Wiki Dear AAPC or anyone

Korbc

Expert
Messages
260
Location
Uncasville, CT
Best answers
0
Hello,
I firgured I'd post this hear instead of contacting your customer service where I would get direct help from only 1 associate. I have 2 inquires.

1. Why can't all chapter meetings have a virtual option as well as in person since that alligns more with the day in age we're at?

2. I noticed that under "resources" then "career enhancement" then "medical coding salary" the following is a paragraph of what's posted, and I just wanted to know more detail as the factors that were used to create these statistics. More so are these numbers based on those with 5 or more years' experience, or 10 or more years, or exactly how many years? Because you state that uncertified coders make an average of 47k a year but I'm a certified coder (but in my first year of experience and have the A removed off my certification status) and make a few grand less than what you have posted that an uncertified coder makes a year, and a few other employers offered me even less hourly than what I'm currently making even with the certification. Those numbers just seem really off, So I wanted to know more detail about how you came to those numbers? If anyone has any more insight on this that would be great.

How Much Money Do Medical Coders Make?​

On average, medical coders (certified and non-certified) make $54,797 annually. Medical billers and coders without certification earn approximately $47,200 per year while certified coding and billing specialists make an average annual salary of $60,097 — 27% more than their non-certified colleagues.

The Medical Coding and Billing Salary Survey demonstrates once again that certification pays. The average salary for professional coders with two credentials rises to $64,712. Billing and coding specialists with three or more credentials earn approximately $69,942 per year.
 
Hello,
I firgured I'd post this hear instead of contacting your customer service where I would get direct help from only 1 associate. I have 2 inquires.

1. Why can't all chapter meetings have a virtual option as well as in person since that alligns more with the day in age we're at?

2. I noticed that under "resources" then "career enhancement" then "medical coding salary" the following is a paragraph of what's posted, and I just wanted to know more detail as the factors that were used to create these statistics. More so are these numbers based on those with 5 or more years' experience, or 10 or more years, or exactly how many years? Because you state that uncertified coders make an average of 47k a year but I'm a certified coder (but in my first year of experience and have the A removed off my certification status) and make a few grand less than what you have posted that an uncertified coder makes a year, and a few other employers offered me even less hourly than what I'm currently making even with the certification. Those numbers just seem really off, So I wanted to know more detail about how you came to those numbers? If anyone has any more insight on this that would be great.

How Much Money Do Medical Coders Make?​

On average, medical coders (certified and non-certified) make $54,797 annually. Medical billers and coders without certification earn approximately $47,200 per year while certified coding and billing specialists make an average annual salary of $60,097 — 27% more than their non-certified colleagues.

The Medical Coding and Billing Salary Survey demonstrates once again that certification pays. The average salary for professional coders with two credentials rises to $64,712. Billing and coding specialists with three or more credentials earn approximately $69,942 per year.


Regarding meetings...

All chapters should be scheduling at least 4 virtual and at least 2 in-person events per year. (That's the current requirement in the 2022 Local Chapter Handbook.)

There are a variety of virtual events every month that members can attend to receive CEUs - there's definitely not a shortage of virtual meeting opportunities. My chapter offered 19 virtual CEUs in 2022. (29 CEUs total - 19 virtual, 10 in person).

However, in-person events are valuable to a local chapter as well. My chapter's in-person meetings are great for local networking and making local job connections. We also do some educational activities that can't be done virtually. For example, at our October meeting, we toured the local Medical School's Anatomy (Cadaver) Lab. Medical students led the tour and educated attendees on detailed anatomy and pathophysiology of the cadavers. It was awesome and educational!

Our December meeting is always a year end networking celebration. The chapter provides dinner, we do raffles and prizes. and it's a way for our local chapter members to interact with each other.

Remember that Local Chapters exist to serve their city or geographic area, and each chapter has to make decisions to meet the needs of the chapter. Guests are welcome at virtual events, but the chapter's main priority is accommodating local members.

For chapters that have a rural or more spread out geographic territory, they may find that offering hybrid meetings is the best way to accommodate as many chapter members as possible.

Other chapters may find that it makes more sense to have completely separate virtual and in-person offerings. That's what my chapter does - geographically, we're all located within a reasonable distance, and we also like to offer special in-person events like the tour I mentioned.

However, as I mentioned above, we offered 19 virtual CEUs this year - our chapter members had plenty of opportunity to get virtual CEUs from us without attending in-person. We also accommodated many guests - 740 guests from other chapters attended at least one of our 2022 virtual meetings! I'm happy that we were able to juggle serving our local members and also helping so many virtual guests earn CEUs.

It's important to point out that took a lot of work from our volunteer officers and volunteer speakers to make it happen though. If anyone wants to have input on what's done at their local chapter, I'd highly suggest getting involved in the decision making process or as a speaker. Most chapters could use more volunteers, so I'm willing to bet that if someone offered their time and input the chapter would gladly accept!

Hope that helped to answer your question about in-person meetings. :)
 
The salary statistics are generated from AAPC's annual salary survey. I believe the paragraph you quoted is an overall average from all respondents.

