthopedics, but the things I cannot find are because the docs call it one thing, and it is listed in the book as something else. For instance, cubital tunnel release. Yes, yes, I research heavily to find the cubital tunnel, and the operation, but I can’t seem to pull the trigger on the correct answer in actuality. I know the answers are all there.

Why I like coding [2008-11-01]
[quote]I am not sure I like it, in fact I hate it some days. I canI love coding so far. I do see people saying that! If you love coding, why? I can't see it from here. [/quote] I like coding because it's very straightforward and clear. I enjoy reading medical documentation and figuring out what diagnoses should be coded. I also enjoy reading operative reports and figuring out what exactly they did so that I can code it. You say you can't find the answers sometimes. I know it sounds weird to say this, but the answers are all there. If you can't find them, you're probably not looking for them the right way. You might have the wrong concept of what to do or the wrong expectations. That's not meant to diminish your feelings or make you feel bad, but to point out that you might not have been shown how to do this correctly. What are you studying now and in what setting? What book? CPT? ICD-9-CM? Commercial course? Online college course? Trying to teach yourself? Do you have an instructor? Is the instructor a certified coder? What do they say about this? If this is a college course, my guess is that you're trying to make heads or tails of course materials and trying to get a computer program to accept your answers. It probably seems like a random guess process to you. If so, that could be your problem. It might not be YOU, but the fact that you can't figure out what to do because you aren't getting any reliable feedback from the computer or the instructor who can't code! If you're learning ICD-9 diagnosis coding right now, there is a certain process to use that will enable you to find the right code. It's not torturous, but it can involve cross-referencing. However, if you keep track of what you're looking at (write it all down) you can keep it straight. The more of it you do, the easier it becomes and the less you'll have to write down. You have to develop your skill with regards to this. It's exactly like learning to ride a bicycle.

Reviewing Inpatient [2008-10-22]
OK, that's not so bad. Only 6 years. Fourteen would have been scary, but 6 is do-able. For inpatient, you will need to be clear on some of the major changes in diagnosis codes that have occurred during the last 6 years. I'll tell you what I would do in the same situation. I'm assuming that you really WANT this job. If it were me, I would certainly want it and that would make me want to prepare for it. Yes, I'd review the guidelines, but I'd also get a copy of the 2009 Faye Brown ICD-9-CM Coding Handbook and review it. The big changes will be in there, including a discussion of MS-DRGs and the Present On Admission indicator. There are also sample cases to code. Those used to be in a separate publication, but they're now in Faye Brown itself. Doing them should give you enough practice. There is an online code lookup at PMIC, so you can do those cases without actually buying a code book if you don't want to. With your experience, I think you can review in about a week. If you get Faye Brown sent overnight, you can still take the test in a reasonable time-frame. If you do not want to do this, at least go to the CMS website and review MS-DRGs and POA. They have online materials.

make sure you know guidelines [2008-10-22]
No matter what book you use, you need to know the official coding guidelines. They were just updated and have a current effective date of 10/1/2008. If you Google official coding guidelines or something similar you should be able to find them. Make sure you have the ones effective 10/1/2008. The official guidelines are the backbone for coding. If you don't know these, no amount of books is going to serve you well.

About the bootcamp... [2008-10-07]
They have them all over the U.S. each week in different cities. It's basically a seminar that goes over all aspects of coding and then you can take the exam. A friend of mine just did it and obtained a position in a teaching hospital making 45K/year. She did, however, have about 5 years experience with medicare claims that needed to be re-sent to medicare after they'd been denied or something like that. So I'm sure that helped her get the medical billing auditor job she has now. I certainly don't expect to make that much starting out lol, but it'd be nice to do auditing in the future as I love to investigate things. The bootcamps cost 1500$ roughly. That doesn't include room/board, just the classes and exam. Apparently the exam is open book 150 questions.

