A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Best job prospects? Billing or coding? - wicker

Posted: May 29, 2014

As a starving MT, I am going to take the plunge through AAPC to enroll either in their coding or billing program. I cannot afford both. Actually, I cannot afford either, but I feel I have to invest in the future away from MT. I've read the forums at AAPC, and some are saying there are too many credentialed coders and not enough jobs. I do not know what the job impact will be, if any, once ICD-10 is implemented, if it is implemented, and the need for more coders. I think the MModal program and the ability to earn as you learn is a good model and a good idea, but since I have done radiology exclusively for the last 6 years, MModal probably will not hire me because my acute care skills are not current. Any advice is more than appreciated.

Suggestion - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Coding pays a lot more than billing; I would notcwaste my time with billing. You would not need both, in any event.

The claim that there are too many credentialed coders is unfounded. The problem is that about 25% of AAPC-credentialed coders without experience cannot find a first job. That is because their skills are limited to outpatient coding.

There is actually a shortage of qualified coders. You can increase your chances by taking a course that teaches both inpatient and outpatient, and which prepares you for certification in both (Andrews, for example).

As long as your focus is on cheap, you will have to be satisfied with getting what you pay for. AAPC's courses have no instructors and do not cover all of coding.

Actually, I am not focused on cheap - wicker

[ In Reply To ..]
I am focused on quicker than my community college will take when adding remedial classes for prereqs. I am a senior citizen, and I've been out of the classroom for many, many years. What do you think about the Career Step program?

look at the AAPC program - get a CPC

[ In Reply To ..]
you can do it online and it will cost about 2K, takes about 6 months. CPC is a fine place to start.

Turning your question around... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You wanted to know what we thought of Career Step. A better question is what YOU think of it.

The thing is that coding schools don't teach the same thing, the same way, or with the same success. You need to make a chart to compare the schools and come to a decision about what you need and the best place to get it.

You need to be able to explain exactly why you think that school ... any school ... is so great.

What about that school is so appealing? What makes you so interested in Career Step? Why aren't you interested in anyplace else?

I think that once you can put that into words, the coders here will be able to correct your misunderstandings and make suggestions.

She is asking for opinions - She does not know

[ In Reply To ..]
what makes any of them great. Wicker, I had to take some classes from Career Step through my employer and I was not impressed. Many people recommend the Andrews School, which will teach you both outpatient and inpatient coding. Billing can be learned on the job and doesn't require any school whatsoever. I apologize for some of the ridiculousness on this site.

Personally, I would vote neither. Anything done on a computer will - eventually be done overseas. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

CPC may be a waste of time - - coder2013

[ In Reply To ..]
You will have the apprenticeship A behind your certification and no one will hire you without any experience. I wish I would have gone back to for surgery tech or something like that. Getting my coding certification through AAPC was a waste of time and money.

Keep trying...I got a job in 1 month, I know I was lucky but the jobs are out there - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I was attending the monthly AAPC local chapter meetings and they also advertise there any job openings. I made a connection that way and was hired! They wanted experience but couldn't find anyone so I got lucky. Starting pay is only $15/hour, but for the valuable experience I am grateful! Good luck!

You CAN get hired with the A, without any - experience

[ In Reply To ..]
It is not true that no one will hire you. The proof is that every working coder once got hired in a first job.

I sort of agree - had I known

[ In Reply To ..]
I was an MT who was outsourced and immediately started the AAPC coding program at my cost. What they teach is only a little of what is required to be a coder. Had I known I would have a 75% chance of finding a job as a new coder I would have done something else. I have applied for many jobs, some don't get past HR because of being an apprentice, and some facilities never hire newly credentialed coders and if you do find a job you are very very lucky. The person who networked at monthly meetings made a great effort to get herself hired. I am glad she did!
Remember that a test is required during the job application process and that is after the interview with HR and the interview with the coding supervisor or manager. The test I took was five pages long and is timed.
Good luck to all those apprentices out there!

The CPC is not a waste of time, but your chances - can be better with more

[ In Reply To ..]
You are going to have to market yourself aggressively and energetically to get any job, no matter what the field. No other field hires as easily as MTSOs do. The rest of the job market is not like what you may be used to.

A 75% chance of getting a job is very good. Nursing is something like 40%.

It also helps to have skills in inpatient coding. Without that -- and especially without an AHIMA credential -- you exclude yourself from half the coding world.

billing - curious

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't ever see much mention of billing here. Are there remote jobs in billing?

I don't think there are any billers here. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, there are remote billing jobs, but billing jobs pay poorly compared to coding.

how to qualify? - curious

[ In Reply To ..]
What qualifications are needed to be a biller? What schooling? Do you need to first work on site and then remote? Or can you just start as a remote worker?

I'm not looking for high paying. I just want a supplemental home job (in case MT is completely moved overseas).