There is a tool to filter by state, years of experience, and credentials. This information is still from the salary survey, but you can customize what you're seeing based on what factors are relevant to you.

Here's a link to the Salary Survey Calculator tool - you may find this more useful to you than general nationwide averages: https://www.aapc.com/resources/research/medical-coding-salary-calculator.aspx

For example, using that tool it says that the average Connecticut salary for a person with 1 year of experience (no other filters - just 1 year experience) is $38,611. Filtering for 1 year experience and a CPC gives a result of $42,500. If you play around with the filters and try different combinations, it should help you get a feel for how the Salary Survey respondents who live in Connecticut are compensated.
 
Last edited:
The salary statistics are generated from AAPC's annual salary survey. I believe the paragraph you quoted is an overall average from all respondents.

There is a tool to filter by state, years of experience, and credentials. This information is still from the salary survey, but you can customize what you're seeing based on what factors are relevant to you.

Here's a link to the Salary Survey Calculator tool - you may find this more useful to you than general nationwide averages: https://www.aapc.com/resources/research/medical-coding-salary-calculator.aspx

For example, using that tool it says that the average Connecticut salary for a person with 1 year of experience (no other filters - just 1 year experience) is $38,611. Filtering for 1 year experience and a CPC gives a result of $42,500. If you play around with the filters and try different combinations, it should help you get a feel for how the Salary Survey respondents who live in Connecticut are compensated.
thanks so much!
 
Regarding meetings...

All chapters should be scheduling at least 4 virtual and at least 2 in-person events per year. (That's the current requirement in the 2022 Local Chapter Handbook.)

There are a variety of virtual events every month that members can attend to receive CEUs - there's definitely not a shortage of virtual meeting opportunities. My chapter offered 19 virtual CEUs in 2022. (29 CEUs total - 19 virtual, 10 in person).

However, in-person events are valuable to a local chapter as well. My chapter's in-person meetings are great for local networking and making local job connections. We also do some educational activities that can't be done virtually. For example, at our October meeting, we toured the local Medical School's Anatomy (Cadaver) Lab. Medical students led the tour and educated attendees on detailed anatomy and pathophysiology of the cadavers. It was awesome and educational!

Our December meeting is always a year end networking celebration. The chapter provides dinner, we do raffles and prizes. and it's a way for our local chapter members to interact with each other.

Remember that Local Chapters exist to serve their city or geographic area, and each chapter has to make decisions to meet the needs of the chapter. Guests are welcome at virtual events, but the chapter's main priority is accommodating local members.

For chapters that have a rural or more spread out geographic territory, they may find that offering hybrid meetings is the best way to accommodate as many chapter members as possible.

Other chapters may find that it makes more sense to have completely separate virtual and in-person offerings. That's what my chapter does - geographically, we're all located within a reasonable distance, and we also like to offer special in-person events like the tour I mentioned.

However, as I mentioned above, we offered 19 virtual CEUs this year - our chapter members had plenty of opportunity to get virtual CEUs from us without attending in-person. We also accommodated many guests - 740 guests from other chapters attended at least one of our 2022 virtual meetings! I'm happy that we were able to juggle serving our local members and also helping so many virtual guests earn CEUs.

It's important to point out that took a lot of work from our volunteer officers and volunteer speakers to make it happen though. If anyone wants to have input on what's done at their local chapter, I'd highly suggest getting involved in the decision making process or as a speaker. Most chapters could use more volunteers, so I'm willing to bet that if someone offered their time and input the chapter would gladly accept!

Hope that helped to answer your question about in-person meetings. :)
thanks so much!
 
why I'm not getting CEUs when attend other local chapters meeting?

You would need to contact the specific chapter. Each chapter has up to 30 days following the meeting to add attendance.

If you attended at least 50% of the educational portion of the meeting, provided your AAPC member ID number when attending, and attendance has been entered, the CEU may not have crossed over automatically and the chapter can provide you with the index number to manually enter.
 
You would need to contact the specific chapter. Each chapter has up to 30 days following the meeting to add attendance.

If you attended at least 50% of the educational portion of the meeting, provided your AAPC member ID number when attending, and attendance has been entered, the CEU may not have crossed over automatically and the chapter can provide you with the index number to manually enter.
Thanks for your prompt response!

I have attended Nassau Bahamas Local Chapter Meeting (Oncology Billing | CEU AWARD: 2.0) on 04/23/2024.

Also attended the Anchorage AAPC Monthly Meetings on 04/08/2024.

I sent an email to those local chapters to add the CEUs in my account or to provide the Index Number to manually enter. But no response I'm getting from them....

any other way to reach them to get it add this CEU in my account..?
 
Thanks for your prompt response!

I have attended Nassau Bahamas Local Chapter Meeting (Oncology Billing | CEU AWARD: 2.0) on 04/23/2024.

Also attended the Anchorage AAPC Monthly Meetings on 04/08/2024.

I sent an email to those local chapters to add the CEUs in my account or to provide the Index Number to manually enter. But no response I'm getting from them....

any other way to reach them to get it add this CEU in my account..?

It's still within 30 days of both meeting dates, so they may still be entering attendance. Chapters have 30 days from the meeting date to finalize attendance.
 
Top