Wiki What does it mean to be classified as coder 1,2, or 3

[tmmoreland2017]

Hello All,
I just obtained my CPC in December and am looking for part-time/prn remote work. In many of the ads they are looking for a coder 2 or coder 3. What does these designations entail?

 

[BenCrocker]

Maybe it stands for HIM class 2 or 3.

Like this.

 

[mitchellde]

Hello All,
I just obtained my CPC in December and am looking for part-time/prn remote work. In many of the ads they are looking for a coder 2 or coder 3. What does these designations entail?

These are internal designations and mean different things to each organization. Usually it is a designation for years of experience or education or both.

 

[robyn516]

Response

It could also mean years of experience or level you are at.

 

[nc_coder]

Yes, in my organization, we have levels 1, 2, 3, and lead coder. Ours depends on the level of experience with 3 as the least amount of experience.
I can tell you that finding remote positions as a newly certified coder can be difficult. I have been certified for 10 years and coding for over 15. Most that I have seen want you to have inpatient coding experience.

 

[sdelth4284]

Our coder 1 is from certification to the end of your first year working as a coder. Coder 2 is from the end of year one forward.

More businesses need to realize that hiring and training an inexperienced coder can be beneficial. Training the new coder may take time, but should result in a proficient coder with fewer bad habits learned from other positions.

 

[Patty Basa]

In my institution I am a Coder 3. Our Coder 3's are required to have coding certification, experience as well as a specialty certification. Our Coder 1 does not have to have certification, but must receive it within 1 year of accepting the position with us.

 

[saria121976@gmail.com]

What are the different productivity standards for Coder 1, Coder 2, Coder 3? For example, if a coder 1 is a new coder with no experience, what are the productivity standards starting on day one, after 30 days in the position, then 60 days and 90 days for a the new inexperienced coder versus a coder who has 1 or more years of experience?

 

[sls314]

What are the different productivity standards for Coder 1, Coder 2, Coder 3? For example, if a coder 1 is a new coder with no experience, what are the productivity standards starting on day one, after 30 days in the position, then 60 days and 90 days for a the new inexperienced coder versus a coder who has 1 or more years of experience?

That’s going to vary quite a bit by organization and role. There really isn’t a universal productivity standard across the industry, because there are so many variable factors.

Productivity expectations depend heavily on factors like whether the coder is coding from scratch vs. validating provider-selected codes, the specialty, the complexity of cases, the systems and tools available, and more.

Timelines for ramping up to productivity for a brand-new coder can vary by organization and position as well. Ideally, the organization will allow a brand-new, inexperienced coder some training and time to ramp up to full productivity, but they'll set their own standards for what that means to them.

In general, a Coder 2 or Coder 3 would likely be expected to meet the organization's productivity standards from Day 1. If the coder is new to the organization, there may be a small ramp up period to get used to the any new systems, but they'll generally be expected to hit the ground running. A coder who already works for the organization and got moved up will likely be expected to hit the ground running Day 1 because they already know the systems.

Those are great questions to ask in an interview though!

 

[saria121976@gmail.com]

Thank you for your quick reply. My office hires a lot of newly certified coders who have never worked as a coder. Typically, they have worked in other areas of the office, for example insurance verification, prior authorizations or working rejections. Our coders add the ICD-10-CM codes for E/M and office procedures for oncology and hematology. We have intensive training for 2-3 months checking every code they select before they bill the visits. We ask them to work up to a benchmark of coding 25-30 patients per day by the end of 30 days and 50-60 patients by the end of 60 days. Several struggle with these benchmarks and are only able to code 10-20 patients per day in the first 30 days. I'd like to hear what other office expectations are.