Billing job - qualifications

[ In Reply To ..]
Here is the link to a billing job. I am sure you could find others on indeed, career builder or some other job site that would show you the qualifications. Billing and coding are not the same although the billers and coders work together.

https://apply.mayoclinic.org/TGWebHost/jobdetails.aspx?SID=%5eE6kVg0rc96pgZDzssUEz8dqU3uDr7k2HR13iQStVZHi0h208bxHjZ%2fh1OzLnCXzS&jobId=1117258&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&JobSiteId=527

Thank you! - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Neither. My hospital just outsourced their entire HIM department - 40 people without jobs now - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

There are jobs with the other company. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
NM

Not real jobs, however. Just "jobs". - There is a big difference.

[ In Reply To ..]

HIM is more informatics-oriented now... - losing the paper-based jobs

[ In Reply To ..]
HIM is focused more on informatics now. It used to be mostly wrangling loads of paper records, but records are now electronic, so the jobs have shifted to higher-level information, data, and policy kinds of administration, with a few jobs in things like scanning incidental papers and release of information. The new jobs are less visible, but they are there. They require more education, unfortunately.

I think that facilities which are part of larger organizations are consolidating their records operations, so it looks like they got rid of or outsourced them, while others are discovering that their pre-EHR staff don't have the qualifications to work with EHRs and so outsource to companies that do.

That doesn't mean the jobs are bad. In fact, it means more remote jobs, but they are going to be jobs requiring more education. Instead of an associate's degree being the norm, it is now more the bachelor's, and there are moves afoot to require a master's.

Similar Messages:

Aug 13, 2013

Accepted a job, gave 2 weeks notice, and yesterday was my first day. I was to be helping out transcription (1000 jobs behind), and then sitting with billing and training with coding as their coder will be out on maternity leave in December. The office is adding another surgeon, and they are rapidly expanding. So I gave a proper 2 weeks' notice to my former employer (2 hours on the road there and back, low salary - now less than half distance and $3 more an hour) and starte ...

Apr 20, 2010

has anyone thought about or actually made the swith from mt to billing/coding? ...

Jan 11, 2011

Anyone know if MedQuist has coding/billing jobs and would hire a new grad from CareerStep? Thanks! ...

Apr 05, 2011

Quick question - medical billing and medical coding are two totally separate entities, right? Meaning, you have schools for billing and schools for coding or schools that teach coding OR billing.. Just had a discussion with someone regarding this and I would like to have my facts straight ... thanks everyone!!! There are billing jobs and coding jobs, but the two shall never "meet", right? ...

Apr 11, 2011

I have a stupid question. When I finished my MT course with Allied Medical School, I then found out they are NOT (federally) accredited, they do not assist you in finding positions, and they do not assist in helping you become certified. In other words, I felt that I wasted all of that money. As a newbe I was unable to find a job. I started apprenticing with a company, paid their $500 fee for software, and after 8-9 months, found they had changed their name. Apparently, they were getti ...

Sep 30, 2011

I have been an MT for 20+ years and now looking into coding and billing... Would you recommend it? I am considering this, but looking for some words of wisdom prior to making a decision. I see Career Step offers the program, but not familiar enough with Career Step to know if they are a reputable. I have been told that coding is on its way out like transcription and not to waste my time, but only heard that from one person so far. Anything you can share with me would be great! Thanks :) ...

Oct 30, 2014

It has been almost 8 months since I passed my CPC on first try. I have been in MT field for more than 14 years, and yet nobody is ready to give me a job based on that. Everyone says u dont have a coing xperience. Is anybody else suffering like me out there? I am slowly losing hope that I will ever be able to leave this field. ...

Apr 14, 2010

Can anyone explain the difference between coding and billing? Do coding credentials apply to billing too? ...

Jun 15, 2010

I have a background in medical transcription however I am unable to sit in the same position (foot pedal - headset - typing) for any length of time. I broke my neck many years ago and didn't know when I was in school that this was going to prevent me from doing this career on even a part time basis and after graduating with high honors and having great employee/employer relationships. I am wondering if it is feasible to do billing and coding with medical transcription in a home offic ...

Aug 30, 2010

I had a friend suggest I access this webiste for possible information on Medical Billing/Coding training. Do you have any suggestions on where to obtain training and certification for Medical Billing/Coding. There are 2 of us that would be interested in this and then to move onto the Medical Transcriptions. We would both like to work from home and spend time with our children. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your assistance. ...

Jul 11, 2011

I am looking at options/alternatives. Currently an MT with 15+ years. Can someone tell me what a coding job and/or billing job exactly is (job description)? What is required of a coder/biller? Is it a WAH job? Thanks! ...

Sep 16, 2011

Just lost my part-time transcripton job and starting to hear that this field is becoming extinct. Thinking about going to school online for billing and coding. Anybody know of a oustanding accredited school? Do not want to waste time and money barking up the wrong tree. Is it costly? ...

