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

Is there a coder discussion board besides the one on MTStars? - more information please

Posted: Dec 29, 2011

Perhaps another website coder discussion board would help an MT decide what avenue to explore....

Options - Open Mind

[ In Reply To ..]
I posted below with a lot of useful information you will not see elsewhere.

Coders are not as inclined to participate in discussion boards. They are not as verbal and often do not have keyboard skills like you do. Typing annoys them and they cannot imagine why anyone would want to chat that way. The only reason you see them here is because they were MTs before or somehow stumbled in and we have held them captive.

The professional organizations have boards, but they mostly answer coding questions. If you want training information they will go all rah-rah about the program that organization approves or sponsors or teaches. Few of them know much about other options. If they do, they can't share for fear of censure by the organization that hosts the board. As well, some are still actively upholding the tiresome feud between two of the organizations and will rather rabidly attack the othe and spew misinformation. (There is smeone here who tries to do that, but we try to counteract it.)

There are also organizations that offer worthless credentials, so their discussion boards are not worth your time.

All things considered, you can get some very good advice and balanced insight here. I know who posts here, or at least have seen enough posts to know what they do and how much stock to put into what they say, and I think that you can get very good advice from them. Some people here have been all the way around the block, have really good jobs, are very familiar with the industry, and really do know what they are talking about.

Held captive? - Get a life

[ In Reply To ..]
"The only reason you see them here is because they were MTs before or somehow stumbled in and we have held them captive."

Trust me, you're not that interesting,

I disagree. This board does keep me coming back because of interesting people like the OP - Please see message

[ In Reply To ..]
There are truly rude people such as the "Get a life" person who don't have good communication skills and have to use one-liners, the bumper-sticker mentality. This board is better than that. Trust me. The people who spend time on the coding board are thoughtful, intelligent people who are interested in bettering themselves. I love that about this board.

This board - MTLC

[ In Reply To ..]
The current board pages only go back a couple of months, but there are searchable archives. Something I did when I first starting reading this board was to do searches on various topics so I could read the archives. VERY informative and helpful! I still do it from time to time when I think of a question that hasn't been covered recently.

But YOU are still here . . . - Jailer

[ In Reply To ..]
Nobody said we were interesting, but I notice that you are still here.

I think the bit about holding them captive was a joke.

If you are going to quote people, there is an expectation to quote them accurately. A quote is not your version of what they said; it is exactly what they said.

Not really - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
I've gone to a few and they are beyond boring. Even if you have a coding question, the few that exist aren't really helpful. They are usually selling something.

What I found - MTLC

[ In Reply To ..]
I went to the AAPC web site. I think their forum is very enlightening. You cant post there unless you are a member, but you can read all the posts. I went through a lot of the material in the General discussions going back a year. From time to time I read some of the posts in the specialty categories to get a feel for the industry. I think I have learned enough to know a) whether I would like coding (I think I will), b) how I will go about getting educated and c) what I will do to make myself marketable so I can get my foot in the door and get hired.

Only problem is, people with only a CPC are not finding jobs - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
We keep hearing about all the coders who only have the CPC and that's not enough to get a job.

Please explain - what you have posted

[ In Reply To ..]
Why is CPC not good enough to get a job?

CPC is fine, especially in addition to a CCS but not usually alone - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Most hospitals want someone with a CCS more than anything else. If you are a CPC as well, that's impressive. There is nothing wrong with the CPC. It's a great thing to have!

Not exactly an answer to your question, but a major concern - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
I went to the web site for the American Association of Procedural Coders. Then I wanted to check out jobs. I went to the Resources section and noticed that most of the jobs listed there for medical coders weren't really jobs. They were disguised as jobs but are really training ads. I Googled Career Choice Network and United Career Services which are listed there. Very interesting. I'm surprised at what I found.

Nothing wrong with it but it restricts your - Opportunities

[ In Reply To ..]
The coding world has two halves, the hospital half and the outpatient half. The hospital half mostly goes with AHIMA credentials because they focus on inpatient hospital coding. Managers doing the hiring are credentialed by them, too. They look for what they expect and what they have. They would prefer a CCS for a hospital job.

The outpatient half mostly goes with AAPC credentials because they focus on outpatient coding. A CCS can do outpatient coding and the credential does test it, but a CPC credential does not cover inpatient.

A CPC is fine and you can get a job with one, but when you have no experience, you need to maximize your options.

I have never seen a CCS, CPC who was unable to get a coding job even without experience. I have seen lots of CPCs who had trouble and who had to start as billers or front office in small offices. With EHRs, those kinds of jobs will disappear.

What you might not notice is that a lot of CPCs had coding kinds of jobs before learning formally and certifying. Getting a first job is no problem for them.

It is just a lot better to learn more than t is to learn less. There was something similar in MT. Matchbook schools only taught office notes. Their grads could not handle acute care and were not able to get jobs with hospitals and nationals. Sure a few did, but most had trouble. They kept on having trouble and the longer they did office the harder acute care seemed.

