work

work [2008-04-16]
Please remember my friend Kari. She has been searching for a better joy with benefits for over a year. She is being mistreated as a caregiver at her present job. Thank you.

Since you were curious . . . [2008-11-04]
It's not a factor. I work for a very large, university affiliated, tertiary care facility. I think the problem is that I am talking about *learning coding,* while you are talking about everything else that goes with coding, especially with knowing what you're seeing on a day to day basis. Yes, new procedures crop up constantly, CMS changes its policies constantly, physicians document poorly constantly . . . those things you deal with as they occur. As it happens, I'm one of the people at my organization who determines how to deal with them, so I'm aware just how much of that there is. However, I took the original poster's question as an inquiry about *learning coding,* not all the other stuff. Let's look at what the OP asked about. She's STUDYING coding, so she's not seeing level 1 trauma and the newest procedures on the block. She's just having trouble learning to code--trouble learning to use the code sets. That might be ICD-9 or CPT, but the things she's trying to code are textbook examples, and those aren't cutting edge. It looked to me as though she was having trouble finding, say, 401.9 when asked to find hypertension or the code for a hernia repair or a chest x-ray. At that level, it's only difficult if there is something gone wrong. I offered help with that, because I believe it doesn't have to be that hard.

Not so rare a bird [2008-11-03]
I hope itday job, as well. I might be prejudiced, but I don't think so. I work with loads of coders -- upwards of 35-40 -- who don't have much trouble with it. They also like the $$$ they get for doing it. As with anything, I think it's a matter of experience, education, and expectations, with a good bit of innate ability thrown in.

I am just curious ... [2008-11-03]
about the size of the facility you work for and if that has some bearing on your answer. I work for a very large teaching hospital with 100s of clinic and a level 1 trauma center as well as a medical college facility, which also means we are using cutting edge technology and the newest of procedures and techniques as well as the most challenging diagnoses. People come from nationwide to some of the specialists at our facility. I work with a very large staff of coding professionals and you would hear very, very few members of our staff say it is straightforward. Perhaps if you work in a different setting or smaller facility it may be not as challenging as what we deal with. I truly do not mean to be snotty here and honestly am just wondering if that might play a role.

not redpen but... [2008-10-31]
Starting pay should be $16 or better for low end. Remotely we still get paid by hour, not production. AHIMA web site will have a grid of salaries based on type of facility you work for, geographic location, credential, etc. Hope this helps.

Where can you find Medical coding/billing jobs online? [2008-10-22]
I will be graduating with a diploma for Medical Billing and Coding at the end of next month. I was so excited until I found out how hard it is to find online jobs! My current family situation will not allow for me to be able to work away from the home so if I can't find something online then I would have just racked up $25,000 in student loans for nothing. I would appreciate any feed back!! Thanks so Much!

Coding test [2008-10-21]
I stopped coding about 6 years ago when I came home to work and before that, I was doing inpatient and clinic coding which is what the test will consist of, mainly inpatient. The only thing she told me about the test is that I will be given a few charts and will have to code them so I am hoping it will all come back to me.

Thank you for the encouragement and information [2008-10-08]
Thanks again for the info and encouragement that if I put my mind to it that I can do it :o) I'm pretty young, late 20s, and have no children, and only work about 25 hours per week so I have a LOT of time on my hands LOL So, I figure why not use it to challenge myself to learn something new. Also, that's a great idea to get involved maybe with outpatient coding first, maybe with an imaging center or an urgent care type place first. I don't pretend to know anything much about surgeries or what they charge or use during a surgery (except what I see on TV) haha. j/k :-) I'm excited, and what I'm hoping for is that if I put at least some effort in knowing this information and at least start learning it, that maybe as we transfer into Voice recognition with transcription at the hospital I work for, and instead of loosing my job to V.R., maybe they'll let me transfer into a billing department as a Newbie to learn. Thanks again ladies, this was so very helpful to me! Have a great day :-)