Mar 13, 2014

I have been an MT for seven years and for the most part do enjoy the work, but find the "feast or famine" nature of the work difficult to make a decent living. I will soon be divorced and won't have my husband's income to help support the house. I have been thinking about training for medical coding and/or billing and am looking into different online courses. I was considering a bundled course at MedicalBillingCourse.com. Has anyone completed this course an ...

Mar 30, 2014

I have been transcribing for over 20 years and would like to add billing and coding to my resume. I have heard Penn Foster is a good online school that is accredited. Any thoughts to help me make a decision? ...

Apr 26, 2014

I am wanting to go into billinig/coding. There is a tech school very close to my home. They have coding/billing program which takes 1 year to complete full time. I am wondering this: How much does a newbie make just starting out in either billing or coding and what are my chances of getting a newbie job right out of school? Thanks for the info. ...

Dec 31, 2014

I'm thinking about making the transition from transcription to coding/billing. What are the best schools to attend? I have seen many courses online, but not sure which ones are the best. Thanks! ...

Jan 30, 2015

okay ladies and gents--I got a lot of negative reviews on the MT world and have decided that is not a route worth going down....however, we have a small child, and come July will have two! We can't afford daycare full time for 2 babies. I was counting on working from home. Do you guys think coding & billing is worth it? Do you enjoy your jobs? Are many of you able to work from home? Is Andrews the reccommended school? About how long does it take to actutually complete the ...

Feb 03, 2015

I am currently a transcriptionist with 7 years' experience, and I am considering going back to Andrews for either coding or billing. I am trying to decide what field I want to get back into, and pay versus school time is really the determining factor for me right now. To anyone wililng to answer, especially if you are an Andrews graduate, how long did it take to get through your billing and/or coding program? Also, if you don't mind answering, how much do you make now? Do you work at ...

Feb 13, 2015

Does any one know of any good medical billing and coding schools online? ...

Nov 16, 2009

I was wondering if anyone who is a transcriptionist also does medical coding/billing. I wonder if we are any safer with this field and what the pay is like. It looks to be about the same from what I have found on line. I have been doing transcription for 10 years and am getting tired of what is happening in the industry. It is tedious, hard work to sit on your butt all day and only get paid when your fingers are on the keys. I am thinking of working in an office or hospital for a chang ...

Jun 28, 2010

Thinking of taking billing/coding courses since transcription is going downhill. Any good on-line schools that are AHIMA accredited? Do you have to take courses only accredited by AHIMA? What about their courses? Any suggestions and/or help would be appreciated. (Also, I don't want to take a course that takes years to complete.) Thanks in advance! ...

Sep 01, 2010

I have never coded/billed for physical therapy. The scenario is: eval (97001), application of hot/cold packs (97010), and 3 minutes of ultrasound (97035). I checked the cms website and other sites relating to physical therapy, but they are all unclear. Should I bill/code this as 97001 and 97010-59? ...

Sep 08, 2010

I am interested in obtaining some information on the medical billing/coding certifications. If anyone has class or school informaiton that is realiable I would greatly appreciate it. I am looking for online certificated classes. Thanks ...

Nov 14, 2011

I am a medical transcriptionist that has been typing radiology the last 11 years. My job is going to be phased out by voice recognition soon. I'm thinking of going back to school for medical billing/coding. Has anyone else made this transition? Do you like or hate it? ...

Feb 08, 2012

I have a question about coding and billing. For three years in the '90s, I coded and transcribed for a small, rural, hospital. I was responsible for outpatient, ER, inpatient, surgical etc. coding and transcription. It was mostly ICD-9, and HCPC coding. If I want to code from home in the future, what would you suggest I do, an online program? Do you think coding from home would be an opportunity or do most hospitals/clinics/physicians require experience at a facility first, and wo ...

May 05, 2012

How plentiful are the jobs for coders and medical billers? Currently I am an MT but looking into other career options. Thanks! ...

Aug 03, 2013

gotta be honest, i despise medical transcription - booorrrrring - BUT i still want to work at home. i know coding/billing probably isn't any more interesting, but because i still want to work at home, i'm considering learning it. does anyone have any knowledge and/or experience with it? if so, is it, too, also going overseas? are there any work at home jobs that are not going overseas? ...

Oct 07, 2013

Hello out there. Are there any medical coding and billing sites like this one. Any information on websites or where to look would be greatly appreciated. ...

Feb 25, 2014

I need to make a switch if I should lose my transcription job. Which would you recommend to get into first? Wondering if I should take a medical billing course first which would help me get hired somewhere else and does have a billing background help with coding?? I have a local vocational school that offers a medical billing course but nothing nearby that offers coding. Also I would prefer to do an online course and not sure which one would be the best. I don't want to spend money if ...

Jan 18, 2010

Does anyone have an idea which career might pay best, medical transcription or medical billing/coding? I am curious about which pays best. ...