Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Go into coding more ## or the legal end of the medical for an attorney

Posted By: CatNap on 2006-05-18
In Reply to: which coursework should I choose? - Elizabeth

JMO


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

I've thought about coding. My DH does medical coding and I think with an MT's medical termino

background and anatomy and physiology knowledge, a transition into coding wouldn't be hard at all.  From what I can tell by looking through my husband's books, an MT would have to learn insurance regulations and legalities.  We've basically got all the medical background down or we should be if we're worth our salt as an MT.


I even contacted AHIMA and found that the qualifications for taking the CCS or CCP coding exams are completion of the a coding program, RHIT program, or RHIA or related work experience.  Transcription is part of HIM, albeit the red-headed stepchild of the HIM department, but a part nonetheless and so satisfies the qualification of having work experience.


The test is tough though.  My husband didn't pass it his first time out and I think I read something like only 20% or so pass it the first time.  So it would probably be best to take some sort of formal coding class, in my opinion.


I went from legal to medical
I originally went to school for legal secretary/transcriptionist, but had a hard time finding a job with any benefits. So, I went back for medical secretary/transcription and have been doing this for 9 years now. I found that they really are two totally different areas. Granted, you have the heads up on knowing how to transcribe, work, etc. I think you would need some medical terminology classes and anatomy as many words sound the same, but spelling differs depending on body area you are talking about. There might be an online course or something, such wasn't the case when I went years ago.

I wish you the best!!!!

legal tx is very different from medical (sm)
I've never actually done legal transcription, but I have done legal editing, so I know for a fact it's an entirely different world....Legal transcripts MUST be verbatim - no exceptions; one transcript can be hundreds of pages long; there are multiple speakers who may or may not be clearly identified and who frequently aren't easy to hear if they're too far away from a microphone or shuffling through papers while they're speaking; and because every hearing is different and must be verbatim, tools such as Expanders or macros are virtually useless.

It's very interesting work, but very, very difficult.
Medical coding

Use the link below that I wrote a few months ago.  It is a very honest review of today's coding needs and environment.  Good luck!


 


http://forum.mtstars.com/company/v/1/13589.html


Medical Coding
Hi, I've been an MT for 9-1/2 years working at home and am in need of a change.  Am looking for a good coding class that won't send me to the poor house and that you can actually FIND A JOB when certified.  Is that possible?  Does anyone know some good schools and how much experience you must have before you can work at home doing coding?  Thanks to anyone who replies.
Didn't the OP say she wants to go from medical TO legal?
x
There's medical coding and billing.
nn
Are any of you familiar with medical coding? - sm


Needing a better job than the one I've got, I've been spending my late nights searching the far reaches of the internet.  It seems the only MT jobs that will actually support a person are in-hospital jobs, and the few that still exist are rare, and difficult to find.  They're definitely not listed on our Job Board, that's for sure.  When I do find them, they all seem to be part-time, or too far away, or involve heavy phones.   Answering phones and transcription are NOT compatible activities!


So I keep seeing LOTS of ads for Coders.  Obviously that would mean school.  Ick.  Being the hater of school that I am, I would want to be sure that's what I wanted to do, so I thought I'd see what all of you think of Coding as an alternative to MT work.


-  Have any of you worked in coding before, or are you currently in school to learn that profession? 


-  How hard would it be for a late-middle-aged MT to learn? 


-  Do you think coding is worth spending time in school to learn?  (i.e., Decent pay, not about to be offshored, etc.)


-  If you've done it or are learning, do you LIKE it?  Is it interesting?  Tedious?  Stressful?  Boring?  Rewarding in any way?


-  Are you learning it on-site, or at home?  How many hours per day are you devoting to your studies?  How long does it take to get credentialled?


Thanks in advance for any input you may have on this subject!


 


Big deal is legal, medical record which should be the
truth, not a made up report. Medical records are supposed to stand in court just as a sworn statement, that is all. I like the truth and that is the way I try to live my life, not a bunch of falsehoods. I guess others can live on lies if they want.
medical billing or coding newbie

alliedschools.com


Has anyone tried either their medical billing or coding training courses??


Did you like it, would you recommend it?? I'm tired of working at a restaurant and would like to learn a career but I just want make sure that I am learning from a school that will actually lead me somewhere(specially that it cost 1600 dollars)


So please let me know what you think about them and if there is other schools that you will recomment over them!


