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When I am Hiring Medical Coders - see inside message
Posted: Jun 06, 2015
I have a process that I follow when I am hiring medical coders. It developed over many years, from interviewing many people and finding out who has what it takes to do the job and who doesn't.
They must have both CPC and CCS credentials so I know that they have very solid training.
I don't consider applicants who graduated from community colleges.
Exception: If they have both CPC and CCS credentials, which rarely happens.
I know that's blunt, but I'm being truthful. It's not that I care where they go to school, but they can't code and they don't know it. They've been told by instructors that they can code, but they can't. I don't have time to teach them to code.
Invariably they come in and mention that they know that community colleges are not widely known for having successful medical coding courses, but their school was different. It was great. The instructors were wonderful. They answered all the questions. They always tell me that, as if that makes them great teachers. It usually turns out that not even their teachers have passed the CCS exam, but they have some other degree, maybe an RHIT, which is not intended to demonstrate expertise in coding.
When I ask about what credentials the applicant has, the answer is either that they have a CCA or that they have no credentials yet. Of course they will have their CCA soon, which they don't seem to understand is an interview ender right then and there, because the CCA means I'm going to have to teach them how to code, and that's not going to happen. I don't have time.
So those who already have their CPC and CCS get the interviews. Those who are preparing for the CCS and have attended a school known for graduates who pass the CCS, get the interviews. The others have eliminated themselves from consideration because they don't have and can't get the credentials I need them to have.
If you think I'm unique in my selection process for coders, think again. Every colleague I have who hires medical coders says the same thing. Don't send me a CCA. They can't code. That eliminates most applicants who got their training in community colleges.
Observations - Anonymous
[ In Reply To ..]Do you permit applicants to test or do you pass judgment, making the assumption that they can't code because they attended a community college? There will be people in those programs who excel and some of them will be able to code. It might depend on the job; in an outpatient setting, CPC certification may be the only requirement. In some facilities, people get hired with the stipulation that they become certified in 3 months. I think that coding and MT Re similar in that there are people who will never be MTs regardless of education because they never had the language skills in the first place and there are people who will never be good coders because they never possessed the attributes in the first place. Just my opinion. But it's too bad that managers aren't able to recognize a persons potential and give them a chance. I would hate to have a boss who didn't have time for me once I was hired. No one is ever expected to enter the workplace knowing it all. If your process works, that's great but you sound awfully hard-nosed.
She said if they had credentials she would hire them - or had scheduled CCS
[ In Reply To ..]Her message said that she would hire them if they had credentials or were getting ready to get those credentials, regardless of where they went to school. She just wouldn't hire from a school that she knew only prepared for the CCA. I think that's typical for most employers. They just don't say it out loud. I wish they would, because it's sad to see all the would-be coders posting that nobody will give them a chance without years of experience. That's not the truth, but that's what they think. Someone needs to tell them that it's the amount of coding education that indicates what credential you're eligible for, and with the right credentials, you can get a job without experience. Without it, you can't. Somebody needed to say that.
how do you know it is a she? - sounds very male to me
[ In Reply To ..]I won't say what else s/he sounds like
He/she sounds like someone who understands the - business.
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with her and do the same myself. I don't think it matters if it is a he or she.
You, on the other hand, sound like you are trying to derail the thread with objections like that and implied name-calling. You must not have anything constructive to offer if you have to do that.
That's terribly sexist to think that only males make important hiring decisions - nm
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Hiring also depends on performance on employment tests - anon
[ In Reply To ..]As mentioned, it is not necessarily where you went to school (too many schools for employers to be familiar with all), but holding the certifications (NOT CCA, but CPC, CCS) as well as your performance on their employment test. Many graduates are unable to perform well on these tests (at my office, many have walked out when faced with completing the employment test). So you need to attend a school that prepares you for both certifications AND the ability to take employment tests. A good text, good instructors with feedback, and a lot of practice coding questions are necessary.
I've been seeing more and more job postings accepting CCA. - watcher
[ In Reply To ..]I have been keeping my eye on the job boards and listings as I am enrolled in a AHIMA-approved program. There are many who will take a CCA. Also I have found some who are considering 6 months of experience.