You can sit for the exam with NO course. [2008-10-01]
You seem to be confused about the exams and credentials. You are warning others to be careful of which school they pick because just because you finish a coding course doesn That's not correct. You can sit for any CODING certification offered by AHIMA or AAPC even if you DON'T finish a coding course. You don't even have to start! They only require a high school diploma. AHIMA doesn't even require experience. You do need to be careful of what school you pick because some of them don't produce employable coders. As for you, your course is a 2-year RHIT program. You DO need the course in order to sit for the RHIT exam. However, an RHIT program is not a degree in management. It is a technical degree. ThatT is for--technician. It will qualify you to be a worker bee in a medical records environment--the same job people off the street can get. You can put together patient records, shelve and retrieve them, make photocopies to release patient information, check reports for signatures, etc. A better job would be coding. It pays better and it's more interesting. It takes less time, too. You could do all the coding first, then get a job while you do the rest. The RHIA is the management degree. There are RHITs who work their way up into management in small facilities, but most of them end up filing records or coding. RHIAs run the show.

E-learning training for billing coding and transcribing [2008-09-26]
I work for the number one E-learning provider in the world. We have been providing students with training since 1991. We offer the cca exam training for coding the cmcp exam training for billing and the RMT and CMT training for transcribers. I would love to work with anyone seeking a great cost effective option to achieve their objectives. We will not be the cheapest choice. We will be a fraction of the cost of a regular school though. Please call me robert guess 1-800-653-4933 ext 3175 mon-fri 9-6 est time zone for details. Thank you. We train in a see it do it test it environment allowing you to learn the material at your own pace and supplying you an environment conducive to learning the material and knowledge needed to one pass the exams but allowing you to practice in the environments (a type of flight simulation) which you will see in the real world.

ICD-10 is not being taught now [2008-09-26]
The U.S. is still using ICD-9 and implementation of ICD-10 is constantly being pushed back and back (thank goodness!). You will need thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology and also need to really know and understand disease processes. Of course, the ICD and CPT classes and reimbursement systems, for POA, DRG, APCs and chargemaster. ICD-10 will be much more in depth so the knowledge of A&P and disease process will be even more important. You will also need some pharmacology (need to know what drugs are used for what diseases/conditions) but also need to how those drugs work, their method of action. Biggest deficit we see in our new coders is understanding of disease processes and the pharmacology. Since one of the guidelines in coding is not to code symptoms that are integral to the disease, this is really important to understand. Also, in the coding classes you want to get to really know and understand the Official Coding Guidelines. We have schools in our area that actually don't teach them. I can't figure out how that works because you can't be a coder without knowing them!

Outlook for coding [2008-09-21]
The outlook for coding is very good. There is an increasing need for coders, due to the type of reimbursement system used in the United States and an ageing population which requires more medical care, among other things. There are already a huge number of coding positions going unfilled due to a shortage of coders. Within the next several years, the United States will likely be switching to a more complex coding system. It is expected that many older coders will choose to retire and less competent coders will seek other work rather than try to make the switch. It is thought that a huge number of jobs will open up just prior to the changeover to ICD-10. Large-scale outsourcing the jobs to India is unlikely. There has been an actual decrease in interest in this, with some of the federal sector healthcare entities banning offshoring entirely. It is expected that the private sector will follow. Unlike some other jobs, there is a high need for control of the coding and reimbursement process. Coding has a critical effect on reimbursement, with errors resulting in lost income and the potential for huge fines and criminal sanctions. Offshore workers cannot be held liable for this, which has served to squelch interest in offshoring. Recent developments in privacy and security requirements (HIPAA), with the threat of medical identity theft, are cooling interest in offshoring, as well. As an occupation, coding offers good potential for advancement. Even if it becomes possible to assign codes via software, the higher level jobs will still be necessary and available. Coders will move easily into other roles.

home coding [2008-09-13]
I can't speak to billing, but there is an abundance of home coding jobs. Do you have any credential? without credentials, you would not be able to get one of the home coding jobs. With a credential, the market is wide open. Try reading Advance for HIM or the Journal of AHIMA. Advance is a free publication and you and you get on electronic transmission for this one. The Journal you would have to subscribe but might find at the library. There is another free one but I can't remember the name, think it's something with Forward. Anyway, they all have classifieds and you would find many, many coding opportunities. I work for a company based in Florida, live in Wisconsin, and have done home coding for them for 6 years, but i know they will not hire without a credential.

