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Coding at home versus in-house/pay difference - mt to coder

Posted: Jan 18, 2015

Have just made the decision to go back to school (yet again) to get out of this hell hole of MT, even though I have been in QA for a few years. I plan on going to Andrews and testing for and getting as many credentials as I can that Andrews prepares you for right off the bat.

I am so used to working from home and really enjoy it. When starting out, is a national, working from home, the best place to gain experience? I figure they would be more likely to hire "newbies"? If so, what is starting wage like?

Do many hospitals now have at-home coders and if so, what is the average pay starting out?

Or is the jump in pay totally worth putting on some real clothes and makeup and spending a little gas $$ for the in-house job?

Sorry if this has been asked a zillion times. I am just starting my journey.

Thanks!

the company I work for pays $16/h with no certification - hope that helps

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sorry meant to say work from home - hope that helps

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I work from home, am just starting out. This is base pay plus bonuses for accuracy and speed. I think it is fair since I need a lot of guidance.

Do you work for a national company or a hospital? - mt to coder

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if a national, would you be willing to state which one?

are you required to work a weekend day and do you get holidays off?

Yes it is a nation. We are not allowed to work weekends and - holidays

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it is a well known company on here that has their own board ;)

National I mean. - too early in the morning! sorry

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How this usually works - Coder

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The scenarios you describe are the opposite of what occurs in coding. It is somewhat difficult to get a job doing contract coding unless you have experience and credentials. Most hospitals are going to require AHIMA-credentialed coders with the RHIA, RHIT, and/or CCS. You will find companies that require 5+ years of experience. Many of them send you to work at the facility, and you are not going to be able to do that without experience.

A few companies are hiring inexperienced coders and M*Modal is training some themselves, but that is due to the difficulty in finding coders. There is a shortage and I think few credentialed individuals would be willing to work for 16 an hour.

Large facilities are often cramped for space, so they are letting coders work from home more and more. They are unlikely to hire you into positions that could be done remotely until you have experience, and they will require time working in-house before you can go home.

Please see the AAPC and AHIMA salary surveys for income information. They have been summarized here several times and links have been posted, or you can use Google to find them.

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