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

AHIMA-approved coding courses - Confused

Posted: Dec 28, 2012

I was looking at going to Andrews School for medical coding, but many employers want those trained in AHIMA-approved courses, and Andrews is not. I see that Career Step is, so I may go for that. Any thoughts? Thanks!!!

Have you run into problems findings jobs - Confused

[ In Reply To ..]
if you didn't go to an AHIMA-approved school? Maybe I'm looking too much into it. If I can get feedback about whether or not it really is significant, that'll help me decide which program to choose. Thanks again!

My take - Andrews student

[ In Reply To ..]
I am getting ready to graduate Andrews soon and take the certification tests.
What is important to me is being able to pass the tests and I believe I am getting the best coding education at Andrews. So AHIMA-approved is not that important to me and I think the credential will speak for itself. You can take the CCS exam no matter what school you go to. Employers I am not sure about yet, whether an approved school is important to them or not. I suspect not, the job ads just want somebody certified through AAPC or AHIMA. HTH!

Thank you! - Confused

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much for the input! The local hospital where I live mentions in their job posting that one of the requirements is an AHIMA-approved education. I hear Andrews is more involved, and that would be more beneficial in my opinion. How long did it take you to finish the course?

Do you have only ONE local hospital? - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
You mention "the local hospital." Is that the only hospital in your area? If so, that is a huge problem. That hospital is only going to have a FEW coding jobs and they will come available infrequently. Hospitals rarely have more than a few, so you need many hospitals to support a career in hospital coding . . . if that's what you want to do.

Further, if they want an AHIMA-approved education, is it because you have an AHIMA-approved college program in your area? If so, you might want to consider that it will be flooding the market with coders.

I would question the statement that . . . - Seeing a Bigger Picture

[ In Reply To ..]
I would question the statement that "many employers want those trained in AHIMA-approved courses." Who told you that?

Only a small number of employers would want that, because only a small portion of the coding world (hospital medical records) is affected by AHIMA. There is a lot more to coding, with physician services coding, insurance, and consulting falling more under the AAPC. And, believe me, on the AAPC side of coding, employers are not going to prefer AHIMA-approved schools. They are likely to have never heard of AHIMA.

Even in the hospital world, where AHIMA predominates, I know few who will pass up a CCS no matter where they were trained. Many CCS's never had any training at all -- learning on the job is, or used to be, a very common way to learn coding.

The problem with AHIMA-approved schools is that they kind of officially "believe" that a course can't teach you to code proficiently enough to pass the CCS. There is a sort of official view that 3 years of experience are required to learn enough. It used to be 2 years, but the failure rate on the exam was so low that they upped it to 3 years. Then, they developed the CCA exam to help convince employers to hire their grads.

The CCA, unfortunately, hasn't really caught on with employers because it is a certification that says you basically really want to start learning to code now, because you took some course, and you learned some stuff, but you didn't learn enough to pass the CCS or CCS-P, and you want the employer to train you for another 3 years so you can learn what you should have learned in a course. And the jobs it prepares you for are doing work around coding, for coders. Kind of an admin assistant for coders.

Look closely at those courses. You will see that they state their grads can take the CCA. And be careful about them saying they prepare you for the CCS. ANY course prepares you for ANY exam . . . in part, but not necessarily in full. The official belief is that you cannot learn that much in a course.

The failure rate on the RHIT exam, which is the same type of college that teaches coding programs, is exceptionally high. You can look it up on the AHIMA website. If you plan on taking one of those courses, you might want to find out exactly what the pass rate is for their students.

AHIMA has redesigned their approval program. It appears that they will no longer be approving non-college programs. It appears that they're letting them lapse.

My advice is to do some more research so that you can see where the AAPC credentialed coders and the AHIMA credentialed coders work. You need both certifications, but you can start with the CPC. I strongly recommend that you do not make the mistake of getting the CCA, or just the CCS, and expecting some hospital to leap with joy over your application because they won't--no matter what school you went to. By doing that, you will shut yourself out of about 3/4 of the coding jobs that are not affiliated with AHIMA.

Some of my local ads also say the same...but - happy

[ In Reply To ..]
I did a LOT of research and decided to go to Andrews for school. I live between 3 major cities, and they are always looking for coders, and many, many ads state they want someone who went to an approved AHIMA school. So...that is where the OP is getting the information from.

On the other hand, I did enough research to see that my local colleges had coding classes/courses, but when I looked at the course syllabus compared to what I would get an Andrews, well, there was just no comparison. My education is gonna be cheaper than theirs in the long run (another thumbs up). My situation may differ from yours in that I live close to many hospitals. Now, they are almost all looking for at least 6 months to 2 years experience, so that will be my challenge. But, I believe that with my CPC and CCS credentials behind my name, that will be a major PLUS when I am searching for a job. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks for the information! - Confused

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much for the feedback! I am going to take the Andrews course in coding. There are so many things to look at when trying to choose the best coding course. I hear so many good things about Andrews, and my gut is telling me that that is the place to go.