if you REALLY want to teach yourself coding [2008-10-07]
Start out with Faye Brown's ICD-9-CM Coding Handbook. It is a definitive learning tool and can be purchased on the AHIMA website, www.AHIMA.org. Then get yourself a copy of the Official Coding Guidelines (they might be included in the book, not sure). The Guidelines were just updated and are effective 10/1/2008. AHIMA will be a good starting place for study materials. A review guide is not the place to start because it is what it says, a review guide, which assumes you already know how to code. AHIMA has the basic books to learn both ICD and CPT coding. You will need to learn both. I am a coder in a large level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital in the midwest. Around here, you can get a job with a CCA but for outpatient coding only. You do need a CCS for inpatient coding, Most hospitals here prefer AHIMA credentials over AAPC.

Certification exams ... [2008-10-07]
To give you an estimate of how difficult it will be to learn inpatient coding and pass the CCS exam on your own, roughly 70% of graduates of college-based coding programs FAIL the CCS and/or CCS-P. The passing score is only about 64% of the questions. That doesn't include the large number of grads who never bother to sit for the exam because they do not believe they will pass it. It's difficult to learn inpatient coding (CCS) on your own. There is too much involved in it. You can learn to do simple office coding & billing, where you basically copy the codes a doctor has checked off on a charge ticket, though. A coding and billing text, like Fordney, would do for that. That would,in fact, be a good way to get enough perspective on the occupation to know what direction to go in. There is no guarantee that you'll pass the exam after a bootcamp, either. Some of them have students who need to attend 2 or 3 times before they can squeak by. Yes, the AAPC exam IS open book, but you should not think that enables you to look up the information you need. The book that is open is a code book. It's open so that you can look up the codes. It won't give you any handy hints, nor would you have time to look anything up even if they were there. AHIMA exams tend to focus on hospital coding and AAPC tend to focus on outpatient physician services. Take whichever suits what you want to code.

your percentage is a little bit off [2008-10-07]
Actually about 50% fail the test, not 70%. and that is of the total people who take it, not just those who have taken college-based coding programs. I do not believe there is any such breakdown. The simple office coding you talk about isn't actually coding if you are copying the codes the doctor wrote on the chargemaster and doesn't really require any book as anybody can copy codes! It is the billing aspects that would require the specialized knowledge in that setting. And yes, it is difficult to learn inpatient coding on your own but a motivated person can do it if they set their mind to it. I have a good friend who is a CCS who is completely self-taught. But not everyone wants to be an inpatient coder. Our hospital has ED coders, outpatient coders, and day surgery coders in addition to inpatient coders.

Oops! [2008-09-03]
I spoke too soon! It was deleted for the 2000 code set. In the CPT book, deleted codes are usually listed in a little note appearing where they would have been. There is an appendix in the back of some CPT editions that crosswalks newly deleted codes to current ones. As I pointed out, this one doesn't have the note. Some references contain lists of deleted codes. You can also sometimes find them by searching online. If you do a Google search for this one, you'll come up with references to it.

CPT code [2008-08-30]
My boss has purchased a module for me to practice CPT coding. Although I will only be doing pathology this module covers alot. There are short QA's to answer that I can print out and use my books and take my time. This is only for my knowledge I get no credits, no nothing for this so there is no cheating going on. Its just a $12 module for CPT Concepts. Just wanted to explain that before I asked my question. This question pertains to CPT code 62278 and a modifier to go with it.Herein the CPT book. Is this maybe a typo in the question. I have the CPT 2008 Professional Edition. Cany anyone help me with this. I have been racking my brain on this for 2 days now. Thanks

Things you can to to improve your prospects. [2008-08-26]
There aren't too many work-at-home jobs for new coders. You might need to bite the bullet and agree to work on-site for a short while. Start now to prepare yourself to take and pass a CPC, CCS, or CCS-P certification exam when you graduate, because that is the key to getting hired. In your courses, do not aim for a passing grade, but for a perfect grade. Squeaking by is not enough--the deficit will accumulate. If your course uses only one coding textbook, get different textbooks and learn everything they teach, too. Work every problem in every textbook, as well as in Clinical Coding Workout, and Marsha Diamond's Medical Coding Practice and Review, and every other review book you can find. You might be able to get them on interlibrary loan. Find out the certification requirements NOW for both AAPC and AHIMA, so that you won't waste time barking up the wrong tree. Those exams require you to be able to CODE, so that is what you need to learn to do. You need to know the anatomy, pharmacology, lab, and med language cold, but you must be able to code. If you can demonstrate to an employer that you can do that, they may hire you and you can move home quickly.