 


Thanks


I am completing a medical coding course with Andrews right now (sm)
and I highly recommend them. The tuition is steep, but they allow you to pay in monthly installments, so that makes it a lot easier. The quality of the course is excellent, and I really think I'll be able to pass the certification exams once I finish the course. The only complaint I have is that they are slow in responding to emails about tests, questions, etc., but other than that, I would recommend them. Good luck.
Future of medical coding is good
Medical coding is very lucrative career. Medical coders are not only required in hospitals but also in pharma industry and clinical research. Know more about coding ..
http://medicalcodingindia.blogspot.com/
Is medical coding a dying profession like MT?
My income is in the crapper and keeps getting worse and worse. I love working at home, been doing it for over a decade, so looking into something I can do at home. So what about medical coding? Offshore problems? Technology advances pushing out the "real person" coder? Any disadvantages? Worth learning and getting into at this point?
Not-so-good news re: medical coding,
I was watching the news tonight (Sacramento, CA area), and there was a story about a lady who was looking for work.  She had spent $10,000 on a coding/billing education, but can't find work.  Apparently that field is "saturated", as the newscaster said.  (Maybe from lots of MTs trying to get into that?)  Anway, I had sort of been thinking about going to school to learn coding, but now I think I'll pass.
Does anyone know of a website, like this one, that deals with Medical Coding/Billing..sm

My husband is curious and wanting to get into Medical Billing/Coding and work from home like I do with transcription.  Does anyone know of a website, like this one, that offers so many jobs from home and information regarding coding and/or billing?  Thanks.  Also, if anyone has input on this please let us know.  Would love to find out which course is the best, etc....thanks!


I will quit also...I'm hoping to get into doing something else, such as medical billing/.coding
n
When I stressed the important of having medical documents (legal documents)
on the patient's chart (there are outpatient exams done. Hospital is in the outpatient business), the woman said that if there is a serious finding on an exam, the radiologist will call the referring physician and tell him by phone!

This, my friends, is the result of hiring people who have no real background in the medical field (the lead MT never worked anywhere prior to this job, got on-the-job training and has, through a dominant personality, created a tight circle of workers which are marked up of friends from her life and church services over a 15 year period.

OMG!!!
6 years legal then switched to medical 17+ years ago. sm

I don't mind doing legal and will do it now from time to time, but be prepared to be totally bored out of your mind.


At least that's the way I feel.  I love to transcribe, learned legal in college, went on to get my paralegal degree, etc., etc., but I did temp work when the kids were younger, which was about 90% medical and I would never go back to legal except for once in a while.


Booooooring.


 


 


I should have specified, hospital inpatient coding and doc office coding are very different.
They follow different coding rules and an entirely different set of codes. I learned both while earning my B.S. in H.I.M., and both are challenging, though inpatient more so simply because there are more codes.
Honestly, you could get a job in a med rec dept without ANY certificate; some computer experience and your experience as an MT would get you in the door. It might just be doing chart assembly/completion, filing, etc., but there are certainly jobs in MR that don't require specific schooling. Then being in the dept you can really learn more about all the functions and pick the one you REALLY want to spend time, money, and effort on for additional schooling.
A lot of legal transcription and legal jobs in
xx
Anyone know if coding would pay as well as MT? Is coding being outsourced too?
xx
I would buy new a Dorland's Medical Dictionary, Stedmans Medical and Surgical Equipment...SM

and Tessier's The Surgical Word Book, 3rd edition.  Books you could buy used I would say would be Stedman's Pathology and Lab Medicine and Cardiology/Pulmonary word book.  These are all the books I use the most during my day.  You could buy other speciality word books as you need them and could probably go used with those.


I wouldn't bother with buying a drug book, new editions come out every year and I just stick to the FDA website and RXList as my drug references.


Also FYI, not a book, but I use my Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictationary a lot.  It's easier to open the program than it is to pick up a huge 30-pound dictionary.


Get an attorney now
Find an attorney that will take your case - then let them write the letter. Just talk to a couple who handle medical malpractice -these are severe medication errors.
attorney general
good idea.  I have contacted an attorney already (I am a corp by myself so I have access to an attorney) and he states that legally there is nothing right now that I can do. I can possibly sue them later down the road, but they have not done anything illegal. He suggested to try and "sugar" them into paying me.  I will contact the attorney general's office. The company and I are in the same state, so that helps tremendously.
Get an attorney and have them draw one up for you. sm
It costs about $200 and well worth it!
You can usually call an attorney and
But, you do have a receipt and the title. Let the person go ahead and make a fool of himself. You owe him nothing, don't let him bully you.

