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Think about this before taking MM coding - Frustrated MT

Posted: Mar 12, 2014

If you think the offer from MMoral to become a coder sounds good, think again. If you start the program and don't finish, you have to pay MM for the full cost of training, and no mention was made of how much that is. If you decide to leave MM for a coding job elsewhere, you probably won't even be considered for a job with decent pay because you didn't train through AHIMA and you will have to pay MM for your worthless training if you leave before 2 years. Lastly, if Obamacare ends up bankrupting insurance companies, this country will become a one payer insurance country like Canada and Australia, and coders will only be used for statistics, meaning there will be a lot of coders out of jobs like MTs are now. I know several coders and they are worrying about the future of their careers.

WAIT, huh? - chillywinter

[ In Reply To ..]
First of all, this place is gonna be around for 24 more months? Secondly, the number of codes is going to increase from 13,000 to over 100,000 and they are going to teach this in 3 months??? Thank goodness they are only asking for a 95% accuracy rate and not 99.7%!!!

You live in a very scary world. - me

[ In Reply To ..]
It's not all bad.

you will be qualified to sit for at - least the CPC

[ In Reply To ..]
and possibly for the CCS. Nowhere is it written that you have to "train through AHIMA." So much for your "worthless training" idea.

Certain criteria have to be met to sit for the CCS - coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
Please refer to AHIMAs website.

No schooling required. For example, you can get your CCA, then - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
after 1 year of experience, you can sit for your CCS. There are multiple routes for the various certifications, but it can be done without taking any classes, much less being required to take only certain classes from certain schools.

But can you pass the CPC-A with no schooling? - coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
Doubtful.

yes - you learn on the job

[ In Reply To ..]
You either take classes or you learn on the job, during your apprenticeship, and when you have enough knowledge of the subject you take the test and get certified.

You learn on the job using coding assisted software and encoders - student

[ In Reply To ..]
When you are taking your certification exams, you get none of that. I'm not trying to discourage anyone -- find out first what your education will be. Also of note, the CCA is a totally worthless credential that will get you nowhere.

then they can get the - CPC

[ In Reply To ..]
what is the big problem?

The problem is . . . - coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
No one is telling these employees what level of education will be achieved after they put in all of this "intense" training. If I was going to sink all of my time into something, I would want to know what I was going to get out of it. People's time is more valuable than that. Coder certification is harder than you make it out to be.

well my friend on the coding board - says

[ In Reply To ..]
and I hope she won't mind if I quote her here:

"Since your certification is a requirement for MM,MM's training program has to be enough that you can pass a certification exam, which will likely be the CPC."

If you don't like that answer I guess take it up with her over there.

Who says it will be a requirement? - student

[ In Reply To ..]
That is the first time I have heard that every coder will require to be certified. They can say they have certified coders, but that doesn't mean every coder is certified. I'm not trying to argue with anyone . . . I'm trying to help answer people's questions. I'm already working in coding, so it isn't anything to me if you believe me or not.

well MModal - says it

[ In Reply To ..]
They say that their coders are AHIMA and/or AAPC credentialed. But of course now everyone is just going to say that they are lying here and I can't do anything about that.

It's pretty much full time on the job training - what school offers that?

[ In Reply To ..]
That would be none.

3 months of training, up to 3 months of apprenticeship and 2 years of on the job training. I would venture to guess that passing a certification test won't be all that difficult after all of that.

Key information is missing in this insane diatribe against MModal doing this coding program. No one yet knows whether you will have to be certified (I would suspect you will have to take the test and pass). No one knows ANYTHING yet. No one WILL know anything until March 24th when the first orientation is finished.

So you can't answer questions that cannot even be asked yet.

They are going to get a coding job with MModal - out of it. Questions?

[ In Reply To ..]
So you see, they do indeed know what comes at the end of the rainbow.

Do those coming out of another coding program know that much?

I don't see how this is skin off anyone else's nose who chooses not to or to participate in this program.

Yes, the question is . . . - student

[ In Reply To ..]
Is this a step up for the transcriptionists who have been treated poorly by MModal? Is this a way they can better themselves, or is this just another way to further shackle them to a company who has wronged them before. I HOPE that every coder who does this will be able to be certified, but their website does not say that. It says they have AHIMA and CPC coders, not that every coder is one. I don't have a dog in the fight -- I'm working in coding and not for MModal. But I do hear what these transcriptionists are saying and I understand. They aren't crazy. If anyone has any questions for me that actually are respectful, I'll be over at the coding board.

yes, you know why don't you do that, student? - go back to the coding board

[ In Reply To ..]
because as you said this is not your fight, and anyway you're a student. If someone works for 2 years as a coder and still can't pass that certification exam, then I guess they shouldn't have gone into coding.

Not being disrespectful. You don't work for - MModal, so ...

[ In Reply To ..]
you don't actually know what you are talking about here.

Actually, no one really knows, as the information available thus far is limited. People are barely taking the first test just to get in.

Perhaps the wise course of action would be to reserve judgement until all of the facts are available.

Most employers do not accept coders with the CCA - coding student

[ In Reply To ..]
It is essentially a worthless credential.

I kind of have to say so what to all of this. - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Your MT experience won't magically disappear if you take this training. You can always go back to that. For goodness sakes, it is 3-6 months, not exactly a massive commitment. So you have to work as a coder at MModal for 2 years. Big deal, that is 2 years of work experience and coders all over are saying they are having trouble getting that first coding job. In this case MModal is handing it to you.

Gaining more education in anything is never a waste of time.

Maybe coding jobs will go away, maybe MT will go away. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Life is full of maybe and risks. This coding program is an opportunity and MAYBE it will be great and MAYBE it will end up worthless. Maybe it won't train you well enough to sit for tests. Oh well. It will be job experience, which is often considered over education in the real world.

So you hate MModal, that is your prerogative. But my response to all of this negativity is, SO WHAT.

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