That book is worthless... Sm [2008-06-16]
I really hate having to break the news to you, but after you finish with this book, you will in no way be prepared to transcribe anywhere. I know this because I took a course from a techonology school and they utilized this book. After finishing the course, I went and tested for a local transcription company and total BOMBED the test. I was horribly embarrassed. So, I enrolled at Everett Community College and took the Career Step course through there. Nine months later after completing the course, I went back to the same transcription company and aced the test with 100%. I was offered a job that day. This was about 4 years ago, maybe they have changed some things in that book, but I know from my experience with it. It wasn I don I wish you the very best in your endeavors. Good luck to you!

Transcription question [2008-05-14]
Hello, I have a few questions. I amcurrently taking a medical transcription course. It actually is the final part of my program I have been taking.I am doing the Hillcrest Medical Center book. I am having lots of trouble with the cases in the book. Trouble hearing them and understanding them. My teacher says that I need to be flexible in my working conditions. See I am doing this transcription in a classroom with about 15 other women that are working all kinds of other things. Lots of talking, and other activities going on. My question is....Is this typical in an office? I have read that typically a Transcriptionist is working in a quite part of the office or at home. Also, transcription isn My other question is how do you get your foot in the door?? I only have a small amount of experience in an office and, that was a distribution office at that. I have no medical office experience. It is just so hard to get into any place because they want experience. I can Thanks

help with codes sm [2007-10-16]
Do not have a coding book,the lab work has codes as follows handwritten, want to double check, from cardiologist. 272.0 411.1 (looks like) V58.69 but the V could be a 1, I think it's a V though. I think it's lipid and heart but want to look it up to be sure, e-mail or here is okay.

new coding reference [2007-06-08]
RAYVEPRODUCTIONS.COM has a new coding book THE INDEPENDENT MEDICAL CODER, revision 2 that is on their website. check it out.

Coding Workbood [2007-02-05]
Judy, did this person purchase the regular book along with the worrkbook, or just the workbook? There are 2 Step-By-Step books. Thanks!

coding [2006-11-15]
Thank you Judy. I just purchased the step by step book off e-bay for 12.00, the newest edition. Do I need to purchase the newest CPT and ICD books? Not sure I can find those on ebay but am willing to pay for them. Any advice on how to get a deal on them. I have been a Transcriptionist for 16 years and medical field for 25. I am looking to change over the next year and this sounds like a good opportunity for me. Thanks again Janet

For those interested in Coding [2006-10-20]
I just wanted to share this information about coding classes for anyone interested. There are two years programs out there - but for anyone serious about learning only coding this might be an option. One of the coders at the last hospital I worked at told me that she'd never gone to school. She ordered a publication by Carol J. Buck - Step-By-Step Medical Coding, along with the ICD-9 and CPT coding books and taught herself. When she felt confident that she'd mastered the workbook, she took the Certification test and passed. She was hiredwith no experience sincea lot of hospitals are now looking for more than just that two or four year degree. They actually want people that have passed the CCS exam (which I understand isn't exactly easy, as some seasoned coders have had to take refresher courses to qualify), and about a year later became their head coder. There was also the Director of Coding at another hospital I worked at who told me the same thing. She never went to school to learn coding but used Carol J. Buck. I live in Chicago, so I'm not sure if the requirements are different in other states, but I'm pretty sure that certification is a national one. And there may be other publications out there to use, but the one of choice here seems to be Step-By-Step. I hope it's okay for me to mention that book. Hope this helps some of you, Judy