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Best school after Andrews. sm - Crispy Critter

Posted: Nov 08, 2013

I need financial aid. Andrews doesn't accept Pell grants. etc. Currently I'm on unemployment. Been unemployed for about 2 months now. Have been an MT for 37 years. I applied for WIA funds (workforce investiment act) and included info about Andrews and medical coding in general, i.e., what it is, etc. They won't pay for Andrews or coding for that matter because they say:(1) Its a work at home job. (2) Its an online program and they can't keep track of my progress. (3) Supposedly there are no coding jobs in my area within a 100 mile radius which includes Cincinnati, OH. I live in a very rural county and there are no jobs in anything. No amount of arguing will change their mind. They are pushing me toward CNA or LPN. Too old for that and have some physical problems that makes that impossible.

What is the next best online program for coding that takes financial aid? CareerStep? I went to my local community college and it would take a year just to get accepted into the program. I'm 59. I need something sooner than that. I have already taken 2 courses in ICD9 and CPT.

Thanks!

Clarification - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You live in a rural area where there are no jobs of any kind, live very far from an urban area, have health problems that seem to preclude you from working on-site, and state that the WIA folks won't fund coding because it is a WAH job.

To clarify, coding should NOT be considered a WAH job, particularly not for beginners. There are remote positions, but they are going to require working on-site at first and possibly periodically after that. Remote coding jobs exist with HIM companies, but they often require RHIA or RHIT credentials. Coding jobs are also high-production, high-accuracy, sitting situations that can be stressful and unsuitable for those with chronic health problems, particularly if they involve focus, attention, memory, recall, and the ability to deal with constant change and research complex issues accurately. Typically, only very proficient, high producers are able to work remotely.

Yes I know its not a WAH job. sm - CrispyCritterMT

[ In Reply To ..]

I posted:

"I applied for WIA funds (workforce investiment act) and included info about Andrews and medical coding in general, i.e., what it is, etc. They won't pay for Andrews or coding for that matter because they say:(1) Its a work at home job. (2) Its an online program and they can't keep track of my progress. (3) Supposedly there are no coding jobs in my area within a 100 mile radius which includes Cincinnati, OH. I live in a very rural county and there are no jobs in anything. No amount of arguing will change their mind. They are pushing me toward CNA or LPN. Too old for that and have some physical problems that makes that impossible."

Where does it say that I stated it was a WAH job? The WIA personnel are the ones who don't know what the job entails. Where does it state that I can't work onsite as a coder? I don't feel I can work as a CNA or LPN because of some physical problems.

I also stated I've been an MT for 37 years so I'm used to "high production, high accuracy, etc" and all that other crap you stated. I have already taken 3 courses in ICD9 and CPT.

Your snipply reply was of no help at all. Get off your high horse. Why don't you just read what I posted? Obviously you have a comprehension problem. I can't afford Andrews. I need a program I can use with a Pell grant. I asked for recommendations about an online program.

I think WGU is often recommended here - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

maybe not though - that might just be informatics sorry nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Suggestion - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If you have already taken 3 courses in ICD-9 and CPT, what is the point of taking a coding course? It seems that you have already taken it. Why don't you just take the CPC exam and see how you do? The exam comes with one free retake.

As for the misunderstanding about coding being a WAH job, it appears from your first post that you may have provided the information about that to the WIA. It also appears that you may need a WAH job because, as you state, you live in a rural area where there are no jobs. How will you get a coding job if there are none? This, along with the mention of health issues here and elsewhere on the board, makes it appear that you do need a WAH job.

You can always enroll in an online college program for this. There is no reason you have to take the one at your local college. They are all very similar. Look on the AHIMA website for the list.

Thank you for your suggestion. sm - CrispyCritterMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Maybe I will just do that. It has been several years since I took the courses so I feel I need a brushup.

I provided info about coding to WIA from the Andrews School site. There was no mention of it being a WAH job. I think the WIA people have it confused with MT, which I did tell them was basically a WAH job. I don't feel I can do a physical job of being a CNA or LPN. I am perfectly willing to work onsite, be it coder or MT. If I can find a job, I would move, but I have to find a job first. The WIA people don't want to pay for any training for a job not within a 100-mile radius of the county. Again it was WIA who said there were no jobs, but they were wrong. I don't know what they were looking at. There are many coding jobs within a 100-mile radius of me on Indeed and even on the unemployment jobs website. They just don't want to pay period.

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