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bettinadodd

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There appear to be lots of coding positions listed with Maxim Health Information Services - inpatient, outpatient, remote, consulting, you name it. Not all states have listings, but many have several. Might be of help to some of you out there.
 
Cpc-a

If you are a CPC-A then don't even try it. I have been trying to break into the coding field as well. I have a vast knowledge of medical terminology, billing and a BA in Health Information Management. Still no luck for new coders....

I wonder what good is it to spend all the money and you can't benefit from the certification with the A on the end of your credentials.
 
To Vietk

Hi there

I noticed that Humana wants to hire coders who have your background. They need someone who has the med terms, billing, and BA in HIT. Go to Humana.com and try. They have locations in all the states.

Good Luck

Emmie Gouvisis
 
Please keep in mind, that places like Maxim may advertise for Coding Jobs, but that doesnt nessesarly mean they have jobs when they hire you. I've seen many run into this problem when they apply for positions like that.
Just be carefull out there !
 
vietk said:
If you are a CPC-A then don't even try it. I have been trying to break into the coding field as well. I have a vast knowledge of medical terminology, billing and a BA in Health Information Management. Still no luck for new coders....

I wonder what good is it to spend all the money and you can't benefit from the certification with the A on the end of your credentials.
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I've noticed a trend here where people are complaining about how the A is what is holding them back.

I've been coding for two years now, could have dropped my A last year but didn't and have been lagging at getting my paper work completed to get my A dropped now that I've done my two years.

I think the new money making scheme the AAPC is offering where people pay to drop the A is a racket that is fueled by the type of attitude quoted.

I'm not putting you down and I'm sure it is frustrating for many of you. But I also don't believe that spending money to drop the A is going to change a basic lack of experience. If employers aren't looking at your credential and education as being enough experience, taking another test isn't going to compensate for that.
 
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cosita said:
I've noticed a trend here where people are complaining about how the A is what is holding them back.

I've been coding for two years now, could have dropped my A last year but didn't and have been lagging at getting my paper work completed to get my A dropped now that I've done my two years.

I think the new money making scheme the AAPC is offering where people pay to drop the A is a racket. That is fueled by the type of attitude quoted.

I'm not putting you down and I'm sure it is frustrating for many of you. But I also don't believe that spending money to drop the A is going to change a basic lake of experience. If employers aren't looking at your credential and education as being enough experience, taking another test isn't going to compensate for that.
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Great post cosita!

I am so tired of getting on this forum and hear people complaining and with bad attitudes! This forum was not meant to bash AAPC, no one forced any of us to take the exam or become coders, we chose that on our own! There are plenty of people out there not only in the coding field but many others who are having the same struggles.

Do some of you or any of you even realize that hiring managers do get on this forum and if they see your negative attitudes in your posts do you think for 1 minute that they would even "think" about hiring you, much less granting you an interview?
 
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rthames...

It's not a bad attitude...it's frustration. It's a total Catch-22. How do you get experience that they want us to have? That's the problem.

I think we want management that will give us a chance. Just because we're not as experienced as you, doesn't mean that we aren't good workers or don't know as much as you do. I think you need to read deeper. ;)
 
You take a job in a mailroom...or doing follow-up. You get a foot in the door first. That is how you do it.
You forget about "Coding from Home" until you get the experience. It ain't gonna happen so just put that idea on the back burner for a while.
Want to code in a hospital? Take a job doing patient registration first.
Put the time and effort in and you will be rewarded.
Buy a certification and think you're going right to the head of the class.....Sorry, unrealistic.
 
Bravo Oceanlivin! I have told many people this same thing. It is not your lack of knowledge that is keeping you from getting the job. It may not even be the lack of experience, it is probably that the employer wants to see a commitment to the field. To be a good coder or even a biller it is very important to have experience in all the other areas of the process as well. It is the same in every field, you must take the lesser positions and work your way up, but you will be better for it in the long run. As far as the AAPC goes, I do not think we could be part of a better organization. I have been a member of many different organizations in the past and not one of them measures up to the AAPC. Will they find you a job? No! But then again that is not their function. Do not be unrealistic with your expectations. Good luck with your job search.
 
msweeney76 said:
It's not a bad attitude...it's frustration. It's a total Catch-22. How do you get experience that they want us to have? That's the problem.

I think we want management that will give us a chance. Just because we're not as experienced as you, doesn't mean that we aren't good workers or don't know as much as you do. I think you need to read deeper. ;)
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These types of posts have been repeated to death in this forum. I don't think that a bad attitude is to blame for EVERYONE posting their concerns BUT I do see a lot of bad attitudes. How do we get the experience they want us to have? Well, again, the answer to this question has been repeated to death in this forum! I completely agree with the poster that said that there are people in charge of hiring that frequent this forum. I constantly see people ranting out their woes, pointing fingers of blame, and saying that they are about to give up. Seriously, would you want to hire someone like that? I wouldn't want to chance hiring someone that so easily would give up on something that they've worked towards. Again, I know that not everyone posting their concerns on the AAPC forums are doing so in a negative fashion. This post is directed solely towards those that are. I understand that job searching is frustrating. I just think that some people should put more thought into what they put out there for the public to read. You never know who may be reading!