Ahima - approved

[ In Reply To ..]
I have seen ads like that, graduate of AHIMA courses. I think the employers really don't know what they are asking. They want the AHIMA credential, which is the CCS. I doubt any place would turn you down if you had a CCS but didn't go to an AHIMA approved course. No one ever asked me where I got my education. I would not let that stop me from going to Andrews which has a very thorough course, and has all the elements required to sit for the CCS. It is a straight route to coding if that is what you want to do.

bravo - well said, nm - falalalala

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Thanks! - Confused

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much for the information! I think that Andrews is definitely looking better than anywhere else. It seems so thorough.

Similar Messages:

May 08, 2014

Has anyone taken any of the AHIMA-approved coding programs and gotten credentials and a job? I'm just wondering which of them prepare you adequately to pass the credential tests and get hired. I looked on the AHIMA site at the distance learning coding programs they recommend, and here they are: Camden County College Career Step Dakota State University Great Falls College Montana State University Lone Star College North Dakota State College of Science Santa Barbara City College Shor ...

Nov 03, 2011

I just checked the AHIMA website for coding programs and I noticed that they have Career Step on their list of "AHIMA approved coding programs" but I could not find Andrews School listed at all on their site. Is AHIMA approval for coding as important as AHDI approval for transcription programs? Everyone recommends Andrews for coding but Im confused now. Could someone explain please. Also if it is important can you please let me know where you went to school for coding? I know Andrews and M ...

Sep 21, 2010

It seems like a lot of people on this board have gone or are going to Andrews for coding. I have seen a lot of jobs for coders where you obviously need to be certified but also have done your education through an AHIMA approved program. Isn't Andrews NOT approved through AHIMA? Wouldn't it be better for me to just do my training through AHIMA? Seems like a lot of money to spend on a program that isn't recognized by AHIMA. ...

Apr 07, 2014

I have noticed some job ads which say they would consider a new graduate from an AHIMA-approved course. How do certain programs become an approved course? I had a very thorough course that is not ahima approved and would like to apply for those jobs but afraid I would be turned down. :/ ...

Aug 07, 2012

Hi, I was wondering if anyone here knew of or attended any good acredited online billing and coding schools. Right now we only have one vehicle so I need something that is online and offers financial aid. My local college does offer it but not online and the classes are at times that I'm working so an online school is what I need. Thanks ...

Sep 03, 2013

Coding courses do not all teach the same thing. You need to be very aware of that when deciding on one. A course that looks like a fantastic bargain will contain less. Some teach only outpatient "office" coding. That does not require as much medical background or as much coding instruction. They are shorter and less costly. The AAPC courses are outpatient only. 25% of these coders are unable to find jobs, especially without experience. Others teach bo ...

Sep 13, 2012

Watch where you leave your name, phone number, and/or e-mail unless you don't mind getting spam e-mail (mostly) and unwelcome phone calls. I don't think you can get them to stop unless you want to get a reply with more pressure to enroll. In the future I will be very careful about putting my e-mail or phone number on anything. All I wanted was to be able to view the information online, no e-mail, no phone calls, no invasion of my privacy. What is this world coming to! Nobody respects t ...

Dec 02, 2013

Feel that it's not really what you want to do? I finished my coding course at Andrews and truly don't feel that's what I want to do. I feel disappointment in myself because I invested that much time in school and did very well, but I feel it's not really the job for me. I was just wondering if anyone else has gone through this or anything similiar? Did you just stick with it until you found a job and did your feelings change? I kept try ...

May 21, 2012

I am almost done with a course that was put together by the credentialing organization. Now that I am almost done, I have gathered my notes on the course inconsistencies and incorrect answers to submit my comments to them so this doesn't happen to the next student. I would like to hear the coders' and students' thoughts on this. Doesn't someone take the entire course and fix/correct BEFORE it is offered as a course? ...

Sep 15, 2012

I would like to hear from some coding students who took shortcut coding classes about why they chose to do that? It seems purposeless if your goal is to get a job. It also seems entirely worthless if the goal is to become a professonal coder, because they won't be eligible for the credentials test that counts, the CCS. Did I miss something? ...

Nov 22, 2010

Does anyone know if the AHIMA coding course is eligible for the Pell grant or any other financial aid benefits? ...

Apr 27, 2015

Hello, I am currently enrolled in AHIMA's Basic Coding Program. Has anyone else done this program? It seems that the CCS is mentioned as being the certficiate to get, is the CCA no good? This is all new to me, so any advice would be appreciated! I have done transcription for 17 years, but my company was outsourced, so time for a change. I am really enjoying learning coding. It is an online course, so I hope it will be enough to prepare me for a coding pos ...

