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AHIMA basic coding or coderclass.com (AAPC) - Carol

Posted: Apr 10, 2013

Hi everyone! My place of employment has approached me about the possibility of training as an outpatient coder within the year but wants me to take a CPT and ICD-9 course, no certification needed, just something stating I took these two courses. Would you who have been through this suggest I take AHIMA's coding basics (she says I only need the 4 total courses - CPT (2), ICD-9 (2) or take something like an online AAPC course i.e. coderclass.com? Can the AHIMA courses be completed within 5-6 months if I am only taking 2 at a time?

Thanks so much in advance!

My thoughts: - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Why not get certified? I haven't heard of coderclass.com, but I have heard that the AAPC online class can be frustrating for students who have no coding experience.

If you are going to go through the hassle of attending classes, I'd get certified. I know that you didn't ask that, but you may not realize that coding errors can expose you to liability.

Certification plus experience is a great career-widening move. With all of the changes coming to healthcare, I believe it is a career-limiting move not to get certified.

Just my opinion, which you asked for. Good luck and congratulations on finding the opportunity!

WHAT SHE SAID - WWW

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with the above. If you are going to take classes anyway -- why not get certified? While this new position may not "require" certification -- one day it might. Or, God forbid something happens to that position, you will be more employable. I think you should go for it, and congratulations on this great opportunity!

Thank you gals - Carol

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi everyone, thank you so much for your thoughts :) I should have mentioned that I am nearly done with my A.A., have 11 years of transcription experience and have already taken A&P 1 and 2 with labs and medical terminology. Sorry about that. However, these thoughts are exactly what I'm looking for. I feel very rushed with this opportunity, don't want it to pass me by but also don't want to waste any money. It's too hard to come by! lol

I would love to get certified as well, once I have completed a course just because like you all, I'm thinking way down the road - just in case, covering my own back.

I have a lot to think about here - again, I really appreciate all your insight. I feel very blind going into this so fast.

Have a great day!

Yeah, knowing that would have helped. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
But you still have the time problem. What is your AA in, anyway? That might make a difference.

If it is an RHIT program, or if you want to convert to one, the AHIMA courses will transfer (maybe).

If AHIMA will accept your A&P, and let you take ICD9 and CPT at the same time, you could do it in 6 months or less.

If your employer will accept the AAPC course, you can do it for less $ and in 4 months or less. If they will accept that, I would go that route.. The AAPC course does have people to answer questions, it seems, but AHIMA absolutely does not.

AA - general studies to transfer to B.S. - Carol

[ In Reply To ..]
I have just been plugging away at a general AA to transfer to a university with no real clear plan in mind :) If coding goes well, I was thinking IT/health informatics because I absolutely love technology. I think the coding is going to take up a huge amount of learning time for the next year or two though, so I'll take a short break from school. Thanks for the thoughts, I am thinking the exact same thing as you - AAPC course since the boss has OK'd it and less $, less time. The facility will, however, pay for any additional courses/exams once I have the basic courses just not the first part unfortunately.

You gals are awesome! I haven't been on this board in years (transcription part) but I'll visit more often to keep up with what's going on in billing.

Thanks again and have a great afternoon!

Agree, then, AAPC first! - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Then I would rip through the AAPC course right away and get that job. Certify if you can. You get 2 tries on that exam, so that is helpful. You can give it a try.

Let us know how it goes.

We have almost never had any billers here, as it happens. Everyone is either coding or HIM, with, I think, possibly 2 HIM informaticists.

Sure thing - Carol

[ In Reply To ..]
Woops - billing isn't the same as coding, my bad ;) Makes sense.

I will keep you posted - life comes at you fast that's for sure! I had no intention of going down this road, but since it has presented itself, I will do my very best :)

My thoughts ... - CCS, CPC

[ In Reply To ..]
Not all coding programs are equivalent. They do not necessarily teach the same things. You also should be very careful about thinking that you don't need certification right now and that you "only" need an ICD-9 and a CPT course. There is more to coding than that. Your best chance at certification is right after a good course while you are still in textbook coding mode.

I understand what you need for this situation,but want you to be aware of the issues surrounding doing it this way. Yes, you need to qualify for this training opportunity at work, but let's try to do it in a way that leaves doors open and does not waste money.

The AAPC course you found uses the AAPC curriculum. Look closely at the syllabus that is online. Do you see that it covers ICD-9 in 3 modules? And medical terminology in 1? And CPT coding in 14 modules? What is that telling you? What are they teaching about ICD-9 that they can do it in 3 modules?

Before you think that I am full of stuff, I'll share that I know what these courses contain because I have taken all three types of coding courses -- AAPC, AHIMA style college, one week bootcamps -- and I know what is in them.

