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

Billing and Coding with MT background - Shelbe67

Posted: 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 office environment. Because of my health situation I have to work from my home and cannot go out to an office.

Does anyone have any helpful advice about billing and coding and working at home? I am looking forward to some experienced guidance.

Sincerely - Shelbe67

Not likely but there are sleazy 'Medical Billing' schools to relieve you of $ - Please see message

[ In Reply To ..]
There have been some real sleazes for years selling Medical Billing systems and you need to watch out for those so you don't get taken in by them. That's totally different from Medical Coding, which is legitimate but not usually done from home.

Coding at home - Lala

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, it is possible. I have 2 large ambulance companies that I do all the coding/billing and posting of checks. One account they pay $75,000 a year, the other $60,000 a year, with negotiating going on if I bill higer than a set amount. I have 2 part-time people who help me out. IT is possible.

Difficult to find work at home coding jobs - sm - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
Unless you have a lot of experience. You would still be sitting in front of a computer all day, and many of the work at home coding jobs are production based.

At-home job situation in coding - Redpen

[ In Reply To ..]
At the present time, there are at-home positions in coding, but they typically require at least some on-site experience if you are a new coder. I have seen new coders go home after just several months, and I think this is becoming more common, but it isn't the norm yet. You would probably need to get a job with a local facility which would let you go home after a while, rather than a national firm.

Coding is also a sit-down job that requires high productivity and intense focus. Coders do not sit immobile in their chairs, but they do stay in their chairs for long periods, often staring at an EHR on-screen. While it does not require as much keyboarding as MT, it still requires a good bit of it. It also may require lifting fairly heavy code books and reading very tiny print in those books.

Coding also requires a high degree of intellectual activity and decision-making, so it's not the best choice if you're on brain-fogging medications. Anything that comes with warning about operating machinery or driving a car, for instance, or pain meds, or anything that keeps you from thinking clearly would work against you in terms of both accuracy and productivity.

That isn't to say that coding wouldn't be do-able for you. If you could work through a state agency for the handicapped, for instance, which would support your training and help you find a job, coding might be just what you need.

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? ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...