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

Switch to coding, folks - There you have it!

Posted: Oct 15, 2012

They're ruining the coding and billing fields too though. - nm

coding and M*Modal - CMT, RN, now coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
I am afraid of M*Modal getting into coding as they have ruined MT. I did do a lot of studying, talked to many including a family friend in hospital administration as well as a friend who is currently making $90,000 a year coding (that is not the normal unfortunately, but she is a supervisor and has a lot of experience).

Here is the difference and why I chose to go ahead and get into coding. Transcription errors seem to just be ho hum, the administrators don't see this as a big deal and the bottom line is MONEY. Incorrect coding can get big fines (unbundling codes and charging with multiple codes instead of 1 inclusive code), and it can also cause a big loss of money with denials if not properly coded, or at the very least a delay in getting reimbursed. Here you see them LOSING MONEY, and they DO care about that. This is not to say that more simple coding, as in physician office basic codes, may not be able to be done adequately by either computer or M*Modal, but I don't see them making in roads into hospital coding (much more difficult).

My family friend said that another area hospital HAD tried an overseas cheap rate coding company (he didn't know which one) and in 3 months they had lost close to 10 million, and quickly rehired their coders.

It is going to be hard getting your foot in the door, like all fields right now. Key if you are interested in pursuing this is carefully evaluating your school, make sure they actually use CODERS to teach (not someone just teaching from a text with no real life experience, unfortunately what happens at many community colleges)and ask what is their rate for graduates passing the certifications (critical to get these, especially CCS, for your first job).

Just thought I'd throw this out there. I don't have a crystal ball and I could be wrong, I sure was wrong about what would happen to MT, but for now I think this may still be a very viable alternative.

Ho hum transcription errors? - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
Transcription errors are not "ho hum." What do you think coders use when they code? The patient record has to be reviewed, and if the information is not documented correctly, it is not going to be coded properly. Providers have been known to dictate exams and procedures that they did not actually perform. Sometimes a misspelled word in a diagnosis or an error in documentation of a med can create a billing issue or non-payment of a bill, it can even initiate an audit. Coders do not work independntly of MTs and need to recognize that they are equally important. You're a student now but you need to realize that we all function as a TEAM. I'm an MT turned coder and do record review. Transcription errors are not considered trivial and need to be taken seriously. MQ did not single handedly "ruin MT." Please explain how they are "ruining ccding."

I totally agree with you, but to hospital CEOs this is what they think - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I should have worded what I said better. I am an RN and have worked 15 years as an MT and am a CMT and I actually agree wholeheartedly. I am frustrated by all of the errors that I see and have complained until I am blue in the face to no avail. I do not consider them trivial at all, BUT the hospital administrators/CEOs unfortunately as a whole DO look at the bottom line, money, and it is THEIR opinion that the errors are ho hum, NOT mine. I loved transcription and wish I could still make a living with this.

I have seen where things incorrectly transcribed have caused problems with coding as well. I do have several friends who are coders and they have had to go to the physician in many cases due to errors in transcription to get clarification. I also have a friend who works on site where they have gone to "front-end transcription" where the physicians are to dictate AND edit their own documents. The physicians were NOT happy but had no choice in the matter. She said that the records are HORRIBLE and that they do not do much editing. This is happening, though, whether we like it or not, and it is why I made the statement that they are "ho hum errors," NOT my opinion, BUT the opinion of those who are currently making the decisions. I actually hope there are some lawsuits over this and that they wake up and learn the importance of accurate records. Unfortunately I think that MTs, coders, and the healthcare team are currently the only ones who care.

I do not think that M*Modal has ruined coding at this point, and I did not say this. There is a big discussion on the coding board with people saying this, and it was not something I said. M*Modal currently is advertising coding AND transcription in their ads, so yes they are definitely trying to push this area as well. My points I made were why I think that even with M*Modal trying to enter the field, that coding jobs will continue to be a good opportunity.

I don't think M*Modal single-handedly ruined MT, but they are a huge factor for the state of affairs, IMO. Back in the 1990s my company was taken over by MQ. I turned in my resignation about 3 months later after finding another good job with a local MTSO. When I returned my computer, an MQ administrator happened to be present from the home office and told me "You will end up working for us again very soon, we are going to buy the other MTSOs." MQ/M*Modal HAS set the industry standard in pay (as well as Nuance, but they entered later in the game). Other companies have cut their pay in order to be able to stay somewhat competitive. So I stand by my opinion that they are the MAIN cause for the decrease in our pay. Oh, I was also told by our IT person back in the 1990s that MQ was going to be putting speech rec in place and he advised me to look for another profession, as their goal was to eliminate MTs (he was a friend). I ignored his advice and they haven't been able to replace us, but our pay certainly has suffered.

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