There are off-site billing jobs. [2008-09-13]
Yes, there are off-site billing jobs, but not very many. Off-site coding jobs are increasing, but they require solid credentials from either AHIMA or AAPC. Some are more restrictive. A few may prefer AHIMA RHIAs with a CCS, for instance. Nearly all require one to several years of on-site experience. They aren they're jobs that require reading medical records, analyzing what went on, and coding it yourself. It's all production work, too.

A Career as a Medical Transcriptionist [2008-09-09]
You�ve very likely heard of someone who is making a good living as a medical transcriptionist. He or she might even be working from the comfort of their home. And you�ve probably asked yourself if this might be a career option for you. It may well be. Let�s take a look at the facts. What exactly is medical transcription? In the course of their work, doctors and other healthcare professionals make dictated recordings of various things including physical examination observations, patient history, operative reports, referral letters, discharge summaries, observations regarding imaging data and so on. A medical Transcriptionist listens to these recordings and transcribes them into medical reports, correspondence, etc. She listens to a segment of recording, pauses the playback and keys in what is said before moving on to the next segment. She may do some editing for better grammar and clarity. The transcribed document is sent back to the health care provider who then reviews it for accuracy and gets it signed. These documents become part of the patient�s medical history records and perhaps insurance records. Many distance education programs, colleges and vocational schools offer post-secondary training in medical transcription. Having a degree is not essential. With a home-study course, you can usually pick up the necessary knowledge within a year, often in less than nine months. You can find work in hospitals, laboratories, physician�s offices, firms offering transcription services, government medical facilities and so on. working from home is also a possibility and many employers offer work-at-home options for transcriptionists. Apart from that, many individuals work as independent contractors. What equipment would you need, if you wanted to do medical transcription at home? Not very much -- a computer with a medical spellchecker, printer, a transcriber and reference books are about all you need. To help you save on the actual typing, a word Expander utility might help. If you are on a tight budget, buy second hand equipment will do just as well. Medical transcription work does call for certain skills and mindset. Apart from basic computer skills, you must be detail oriented. If detail work bores you to tears, this might not be the career for you. You must know typing, although speed will come with practice. You should also have excellent listening skills and grammar skills. If you�re planning to work from home, it is essential to be comfortable with working alone and meeting deadlines. You must be a self-starter who can work consistently without being driven by a boss. For More Visit our sites With Best Regards Linda

Are there any at home coding jobs?? [2008-09-08]
Hi everyone! About 5 years ago I completed some courses through my local college for medical coding/billing and transcription. I liked the billing much better and did that for a busy family practice for 5 years. For the past 2 years I've been home with my kids. I would really like to work but with the rising price of gas it would not pay for me to get an outside job. I live out in the country and the closest doctors office or hospital is 35 miles away. Are there companies that offer a home based billing opportunity? Thanks! Amanda

Re: coding jobs [2008-08-31]
It can be hard to get a coding job right out of school, and I am always telling people I know with the same question; if you I have known people to work their way in by doing this. I did it myself over a year and a half ago, and I am now the clinic division Billing coordinator for a hospital system. Also, let your schooling intentions be known to those you are applying to.Get all the practice you can with coding, from practice workbooks. There are quite a few available from Ahima, AAPC websites bookstores, Borders online, etc... You need to know what you and once you have one of those, getting a job should be easier. But, the exam is not easy! So again, practice, practice, practice.

No way.. [2008-08-27]
absolutely not way that would work. you wouldn't even know where to begin. Coding requires very specific training and knowledge. Even heard of the Official Coding Guidelines? You need to know them and how to apply them. Even with the coding training, it's not easy to get into.

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.

Coding Jobs [2008-08-25]
I What are the chances of getting a work-at-home coding job? I am currently working as an MT from home, and the company I work for seems todo coding, but it really isn

Testing CCA./CCS w/out degree [2008-08-19]
I worked in healthcare for 10 years before staying home with my kids. I did mostly billing, but a lot of coding. I worked with Medicare, so the codes had to be correct always, and we had terrible coders that always put in codes that wouldn't pay...so I had a lot of experience. I am nowhere near an expert, but I have been home with my kids for 3 years, and I am thinking of taking the test, studying of course, but I dont want to spend $$$$ and a lot of it, and wait 2 years to get through a degree. I dont want to go back to work in a hospital again to get more experience... My question is, if i can pass the test, do you think I will be able to get a job with my experience?

