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Coding salary - Sadiebug523

Posted: Nov 26, 2010

I currently work in an imaging facility doing transcription of MRI and ultrasounds. I am training to be a coder to do the coding for my company also. I am not sure what I need to be getting paid for this after I'm done. I am not sure if I should ask for a pay raise based solely on the coding or if I include my transcription experience also. Is there anyone out there who does both coding and transcription for the same company? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Salaries - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Let me ask a question . . . is your perception that your employer kind of thinks that you are just learning something extra so that you can just kind of, oh, you know, "do a little extra stuff"? Kind of like just typing codes on a bill in addition to typing up the report? They really like and respect you, and they couldn't live without you, and wouldn't you like to just help them out with this? Oh, they'd really appreciate it! Truly, they would.

It might not be that blatant, of course, but you get the idea. They might just not know. If they were up front with you, that's really good, but I'll bet they weren't. Anyway, I'm glad you asked us.

You should probably not tell them what I'm about to tell you.

You're fortunate to be in a situation where you can slide sideways into coding from MT, without having to change jobs. You'll have a chance to get some experience and to do so in what is an extremely good area for coders. You can (and should) balance any salary expectations against that considerable benefit. How long should you balance it? Only until you are able to get certified and complete the experience requirements to get the -A removed from your AAPC certifications. If that long.

Coding is completely different than MT. Coding is directly responsible for the revenue your employer receives. Your coding skills are going to be crucial in optimizing and ensuring accuracy of that income. You might not recognize that now, and your employer might not, either, but other employers WILL. In fact, just having a trained, certified coder on staff is crucial in demonstrating the intent to be compliant with CMS regulations, and employers are going to be willing to pay you for that. That is probably a big part of your current employer's desire for you to learn coding, whether they intend to pay you for it or not.

Coders do not make MT salaries. They make more. Sometimes a lot more.

There are posts below that discuss coder salaries, so you might want to look for those. Also go to the www dot aapc dot com website and under "Resources" find the salary surveys. The 2010 survey still hasn't been posted there because it was publshed in their journal, but someone did provide a summary of it below. (Basically, salaries continued to rise, even with the economy the way it is.)

I've recommended those surveys rather than any others because they most directly address the work that you will be doing and the certifications that you will need. You'll be able to see your salary expectations without a certification, with a CPC, and then with a CIRCC.

Please do not fail to notice the salaries for individuals with a CIRCC, because that's the certification you're most likely to want. If you are already working in imaging, and if your facility does MRIs, then you have a considerable part of the background knowledge that you need to do well with the CIRCC.

Don't think that imaging is easy coding. If your facility is already doing interventional radiology, even of the most minor type like biopsies, then your salary expectations should be adjusted upward accordingly. YOu should also expect to be highly marketable with even a little experience. Other employers will be willing to pay the salary indicated on the survery, which I believe was about 68-70K, even if your present employer does not.

Many MTs learn coding with the intention of doing a little coding along with the MT, but once they discover that coding salaries are much better, they go to straight coding. I expect this will be the case for you, and I also expect that you'll have radiologists chasing after you like dogs on a squirrel once you get even a little experience.

On the AAPC website, please also find your local AAPC chapter(s) and start attending their meetings. Don't hesitate to join, because they will be important in networking, getting to know the local market, and in getting set up to take the CPC test.

Your coding program should be communicating the need to certify upon graduation. The program should be good enough to enable that. They should not be communicating that you'll need years of experience.

Salaries - Sadiebug523

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you very much for the information and advice. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

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