I, honestly, wish you all the best of luck. If you keep at it, stay positive, and work hard towards your goal, you will get there! Goonies never say die! :p
 
The "catch-22" someone mentioned earlier isn't exclusive to this field. You run into that no matter what you want to do. I believe a lot of the frustration comes from the unrealistic expectations people have ablout this industry. Those expectations are fueled by people and companies who make unrealistic promises. When you see ads claiming "medical coders are in demand!" - "Make $$$ working from home!" remember that those ads are put out there by people who want your money.

Sure, you can code from home if someone is willing to pay you. BUT anyone who is willing to pay you a decent wage to do it is going to want someone with experience and a proven track record of quality and initiative. As someone who hires, I can tell you that I would never hire someone to work from home if I wasn't sure that I could trust them.

Also, as was also pointed out, employers do look at these forums. I know you get frustrated but think about what you're saying before you hit that "reply" button. Hit that "preview" button and read your own post. You might be surprised at how negative it sounds. You can share your frustrations but, instead of complaining about the same old problems, suggest a solution.

Experience is important, more so than the credentials in my opinion. I started in the mail room when I was 19. When I got my first coding job, I had no credentials. I had never coded a chart. I was hired because I had years of experience working with the codes and medical records. They trusted me because of my experience and my track record. They paid for my AAPC membership and my CPC exam. Since then I've moved into management. Don't expect to start at the top. Get your foot in the door first.
 
OhnOdisaster

I hope I wasn't the one of the people you were pointing out. It's just healthy venting. ;)

I've been in collections for 8 years. Follow up is a part of that. So...with this good base that I've got, I think it would be a good start to get into coding. Many follow up people aren't coders, let alone certified ones. (I know that from experience.)

I definitely wouldn't be negative on here, of all places. That wouldn't be too smart. But if we talk it out and vent to other "A's", then we can help each other. :)
 
I will be extremely pissed off if I lose my certification by not passing this new ICD-10 thing. I busted my butt, and paid entirely too much money, to pass the exam and earn the certificate I have now. I just paid another $120 to keep my certification up to date, and I can't even use it. I refuse to give this organization any more money when the certificate has proved useless for so many of us.
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I became certified in April, past the test first time. I also have a college degree, but I do not have any experience working in the medical field. I am basically over educated and under qualified. I have been job hunting now for 3 months and no one will even give me an interview. I even went to a couple of temp agencies and they also want 2 years experience just to temp. I feel like I have been riped off by what I call "the coding scam." There is advertising everywhere to become a coder, "what a great job", when all they want is your money, they don't care about whether or not you are successful with actually becoming a coder. I blame AAPC, I blame companies not willing to hire entry level coders, and I blame the schools who offer these classes. Everyone is making money off of us, we got scamed by trying to make a better career for ourselves.
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Two different quotes, posted by two different people on two different threads throughout the AAPC forum. Those are just some examples. There are a lot more posts similar to those.

No, msweeney76, I wasn't pointing you out. I was just replying to your post, which is the only reason I quoted you. There's a proper way, as an adult, to vent frustration in a public forum. I often see that many are lacking in that department. I know it's a difficult economy out there. I, too, struggle to pay bills and provide the life my son deserves, as I'm sure many of you do the same for your families. I'm not rich and I don't have a perfect life but I do with what I've got and I try my hardest to work towards that "perfect life".

One thing I can say, for certain, is that I love working as a CPC. Before I started my career in coding, I went through jobs that I ALWAYS ended up quitting. I hated my past jobs. This is the FIRST job that I am truely happy with. I know that you guys have it in you to get to that place. The most important thing is perseverance. Keep reaching for your goals until you make them. Giving up gives you no chance at winning. I know that venting feels really good sometimes. I don't deny that sometimes it's healthy to get those feelings out. What I do think is that it would do some people good to practice some discretion. At very least, think about what you're putting out there in a forum specifically aimed at the profession you wish to go into (or stay in). Common sense says, "don't $#!@ where you sleep". Lol.