If you want to repeat this pattern, you can just by avoiding the CCS. Inpatient or hospital coding is like acute care transcription. It is like doing operative reports instead of 4 line progress notes. Lots of coders do just fine without a CCS ut you will have more opportunities and options with one.

I suspected that was the case - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
That really fits with what I've seen, but you explained it much better than I could. I'm glad you answered the OPs question with as much detail as you did because this is a question that keeps coming up. Thanks for posting.

CPC - credential

[ In Reply To ..]
At two hospitals I have been at, the coders are mostly CPCs. I think it may depend on where you are. Just wanted to point that out. CPC is respected. AAPC is a great organization with a great website. I see jobs for professional, which is the physician side, coders all the time. You know it all comes down to what you want to do and learn.

Professional coder vs professional services - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You may be misreading those job ads.

Professional coder does not mean a coder who codes the physician side. It means professional coder, i.e. a coder by profession. That can be either a hospital inpatient coder or a coder who does physician services, which are also called "professional services." Outpatient coding, in other words.

The word professional in the AAPC name just means professional. It does not imply that it is for physician or professional services coders although that is their focus.

It is great that your hospitals hire CPCs but some are less willing to do that. Preparation for the CPC does not enable you to pass the CCS. Employers know that. If there is a CCS available for an inpatient coding job, they will be much more likely to get it.

Some employers simply do not accept AAPC credentials. If you are advising prospective students on the best course of action, you really have to explain this and recommend the safest course of action. That is to get both the CPC and the CCS.

When college grads can only pass the CCA and grads of other programs the CPC, it becomes very easy to go to the head of the line with both the CCS and CPC.

The big problem is getting a job when you have no experience. You have to overcome that somehow. You can with the two credentials. That is how Andrews seems to deal with the experience problem. They do the same in MT. They have employers waiting for their grads because their grads have so much more training that they appear to be experienced.

The CCS recommends 3 years of experience and there are inpatient coders who never do pass it. If an Andrews grad can pass it straight out of school, do you see what that says about their training? Employers notice that.

If you want to be more competitive for a job, does it make more sense to underprepare or overprepare?

We are not talking about which organization is better or which credential is better. We are just talking about maximizing our ability to get a job before we have experience. You can do the usual and take your chances or you can do what we recommend and maybe do a lot better.

We have not mentioned starting salaries, either. They are usually better if you have more credentials.

Maximizing Your Ability To Get A Job - Makes Sense

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for posting. What you said makes sense.

I have noticed - TZ

[ In Reply To ..]
Most of the places I have looked that need coders want them to have CPC. This includes places like Inland Imaging and major hospitals in my area.

I was just shocked by what I found when I did a national search - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
The first part is not what shocked me. I did a search on a national jobs board and found many jobs for:
-CPC or CCS-P preferred
-CCS preferred (inpatient and outpatient)
-CCS or CCS-P

CCS will be accepted in lieu of experience and CCA who is graduate of a certificate program will be considered WITH experience.

CCS, CCA or CPC with 3 yrs exp considered first.

Here's the part that shocked me. I found two very large schools advertising for instructors. Here are the requirements. They wanted a 'dynamic leader' or 'teaching experience' or management/supervisory experience, but neither school asked for any kind of credentials whatsoever. How are these students going to learn how to pass the credentials tests if their own instructors have not done it, whether they aren't eligible, haven't wanted to bother, or haven't been able to pass it. That just doesn't make sense.

My advice to anyone who really is serious about being a medical coder, find out the qualifications of each and every coding instructor who is going to be teaching you. Don't let them sneak in people without credentials, because if they do, you are trying to learn how to pass credentials tests from people who don't have a clue. This just frustrates me to no end.

That may change for several reasons - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
I think the CPC is a great credential to have, but I sure wouldn't want to depend on nothing but a CPC. That's a little bit like settling for a fast-food meal instead of a well-balanced one.

There are several reasons why the broader credentials may pay off in the longrun, including the very important transition of ICD-9 to ICD-10 and other changes in the healthcare field. I would rather be prepared.

How to interpret that - CCS CPC

[ In Reply To ..]
If a job ad said 2 years of experience were required, would you think that a person with 3 years would be disqualified?

If the ad says a CPC, would you think a CPC, CPC-H would be disqualified? How about a CCS, CPC? Or a CCS-P, CPC?

I am not sure how to read your post. Are you trying to say that you think hospitals in your area only accept the CPC as a valid credential? You can't see the reason we say to get 2 credentials? You think we are recommending both credentials to cause people unnecesary expense? Are you just pointing out those ads so we can explain? Are you a coder?

If you are a credentialed coder, which do you have? If you have a CCS, when you see my credentials does a little part of you think I am a traitor? If you are a CPC, do you think "Well, la dee da! Who does she think SHE is?"