PS - Am very sorry for your loss.
power of attorney
by QA mgr says im supposed to capitalize but i dont agree (so i dont, hehe)
He was my divorce attorney
.
Call an attorney, but ....sm
In the state of NC a few years back, one person could not force the other to sell in this situation. I went through something similar with my siblings. I ended up buying their portions.

But, no, at that time and again in my state, you cannot be forced.
You get an attorney to type it up...sm

My dad's attorney typed it up for me and I had it notarized and then MAKE TONS OF COPIES because you have to prove you are able to make decisions for your Mom.  I had this power of attorney for 10 years, my dad dying last January. 


I suppose you could get some form.....even probably at Office Depot...I got a living will there, actually a package of them.  It's just more complete to have an attorney do this 2-page paper for you...and not terribly expensive either.


Best of luck to you and your Mom. 


Consult an attorney....
He'll tell you everything you need to know to operate a business, and it will be an hour's worth of money well spent......
You need a good attorney NOW!! My
friend's sister died at the age of 51 because a doctor prescribed birth control pills for the mood swings of menopause without first checking her triglycerides or doing any blood work. Her triglycerides were very elevated, and the addition of the medication caused her pancreas to shut down and she died. There is a big lawsuit on this one, too.
I would get an attorney to fire off a ...

letter.  I have had to do that several times in the past (not MT related), and it is amazing how quickly things are resolved.  It has only cost me $35 to explain the situation to the attorney and have a short letter sent.  I think it would be well worth it in your case...$35 vs. $1300.


Also, be sure to send the letter certified, return receipt requested.  Even though that is only to obtain proof of delivery, there seems to be something "official" about it...and that can't hurt. 


If you hire an attorney (sm)
you an also request reimbursement for your expenses, court costs and attorney fees. I would mention this in my letter to the MTSO also. If this MTSO does this to you I guarantee you are not the only person they are doing it to.

Good luck
I think you should consult an attorney

who specializes in modifications and have them do a forensic audit of your loan.  Are you in one of those toxic arms?   WFB might be forced to modify your loan if attorney discovers any discrepancies.   If you don't want to consult an attorney I would suggest calling the lender and asking to speak to someone in the loss mitigation department.  The regular Joes in customer service aren't qualified to help you.  Be prepared to reference paystub/bill information and spend awhile on the phone.  I wish you well.


Capitalize Power or Attorney or not?

Hmm. Every doc, nurse, attorney, accountant
I know is making WAY good money and none are working at McD's!!! LOL


Husband is a corporate attorney
He makes more than I do - obviously.


We must follow our attorney's advice. (NM)
Goldbird
Still, I say find a good attorney way outside your
nm
Prosecuting attorney's office.

I would call a tax attorney/accountant in
x
Medical Transcription In The Era Of Electronic Medical Records
EMR has revolutionized the healthcare industry in recent times. Many experts felt that EMR & Voice Recognition would totally replace Medical Transcription - however; the industry soon realized that transcription has certain advantages over point & click charting and many physicians preferred to dictate notes rather than document the data at the point of care themselves.
My husband is an attorney and suggested the same thing to me once.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos152.htm

It definitely sounds more promising than MT but it does also sound like you'd be back to Square One with training/schooling.

It may be well worth it.

Best of luck whatever you decide!
Cool! My DS has a BS in criminal justice and my DH is an attorney!
.
contact the attorney general for their state
and never let them get away with that.

this business gets worse every day. it is really a shame, but soon it will be even worse! it gets worse seriously, every single day. Years ago this was decent and every single year I face more BS and hear more BS. We need a frigging revolution. FAce it...! India cannot make it w/o our editing skills. They stink at this typing. We need to unite but probably wouldn't get the cooperation.

How do you get a free attorney if you are solvent and working? SM
Even if you have stuff like a nice car, a nice home, charge cards that you pay for every month, you still may not have money for a lawyer. Never mind about irresponsibility living too close to the edge. A lot of us do that.
I agree, she should discuss it with her attorney but personally,
I would wait until the final papers are signed before I bought another house.
Used TurboTax & Hubby said go to our tax attorney just to be sure u got everything back you could he
x
Try calling attorney general for your state....
xx
File a complaint with the attorney general
xx