Hopeful sign, but I still would not prefer to be - in that boat.
[ In Reply To ..]I think people get confused about what a CCA means compared to a full credential.
It does not mean you are exactly as qualified or know as much as a CCS or CCS-P, but just got the CCA because it is some kind of first step.
If you knew your business, you could pass the CCS or the CCS-P. If you can only pass the CCA it means YOU CANNOT CODE. It means you didn't learn enough.
I would not want to aspire to that, even if all employers welcomed the CCA, because I would not want to waste time in trainee positions.
Also, just to point out, the failure rate on the CCA is about the same as the failure rate on the CCS. About half flunk it. That does not say much for the schools offering those programs ... They could not produce a coder who could pass a coding exam before and they still can't even after it was dumbed down.
I think you will see employers accepting less as ICD-10 puts the squeeze on us, but I still would not recommend aspiring to inadequacy.
I agree with don't want to be in that boat for one important reason - see message
[ In Reply To ..]Yes, sometimes the CCA is listed on a job announcement, but that doesn't mean they get hired. Someone in HR just takes all AHIMA credentials because they are told that this position needs someone with AHIMA credentials. Obviously the CCA is at the bottom of the list. The CCS candidates are interviewed and tested first, and believe me, a CCS has the ability to test very well. The CCS candidates get the job. That's a proven fact. The CCA does not.
So while the CCA may be mentioned on that job announcement, it doesn't mean they will be considered for the job. It would be a rare case if they were considered, even rarer that they could actually pass the employment coding test. From what I've seen, it's getting very much harder for a CCA to get a job in the current coding environment, while the CCS candidates are being snapped up.
The CPCs are in better shape than a CCA, but they still have a similar problem. Some of them have gone through very minimal training, just enough to pass that CPC exam, but not enough to pass an employment test. Their skills just aren't very good. The CPC exam, in my opinion, needs to be beefed up, because employers are getting just a little tired of hiring people who have that CPC but can't code, because they had very poor training.
Certification and credentials - Not perfect but trying
[ In Reply To ..]Policies are policies but I think it's kind of discriminatory to reject people who graduate from community college programs. Unless the manager knows the curriculum, she is in no place to pass judgment on the quality of the program. AHIMA used to have (and maybe still does) a list of community colleges that they recommend. The quality of the education plays a part but so does the ability of the student; they should be given the opportunity to test, sometimes all a person needs is a foot in the door. If you require certification in X number of months after hiring, there should not be a problem. Managers not having time to train people or work with them after they are hired is BS; that tells me that the manager doesn't know the job. I've never seen a new hire who didn't need some guidance. Some students have internships and get hired that way. Not everyone who comes through the door is going to be an Andrews graduate. It's no wonder there's a shortage of coders, no one is good enough to get hired and hardly anyone meet's management's expectations.
Good points - sm
[ In Reply To ..]There's a big difference between job orientation and having to teach a new graduate how to code on the job. The way I look at it, the school administration is to blame. They put all their money into one or two programs, like nursing and medical assistant, and the others suffer from lack of attention.
The coding courses are awful as a rule. They stick anyone in there at all to teach them and even a qualified credentialed coder couldn't teach in the amount of time left to teach the coding itself. There is plenty of time to teach terminology, but the coding just gets an overview. That's not how the students see it, of course, because even an overview can seem like you're learning to code if you don't know how to code. You've got some good points though. The colleges need to improve the quality of the coding itself, because what they're doing isn't good enough for employers.
You're kidding, right? - aecnc
[ In Reply To ..]I've never read such nonsense in my life. For you to make blanket assumptions about someone because of their educational background or credentials is ludicrous. And too bad that you won't consider a CCA because you 'don't have the time' to train. Well, get this, NOBODY has time to train, but if you want good coders you'll take the time. It's people like you who create the job shortage then whine that you can't find good coders. Just so you know, I went to a 2-year college, I have an RHIT, AND I'm an inpatient coder - AND a good one. And you know why? Because the people I work for see the value in training their own coders and value MY credentials.
Sorry for being so 'blunt,' but it just irks me that people like you discourage people from going after a career that they are passionate about. Talk about arrogant.
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