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Is it important to take a coding program that is - approved by AHIMA? StillAnMT

Posted: Jul 29, 2013

or does it mostly boil down to going to a school with a good curriculum and then getting a certification? I'm trying to decide between a community college program and Career Step. The community college program, I won't be able to graduate from until 2015, which seems like forever, but with Career Step, I could be done in a year from now. Career Step is AHIMA approved, and MModal (my current employer) told me that the AHIMA approval is important.

Good curriculum that prepares you for certification - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
It boils down to finding a school that has a good curriculum and prepares you for certification. If you plan on doing only outpatient coding, an AAPC-type course for the CPC will do that. To maximize your skills and options, you will need both outpatient and inpatient coding. Few programs teach that. Even the AHIMA online course does not.

AHIMA recently changed their criteria for approval. They have not been reapproving non-college programs. They also require certain coursework to qualify to take their coding exams, and even the AHIMA course no longer qualifies.

Just to note, this is the third month in a row that someone has asked this question, all 3 times saying that they were considering a local college but found that Career Step has a faster, AHIMA-approved, etc., course. It is really starting to look like advertising to me.

I wish it was advertising. That would mean I have a - more stable job than I do right now with MT.

[ In Reply To ..]
I can see why you would think that though. I feel like that about so many of the Andrews posts I see. I am but a lowly MT working for MModal after they bought out Spheris, trying to decide what to do with my 20+ years left I have to work before retirement. I would like to get in and out of school as quickly as possible but at the same time afraid of online schools since I don't know if employers would prefer to see that I went to a local college instead of an online one, or if, like you mentioned, it comes down to being certified. I'm starting to wonder if that's what really matters in the end - just picking a school that will give me a solid understanding of coding so that I can get certified.

Depends on where you want a job, to some extent - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
There are two sides to the coding market...hospital-inpatient and outpatient. Some coders work for hospitals, others work for physicians, ambulatory care facilities, etc. The latter is the largest. Hospitals employ fewer coders.

The outpatient market really only cares about one thing...certification. They know about AAPC, but not necessarily about AHIMA or college programs.

The hospital market is very AHIMA-focused because AHIMA credentials a variety of HIM specialties. While they like to support other AHIMA members, once you have an AHIMA credential, nobody much cares how you got it. Of course, several people are now going to say that their hospital prefers RHITs, but I have seen very few who do.

My very large facility would like you to have an AAPC or AHIMA credential, but does not require or prefer RHITs or RHIAs, nor does it care how you achieved your knowledge.

One thing to remember is that coders have a long history of on the job learning, as well as of non-college courses.

Another thing is that you may need to work in other settings at first, even if you want to work in a hospital. However, I know many coders who got good training, got credentialed, and got hospital jobs quicky.

You can find more discussion of this in archived posts here.

Western Governor's University must be advertising too... - advertising

[ In Reply To ..]
There's more pushing of them than Career Step.

They are a nonprofit, real university, so no problem. - Several people here doing it

[ In Reply To ..]
Andrews does not advertise, except to sponsor the website, so any mention of them is just a recommendation.

WGU is a regular university, and it is a not-for-profit. It is recommended for very good reasons.

Multiple people are recommending both of them because they have great programs at reasonable cost.

Still doesn't mean they don't have people advertising - ...

[ In Reply To ..]
...

They do not have people advertising - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Please stop insisting that something underhanded is going on.

All of the posts about those schools come from legitimate people -- me and a couple of other people whom I know are not advertising. We post for the benefit of others.

Career Step - Been there

[ In Reply To ..]
I took the Career Step coding course and truthfully if I had it do to over I would choose a different program. At the time that I did the program (finished in summer 2010, there were errors and typos in the course material. Everything was independent study, and towards the end of the program I was questioning the accuracy of the coding problem answers. The E/M information was all messed up and I got really confused. They did have instructors on staff but it generally took 24-48 hours to get an answer. Hopefully the course content has been improved since I did the program, but I would proceed with caution. At the community college, you might have some one on one time with an instructor. With ICD-10 on the forefront, I do know that the anatomy portion of the Career Step course will not be adequate. I used a college level textbook for anatomy because I found it lacking. Please research carefully before spending $$$ on your coding education.

I would probably research what works best for you - Current coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
I did a ton of research before I finally chose a coding program. I am just about done and I have already passed the CPC. I am now studying and working towards passing the CCS. I was eligible for assistance with tuition at Career Step at the time, but I chose a different school mainly because of their students' success rate on both certification exams.

Again, I guess each student is different and it really boils down to what works for you in terms of schools. While it hasn't been easy, I am completely happy with the choice I made and, like I said, I am almost done. Good luck with your decision making!

I decided to go with the community college program. - Thanks for all the great advice.

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm going to stick with the community college program, even though it will take longer to get through it. The program is offered online, but I just feel better knowing that I can go speak face to face with an instructor if I need to. Question about certification -- You say you've already passed the CPC (congrats on that by the way!) and now are working toward the CCS cert. I see so many different certifications for coders; it gets a bit confusing. Is getting a CCS certification what is needed in order to land a good job in coding?

You should have both - CPC and CCS

[ In Reply To ..]
I think that is a better choice than your other one.

There really aren't "a lot" of coding certifications. The two basic ones are the CPC and CCS, and if a certification is not from AAPC or AHIMA, the certification is useless.

Don't assume that a college instructor is present at the school. Online instructors are online and only rarely present on campus. They may be 4 states away. They are also not necessarily experienced coders. Some are RHITs and RHIAs who took coding, but never did it.

Also, do not assume that the college will prepare you for certification beyond the CCA, which is not recognized by most employers. It is not a full credential. It basically says you learned some stuff and now really, really want someone to teach you the rest of it on the job.

If all the school mentions is the CCA, that is a problem. If they can show that they have a high pass rate on the CPC, that is better. Very few colleges, however, prepare students for the CCS. They just don't think it is possible to do it. The AHIMA model that they follow says you need 2 years of working experience before credential testing, so colleges by and large do not bother with the CCS.

AHIMA exams also have prerequisite courses now. Your college might not include them. I have seen several who do not.

If your college has an AHIMA-accredited RHIT program, the coding may be enough for the CPC and maybe the CCA. If it does not, it may be using an online program sold by a company that makes online stuff in everything from MT to blacksmithing.

If you tell us the school, we can tell you what to expect. It is pretty clear to us what they are offering.

Also, if you are required to pass A&P to get into this program, be aware that at most schools it is a flunk-out course designed to weed people out so they have fewer applications to medical programs. Plan to spend a lot of time on it-as much as it takes. Your grade in it will affect whether you later go on to do an HIT or HIA program. If this school does not have an AHIMA-accredited HIT program, it is unlikely that any credits you earn there will transfer to an HIT or HIA program later. Most of those programs will not accept credits more than 5 years later, so this might not matter.

Not trying to discourage you, but just be aware of these things. You don't want to experience unhappy surprises.

I am still a student, so I don't have all the answers - Current coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
I do know that I chose the school I did because they teach students to (hopefully) pass both the CPC and CCS, while many others focus on only one of them. My school is online as well, but there are instructors available to answer all of my questions, not in person though. Everything is done through email. This works very well for me. Again, good luck!

Suggestion RE certification - Been there

[ In Reply To ..]
One certification is good, more are better. As a newbie coder in the job market, I would also recommend that you try to get some coding-related work experience as a coding intern or HIM clerk while you are going to school. Many employers have an experience preference/requirement and if you have a little workplace coding exposure that might help you. That is just an observation. I am working as a HIM tech because I had trouble getting hired as a new coder, but I am going to keep trying. Good luck with your classes.

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