Apr 29, 2010

What is your experience with either of these schools in terms of relevance, quality of instruction, materials used, preparation for exam and coding on-the-job, responsiveness of the school? I'm considering both and would really appreciate your thoughts. Thank you! ...

Feb 07, 2013

they call this a 12-course basics. it says 2000, plus you need an additional 290 +225 for the required anatomy and physiology course, which you must at least get a C before you can proceed with the coding. they also suggest 35 a year for becoming a member. books are also a lot extra, looks like. says 4 clusters of 15-week courses, that is 60 weeks, yes? anyone have experience with this course? call me gun-shy, but this is the organization who threw MT unde ...

Apr 10, 2013

Hi everyone! My place of employment has approached me about the possibility of training as an outpatient coder within the year but wants me to take a CPT and ICD-9 course, no certification needed, just something stating I took these two courses. Would you who have been through this suggest I take AHIMA's coding basics (she says I only need the 4 total courses - CPT (2), ICD-9 (2) or take something like an online AAPC course i.e. coderclass.com? Can the AHIMA courses be ...

May 09, 2010

this may help so many of us. Name your school that you got your coding education from. Name which organization you sat for certification exam and if you passed OR how many times it took you to pass! Thanks ...

Sep 09, 2012

For those studying for the RHIT, what school do you go to. Am looking for an on-line school as I live in a very small community with no higher education instutition close by. Any info would be helpful ...

Oct 06, 2013

I downloaded the $12 intro modules for coding and billing and they sent a complementary medical terminology overview course. The terminology course has so many errors that I'm hesitating on going any further with this company. ...

Feb 22, 2010

I have a question regarding the different prep courses offered for the RMT exam. There is one offered through OAK Horizons and one offered through Career Steps. I am wondering if anyone has used them and found them to be helpful at all or a complete waist of money. I really want to earn my RMT status, but I graduated from my mt course a little over a year ago and think that I could really use a refresher course. Any thoughts about these would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! ...

Apr 27, 2010

I just completed my Medical Transcription course through Penn Foster. When I first decided I wanted to become an MT it was the being able to work from home and being home with my young son that was my deciding factor. Now after completing the course and getting an idea of what all is involved, I'm a little insecure about it all. I did ok in my courses, but being just "ok" isn't gonna cut it in the real world where the reports are not just for testing purposes, but for REAL people. I do ...

Oct 04, 2010

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knew of a good online school that you know of that i could do MT course online. I am a stay at home mom that homeschools and would love to let this be a 2nd income to help supplement income with my husbands, and still be able to be at home. please anyone help. thanks!! Amy ...

May 30, 2011

Hi. Does anyone know of a reputable at-home MT training course? I have someone asking me for help on that matter, and I don't know where to refer them. Thanks! ...

Jun 09, 2013

I've been out of MT for some time now and I'm considering taking refresher courses. Career Step offers them. Anyone have anything on them? Are they worth the money? If not, do you have ideas on the best way to re-enter the MT field? ...

Mar 23, 2010

I asked off for 4 hours on a Friday in April to go see Elton John in another town. Still is not approved. Hate to tell her, but I have the tickets, asked off in ample time and she can just get over it. But it is still sitting as a "request" and not "granted" on Schedule Source. I guess she will finally grant it THAT day when she sees the workload? ...

Sep 11, 2012

So I requested to use 35 hours of PTO; check comes in mail and is way short. Stub shows only 9.1 hours of PTO. I HAD the time and it was APPROVED. Does anyone know who I should contact about this? I am hopping mad right now!!!! Thanks in advance! ...

Oct 12, 2012

x ...

Oct 01, 2013

I put in a request well over a month ago for half a day off and still have not seen a yay or nay. It is getting close to the time I requested for and I have to say I am finding this quite ridiculous, especially when we are limited on how much we can carry over at the end of the year. How can anyone make plans when it takes so long to approve or disapprove. ...

Dec 31, 2014

"so the only choices you have at this time should you run out of work is to make-up the time, use PTO or Excused Absence – No Pay." What's the diff, as long as it's excused? I know this was discussed the other day, but I am still unclear on the difference. TIA ...

Jul 06, 2011

Hi, I was wondering if anyone in the Chicago area would care to comment on the RHIT associates degree course at College of DuPage? Does it prepare you well for the RHIT certification exam? Is it a good preparation for the RHIA program you later pursued (I am thinking of University of Illinois-Chicago)? I am an 18-year transcription veteran hoping to become a coder and then possibly a Direction of HIM eventually. ANY help would be much appreciated! Thanks in Ad ...

Dec 20, 2011

Hi. I'm wondering for those of you who either attend/attended M-Tec or Andrews, about how many hours per week do you spend on the classes (total, including all studying)? M-Tec's website says 25-30 hours. Do you find this to be accurate? I did not see an answer on the Andrews website. I want to be sure before I commit that I have the necessary time to spend on the course. While I'm willing to put 30 hours in, I do not want to find out that in re ...