At a gathering of which organization did someone say they were shocked that I admitted having credentials from the other? At a gathering of which did someone say "Good for you! I always wanted one of those! Is it as hard as they say?"
When these organizations list your credentials, which one omits the other's? What is their reasoning for this? (Hint: "That isn't even real coding!")

Are you able to explain the difference between those credentials? Or do you think they are the same thing? Have you looked up the lists of all the credentials offered by each organization? What specifically does each cover and is it entry level or mastery level? If I have more credentials than those 2, why did I list those 2 in particular?

Now, thinking about all that, has your view of those job ads changed? How about your view of getting both?

I'll give people a chance to weigh in before explaining further.

Okay, I'll attempt an answer to at least part of your questions - Weighing In As Asked

[ In Reply To ..]
Having both is always better, of course. No doubt about that.

If the ad said CPC and I had a CCS, I would apply anyway.

If the ad said CCS, I would not apply if I only had a CPC.

I suspect that the AHIMA credential holders snob the AAPC credential holders, because they have been around for years and used to be the only credentials accepted, right? I also am guessing that they omit any mention of the CPC.

I don't think either would say, "Good for you, I wish I had one of those."

NO, I do not know how to explain the difference other than CCS is inpatient and includes both ICD-9-CM and CPT, but the CPC is outpatient CPC codes only.

Am I close?

I would have to have more information by calling the recruiter - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I just spent a couple of hours searching nationally and in my area - Findings Enclosed

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm finding that the AHIMA credentials, CCS and CCS-P get bigger salaries and there are more jobs for those where I searched. Only one (1) said they would even consider a CCA through AHIMA. That's the Associate credential, which appears to be pretty much useless as far as my search showed.

I still think it's a good idea to have the CPC in addition, but not instead of the CCS. I wouldn't consider the CCA.

Professional coder - means

[ In Reply To ..]
that where I come from at these area hospitals. Coding for the professional side or the facility side, is how they word it. Professional side is physicians, facility side is hospital. Things are different everywhere, I just wanted to put that out there. I do agree getting both is the best.

What area is that? I would like to see those ads. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Where are you located? I have never seen it worded as just "professional coder."

ProfessionalS, with an s, maybe, but not without. Without would almost be synonymous with credentialed elsewhere.

I have never heard a coder call themselves a professional coder and mean they coded professional services as opposed to facility.

What are they considering facility side? Facility ambulatory care, inpatient DRG, or both?

Who employs the physicians whose services are being coded and exactly what services are being coded by the hospital? The physician's own practice normally does that. The hospital would not unless it employed the physician.

It's - a big world

[ In Reply To ..]
More out there than just one way. No need to get nippy, skippy.

CPC-A - jm

[ In Reply To ..]
CPC-A is going to be phased out. I just got my Coding Edge and over the next year they are going to phase it out. I'll have to read the article better to get more info, but, interesting...

Very interesting! Let us know what you find out - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Are you done reading it yet? - Waiting (nm)

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I am - jm

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't want to put wrong info and it is somewhat confusing. The title of the article is "Elimination of "A" Designation. The Apprentice designation is not needed anymore."

They are accepting comments through Jan 31, 2012 on this following proposal:

It says in essence that after the date of July 1, 2012, the CPC-A will not be granted.

If you have one year of coding experience and take the CPC exam, you will get the CPC credential.

You can take the CPC exam and pass, and also take a clinical exam which you pass by "successfully coding 20 operative/office notes"to get the CPC credential.

"If you lack prior experience, both are required to become a CPC."

I want to point out that they are calling it a proposal in the article. They are asking for comments about the proposed change to the credentialing program and will consider all comments and either proceed, make modifications, or slow that process down.

I love that AAPC is willing to listen to its members and consider all the concerns.

I'm not sure what to think about that. - Is it harder to get it or easier with that system?

[ In Reply To ..]
Would it be harder to get the CPC or easier if they make that change?

Getting both credentials is one way I hope to position myself - But the reason I only mentioned that particular fo

[ In Reply To ..]
I dont think you can even read the AHIMA forums unless you are a member, but you can the AAPC ones. So I was just mentioning that in reference to the OP's question about other forums. I still think there is a lot to be gained about what coding entails. Also, much of the advice given by experienced coders, especially those who do hiring, can in principle be applied to getting any kind of coding job.

In the area where I live there are quite a few CPC jobs available. Experience is not always required, but the credential is.

However, as for a coding course, I want training that will teach me both hospital and outpatient.

Oops. Supposed to read That particular forum . . . - MTLC (NM on this)

[ In Reply To ..]
Just wanted to clarify my subject line!

I think that's very wise - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
It's much better to do it right the first time.

yahoo has some coding boards - you can join

[ In Reply To ..]
very easy. two outpatient coding boards and one inpatient coder board. do a search for coding boards on yahoo.

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