My thoughts on that - sm Posted: Feb 12th, 2016 - 5:47 pm In Reply to: HIT or Billing and Coding - Anon
If you don't want to begin coding as a strictly entry-level coder, take a course that isn't "billing and coding." Courses that are called billing and coding, as opposed to just coding, are very often mostly billing and not much more than typing in code numbers. You might look up an occasional code, but you really are not well prepared to work as a coder.
If you don't want to be strictly entry-level, then don't take a course that only prepares you for the CCA. That is a dead giveaway that you won't be able to get a job very easily. You will have difficulty passing employer assessments, and employers know that. There are very few jobs that specifically say that they look for CCA's.
Most employers in facilities are going to be looking for a CCS. It's easiest to get a job with the CCS because that tells employers that you can, in fact, code at the mastery level. Some employers may accept a CPC.
It is possible to get a job in coding with an RHIT. However, it is relatively difficult to learn to code in those programs. They don't have a very good success rate. They also have about a 40% failure rate on the RHIT exam, making that kind of program and risky endeavor. Some programs do better than that, of course, the ones that don't aren't going to tell you.
An RHIT is probably going to get you an entry-level job, and it is likely to be in something that pays less than coding. Entry-level work in medical records is barely over minimum wage. The programs will tell you that there are going to turn you into a manager, but very few RHIT's get to be managers with only a two-year associate degree and no experience. Management jobs are increasingly reserved for RHIA's because there are more RHIA's available now since online programs are available.
If you want to go into this career field, you can get an excellent start within about a year in coding by taking a course that prepares you for the CCS. After that, if you want a degree, you can work on it while you're making enough money to afford it . Many people are doing that now and it works quite well for them.
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