AAPC is popular because it focuses on the coding that outpatient coders do. It is wildly popular with people who fear anatomy, because it doesn't contain any or require it. Your employer asked you to take a course in ICD-9 and a course in CPT. If they suggested this AAPC style course, then you should be fine taking it. I suggest just taking the online course from the AAPC itself. That way you avoid issues. It is about $1195 for AAPC members. For a bit more, you can include the exam. It includes textbooks, but you need to supply the code books. You will be finished in 4 months and probably certified. However, coding is very difficukt to learn on your own. There are very high noncomplete rates in courses like this.

If your employer will not accept that, you will not have time to get into local college classes due to the scheduling and prerequisites. You would have to do the online AHIMA courses. Note that you will have to take a college course in anatomy before starting any coding course. They have one you can take for $290, textbook included. You will then need 2 ICD-9 courses and 2 CPT courses. They divide them into 2 parts -- first and second halves of the textbook, so you can't get away with taking just the first one. That will be $225 x 4 = 900 plus 300-400 in textbooks, plus code books. Your total for that will be at least $1500. Note carefully that they have no instructors. If they will allow you to take CPT with ICD9, you are looking at 15 + 15 + 15 weeks or 9 months. If they won't allow it, it will take 15 weeks for each course x 5. Way too long, but you could try to do them faster. You need proctors for the exams, too. You would probably need to take a review course for the CPC exam, too. High noncomplete rates, again.

If they want AHIMA-style college courses, I'll give another option. Andrews teaches outpatient and inpatient coding separately. They offer a package that costs $3800. Everything is included, textbooks, code books, and actual instructors. Their graduates can pass both the CPC and CCS on graduation. They have no prerequisites and start teaching ICD-9 the first day. CPT follows. You would thus have what you needed for your employer before you finished the whole course. I heard that you can do just outpatient coding, so you might want to ask Linda Andrews about that. You will be spending a lot on other courses anyway without really learning anything in depth. You might not want to shell out 3800, but if you do the AHIMA course and still have to do a bootcamp review to pass a certification exam, you will be shelling out $$$ anyway. And you still won't be able to code inpatient. In the long run, 3800 is not a lot considering what you get and where it will get you. You will have what you need within 6 months and what we know you need for your career in a year. If you are motivated, you can do it.

You have 3 options. Quick and dirty for cheap, complicated and possibly impossible for more, and a thorough option that would get you where you needed in 5 or 6 months while allowing continuation for better career results.

Anatomy - AAPC grad

[ In Reply To ..]
You are mistaken about the AAPC course not requiring anatomy. They teach it in their program, and there is no way for students to waive it. Go to their website and read the curriculum. Career Step also includes it in their program (cannot be waived) and AHIMA requires it before they let you enter the program. Sooner or later, it always comes down to someone promoting the Andrews School.

I don't think you're correct - another poster

[ In Reply To ..]
I looked through the AAPC requirements, but I thought about going through them.

Under the CPC prep course, Anatomy is listed as "Highly recommended." Recommended doesn't mean required.

Also, Andrews is promoted all the time here because they are apparently (haven't gone through the course so I can't say for certain) really good and you get more bang for your buck, which I did calculate out and that part is true.

Here's the link to the CPC info from AAPC http://www.aapc.com/training/cpc-online-medical-coding-training-course.aspx

Not sure what your course taught, but ... - AAPC does not require A&P

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know what your course included, but the course AAPC produces does not include or require anatomy. It is now recommending a course in it, at an additional fee, mostly because you will be unprepared for ICD-10 without it.

The course AHIMA requires is a one-semester college course in anatomy and physiology. AAPC's course does not come anywhere close to that. It covers med terms in one chapter, mostly as a word list. The diagrams and drawings in their book should not be confused with the content of a college anatomy course. For that matter, the med terms they teach does not come close to a college course.

Some AAPC courses supplement with an anatomy coloring book. That is not a course in anatomy and neither is the home-made booklet CS uses.

The AAPC has a great course. You can learn physician services coding quickly and get a certification. Nothing wrong with that. You just shouldn't think that they are teaching a year of college material in those 20 lessons, because they don't.

Like someone above said, courses do not cover the same material. They may look like it, but they don't.

Really? Someone said it would be better to go - AAPC/AHIMA route and they

[ In Reply To ..]
do not require anatomy and physiology? Only recommend it?? Hmmm. Seems that would be an extremely beneficial course to have.

AAPC/AHIMA - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, it is beneficial to have.

AAPC and AHIMA have different requirements. AHIMA now requires A&P.
AAPC still only recommends it.

That was a qualified recommendation - with some reservations

[ In Reply To ..]
... not a blanket "recommendation" of the AAPC/AHIMA courses. It was made with the OP's unique requirements in mind. There had been a discussion of the disadvantages, including the lack of basic sciences.

She needed a course that was fast, and her employer would accept AAPC's. A credential was not necessary, apparently because there were plans for OJT.

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