Again, I want to say that I honestly wish all of you the best of luck. This is an amazing career to go into. Stick with it because it's obvious that the ones that have stuck with it have nothing sour to say. You will find that perfect job for you, that is if you keep looking! :D
 
Today's problem

I fully understand the frustration of new coders with no hands on experience. I live in the Atlanta, Ga area where fly by night schools are everywhere promising job placement or laptop computers upon completion. I make it my business to educate anyone who ask me anything about coding as a career. People aren't aware that certificates from a school doesn't equal certified. 9 out of 10 companies/schools offering the programs ranging from 6-15,000 dollars or more don't disclose that information if not asked up front. You're registered quick and enrolled in classes before you know it. Most people are eager to start a career to help themselves, they don't take time out to research and ask important questions. We have interns sent to my place of employment for training to gain hours to complete their courses. They'll have the poor people packing/filing charts and whatever else needs to be done for free. If I had the money I would put out an infomercial to educate people that they need to be "CERTIFIED" to make the good, good money and work from home for legit companies. And it doesn't take all of that money to do it. I have a few friends who studied on their own and passed the test, CPC-A though. They had to network to find jobs, but it happens. You have to use your head in this game. That's with any job you want. I hooked up with a friend who had her own company and trained with her for my hands on experience. Know what your talking about during an interview and research the job qualifications as well as the company. Shout out to my Dad who didn't want to listen to his baby. Now he's stuck at home with his $12,000 laptop, thanks to student loans and no hustle. Shout out to all of the schools who are legit and certifying new coders. Keep ya heads up.
 
msweeney76 said:
It's not a bad attitude...it's frustration. It's a total Catch-22. How do you get experience that they want us to have? That's the problem.

I think we want management that will give us a chance. Just because we're not as experienced as you, doesn't mean that we aren't good workers or don't know as much as you do. I think you need to read deeper. ;)
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Let me start off by saying that I have read my share of post where bad attitudes have come off, I've also read some post where it's frustration... maybe before some of these people approve their post they should re-read it!!! There are plenty of threads with bad attitudes, playing the blame game. Maybe you are not one of them but I know other people on this board can say they have read them too!

I never ever compared my experience and said I had more experience than ANYONE WHO POSTS on this forum!!! I also never claimed to KNOW MORE THAN ANYONE else on this forum... so you need to take your own advice and "READ DEEPER"!!!

I have been certified for 5 years and I just got my 1st chance to have a position as a "coder" so please don't ever claim to "assume" you know where I have come from in this "coding game" I've always been a medical biller at heart for over 15 years I paid my dues and I never once complained about having my certification and not getting a "coding" job! I kept going and never stopped submitting my resume to companies within a 50-60 mile radius of where I live.

Like I said there are plenty of hiring managers on this forum and they do see these threads and I know more than one of them has commented on threads like this and said they would not hire some of these people based on their posts!!!! Maybe go back and "RE-READ" some of these threads -- then come again!
 
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I couldn't agree more, Debra!
I have a 4 year degree in business and I used to manage an orthotics office on my own, but I had to start from scratch when I moved to another state.
I knew I had to get a foot in the door at the local hospital and started out in the temp pool as a receptionist. Needless to say my salary took a huge dive.
Furthermore, I felt like I was wasting my time doing unappreciated work, such as filing etc.
But eventually I got to know people and started some relations through which I eventually got a well paying coding job in the central billing office.
I think that sometimes you need to swallow your pride and take jobs that are below your skill set, education, and experience in order to score a better job later on.
It is all about the long term goal. And don't forget to be nice to everyone because you never know who can recommend you for that dream job!!!
 
Looking for Externship in Portland, Ore

I'm new in the medical field. A CPC-A now. Trying to find work. Looked at Extern program thru AAPC. Only one in Portland, OR. They are not taking on anybody now.

Just wondered if anyone knew of any facilities in Portland, OR area that might do Extern.

Has anybody had any luck with that option.

jenelle1234@comcast.net
 
Start with your local chapter

Have you checked with your local chapter to see if they have any information regarding an Extern program or requests from other possible employers?

Volunteer to code for experience. Is there a large Family Practice, Orthopedic Clinic, Radiology, Lab, Native Hospital or City/County clinic near you. Maybe you can ask if you could shadow their coder to gain experience? It may not be a paying job but could lead to fantastic opportunities.

Good luck!
 
Getting Ready for Externship

Hi everyone!,
I just got my membership in October. I'm a student at a college in the Inland Empire in Southern California. I signed up with the AAPC to be able to network with other individuals in this profession that could offer up advice, help with coding questions, externship and/or job opportunities in the area with the Murrieta Chapter. I am so excited, with only two classroom days remaining. I don't know which site I will be placed by my college, and it doesn't matter. Just to be able to take all that I have learned and go and learn more in a live setting to complete my education and earn my diploma motivates me to accept any offer given, and apply myself fully to it. I'm already an administrative professional, have been for years. Entering the world of health care is unknown territory for me but, something I chose because I want to serve those that are serving others under "The Hippocratic Oath."

I welcome any positive feedback that you can share as I am flee the nest and fly into the world of health care! Anyone?
 
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