Apply, apply, apply [2008-08-17]
You have to work at getting a job. Apply, apply, apply for anything and everything, and TAKE the first job that is offered even if it pays nothing and you hate it. Take ANY job, even in a doctor's office answering phones if you have to. work your way up from there. Look for a job doing anything in a medical record room of a large multispecialty clinic or a hospital--clerk, secretary, anything. Part of the problem may be that you describe your degree as transcription and coding. People either do one or the other. If you apply for both, employers will think you don't know what you want to do. It implies that you don't understand what the employer needs. Also be careful about saying you have a certification. You didn't indicate which one you have, but if it's not an AHDI RMT in transcription, an AAPC CPC-A (you can't have a CPC yet because you have no experience), or an AHIMA CCS or CCS-P, then you have no certification the employer is interested in. Billing and coding are very important to employers. They can't afford to train you, can't afford to lose money on bad coding, and can't afford to be investigated by federal agencies for fraud and abuse based on bad coding. You can enhance your skills while looking for a job by getting more books and studying on your own. Also consider volunteering at a hospital in the medical records department, or at a hospice, or at some other charitable healthcare organization. Volunteer experience can count.

Medical transcription & Other Healthcare Jobs [2008-06-17]
If you are already working, but the wages cannot satisfy you you are seeking for a home job which will fulfil that demand, medical transcription will be the perfect choice for you. It does not ask from you any highly expensive equipment or any high profile quality. If you hold interest in this matter this article will assist you provide enough information about medical transcription. Medical transcription has turned into a special vocation for many people for its flexible way of income. Here an individual gets enough liberty to perform any time according to his convenience with a deadline has turned into a resourceful avenue of income along with his primary profession. According to the various source of research, the trend to work as a Medical Transcriptionist is consecutively growing up day-by-day.If you are efficient as a Medical transcriptionist you have a lot of demand for work. All the important medical institutions like clinics, hospitals, physicians colleges etc. employ Medical transcriptionist. working within the appropriate office environment, the job of Medical transcription is no less rewarding. A Medical transcriptionist, working from home, is expected to be equipped with only a computer with a modem, a fax, a phone, a printer, dictating equipment with the headset, etc.Generally, you are expected to have a decent skill on computer keyboard should be aware of the functions that the keys offer. You should keep it in the mind that all the organisations, hiring Medical transcriptionists are inclined for those people who are already polished with experience in the clinic, or hospital setting. Though it is not uncommon that a company asks for newly a fresher applicant but prior experience in this field will facilitate your work pressure. It is prudent for those employers who are employing Medical transcriptionists, expect a sound knowledge on anatomy, physiology and pharmacology terminology, as well as competent English. If you want to shine yourself as Medical transcriptionist you must go through a medical course which you can continue being physically present in an institution but the better option for you will to attain aonline course on that. Specially, if you are a worker already, online course will save your time. After the course is over you should work under the supervision of a medical practitioner in the first one or two years to gather experience.The remuneration of a medical transcriptionist may cheer you up with the earning of $40 per hour, depending on which country you are working. With the time you bag up experience, it will help to increase your income $1000 to $3000 per month. With Best Regards Maria

billing [2008-06-17]
I graduated from Us career insitute. It was a great program. I am looking for work from home.

billing/coding from home [2008-06-03]
I have over 12 yrs experience in medical billing/coding. I am wanting to work from home to supplement my income.

rhit [2008-05-16]
It seems a lot of people have a hard time breaking into coding. Does having a RHIT and then possibly going on to RHIA make you more marketable? I am 40 and don I have considered clincal work (PTA or RN) but as a single Mom with a disabled child these types of programs would be a real hardship on my family (we have a mortgage and going to school full-time for 2years isn An RHIT and then RHIA proram seems feasible and a good transition for an experienced MT but really wonder if there are jobs available. I am in econmically crunched Michigan as well. Please would love some responses.