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Considering coding and have - some ??s

Posted: May 14, 2014

I've seen lots of people ask questions about coding, but I have some questions I haven't seen asked before and was hoping somebody could answer them. I'd hate to go to school for something and then learn the hard way that I hate the job. BTDT and don't want to do it again!

-What do you like best about coding?

-What do you hate about coding?

-What is the most stressful part of the job?

-What kinds of people would like coding?

Thanks in advance for any answers you can give!

Coding - questions

[ In Reply To ..]
I have 5 months of coding experience in the outpatient setting. I will try and answer your questions.

I like many things about coding. I like that I am learning all the time. My job gives me a sense of achievement when I blow my production/accuracy rating out of the water and beat my goal. I like knowing that I am making a difference in patients as well as the facility as a whole by helping them achieve their financial goals. There is also a lot of advancement and upward mobility in coding to move to other positions with further education/certifications/experience.

There really is nothing I dont like although the job can get demanding at times. Probably my least favorite part is working on my denials. The demands and pressure from the job can get stressful.

Im not sure what you mean by what types of people would like coding. Coding takes precision, being able to balance multiple demands, a keen eye for detail and being able to work independently.

All of this is just my opinion at my employer. I wish you the best in your future.

Please see my answers - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Iâ��m a few days late on answering this, so hope you will still see my answers.

What I like best, compared to MT, is that doing insurance/coding/billing, I no longer feel like I can never leave my chair for eight hours because the doctors are waiting on the transcribed reports. Doing coding, I donâ��t have that pressure of needing to get the work done NOW and never getting a breather. Of course, Iâ��m referring to working in and remotely for hospitals and in clinics and having a full eight+ hours of work, not working for an MTSO and sitting around looking at a screen waiting for a job to appear.

What I hate is that I work so hard to do the job correctly, and even though I code correctly and the claim is filled out correctly, the insurance companies constantly make mistakes and pay the claims incorrectly or incorrectly deny them. Then you have to go through the frustrating process of getting the claim reprocessed.

For me, the most stressful part of my job is when I get an EOB that pays differently than what I told it would or when, again, the insurance company incorrectly denies the claim. I do everything related to insurance, from verifying benefits to working the aging report. I think if you are strictly a coder, this wouldnâ��t apply to you. Some other poor fool is stuck with posting payments, following up on incorrect payments/denials, getting yelled at by patients after billing them and on and on.

I think the kinds of people who would like coding are similar to MTs. Basically, people who can sit in a quiet room alone working on a computer without much human interaction. You MUST be detail oriented. I would also say you have to be a perfectionist. However, you have to be a â��numbers person,â�� at least in my case where, again, I do it all, including figuring out co-insurance amounts, payment posting, patient refunds, etc. If you are a â��words person,â�� as I am (and most MTs are), you will hate all the math involved with insurance and billing. Again, though, I think if you do only coding (not billing), this isnâ��t an issue.

In summary, I will tell you that I HATE my insurance coding and billing job. Hope this is helpful.

I forgot to add... - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
When it comes to Medicare claims or any part of my job that involves Medicare, you can multiply the hate of my insurance job by about 100!

Thanks, Anon! So which one would you pick? sm - Tink

[ In Reply To ..]
Between MT and coding, which do you actually like better as far as a job?

I appreciate your honest answers!!

Without a doubt, I like MT better. - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I look for a new job everyday (actually three times a day!), and I never want to do anything related to insurance ever again!

Quite different from straight coding - Straight Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
We don't do the billing/insurance part of that, just the coding. No finances, no numbers, no checking insurance, no arguing with them, no collections.

Some coders do denials, but they are generally more experienced, so it becomes an interesting game, not a frustration.

coding - questions

[ In Reply To ..]
I like being left alone to do the work, not having to answer the phone, not having to deal with the public. I like getting my membership with AHIMA and education CEUs paid for. I like having nothing to do with the billing side of things. I like the knowledge I have accumulated and the pay that shows they appreciate my work.
Stressful when real busy.

Thank you for your feedback! -nm - some ??s

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

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