Wiki Woman's Day Article February 2012

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vonney

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Having the general knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology will not be enough to get hired by most companies. A career in coding should not be advertised as a flexible career on the rise to work at home. Only highly skilled coders with many years in the field will get hired to work from home. Taking classes online, or getting a certificate from a community college, and passing the CPC test with the designation CPC-A will not get you hired. This is similar to a medical transcriptionist. Many MTs get their CMT after years of work. I have been a medical/secretary/transcriptionist for many years. My job as an MT entails transcribing the operative note the coders bill from, so needless to say, I know more than just general medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. Due to the new technology of voice recognition in transcription, the salaries for MTs have been cut in half. I believed in what the media was saying about jobs in coding, so I enrolled in community college and received a medical coding specialist certificate June 2010. I paid $300 to take the AAPC certification test, passed the test December 2010, and so far no one has hired me. I volunteered as an extern at a billing service company. They were very helpful in making sure I got some hands-on coding and billing. I worked there 4 hours per day for 6 weeks, while continuing to work as an MT in the afternoons. I have attended my local chapter meetings in Atlanta for the past 2 years. I paid my dues and kept up with my CEUs. I have not given up yet, as I have just applied for a position this past week that highlighted my medical background. I will just have to wait on the outcome.:) The money for yearly coding books, yearly association fees, and membership dues at the local chapter is just no longer an option when no one is hiring without experience.
 
Surely, someone with your skills, knowledge experience and tenacity to endure to the end will be noticed by someone who hires. Lately, our own AAPC chapter with a capable crew of officers has been doing their best to see that jobs get posted and that we're we're in communication with those who are hiring. Get in there and mingle with your colleagues if you haven't already. It can really pay off once and again it's sometime all about "who" you know that "what" you know. I wish I had your background and experience. Best of luck to you and SOON! ---Suzanne E. Byrum CPC
 
Did YOU write the article?

I'm not sure I understand the title of your post is WOMAN'S DAY ARTICLE FEB 2012 ... did you write the articel? Is your post a verbatim transcript of the article?

I agree with Suzanne, that you clearly show tenacity and a work ethic that any office manager should welcome in an employee.

Good luck on your search.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC
 
No, I didn't write the article. I saw the article on the AAPC web site, which asked opinions regarding that article. The article seemed to make lite of the seriousness of becoming a coder/biller and working from home. I was merely giving my opinion that the media is telling people that taking a general medical terminology course and anatomy & physiology will land you a career in coding, working from home, which is false.
 
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I wasn't able to find the article you are referring to, but essentially there was an article in Womens Day magazine that mentions that medical coding is an easy/flexible job that at home moms can do it bring in extra income?

Cordelia, CCS, CPC
 
Okay. If you type in Woman's Day in the search engine on our site, the article will come up as follows:

Woman’s Day: 8 New Ways to Work from Home
February 2nd, 2012
Many people are looking for flexible careers and we’ve all heard that health care careers are on the rise (and will continue to rise). Woman’s Day magazine recently ran an article highlighting AAPC as the medical coding expert on such potential careers.

Speaking about the career of a coder: “Government regulations have increased the amount of paperwork involved with insurance claims, so many companies are looking for people to translate information into numerical codes. You’ll need to know general medical terminology, as well as anatomy and physiology, all of which you can learn online or at a community college,” stated the article.

Read the full article here.
 
I have the the training you stated-- "Taking classes online, or getting a certificate from a community college, and passing the CPC test with the designation CPC-A will not get you hired" I took classrooom classes and on-line classes --- have been applying to jobs for the last month, nothing yet....time will tell.....
 
I've been reading all these posts about studying, preparing, receiving certification and still not receiving any job offers and it worries me. I've been a stay at home mom for the last 20 years. Prior to that I worked for BCBS for 10 years. I'm wanting to get back into coding and have been reviewing, studying and preparing for the CPC exam in May. I'm beginning to think this will be for nothing...? And yes I,too, have spent close to $1,000 on learning materials alone~coding books, preparation test materials, AAPC fees, etc. Will this be for nothing???
 
TjH111964 said:
I've been reading all these posts about studying, preparing, receiving certification and still not receiving any job offers and it worries me. I've been a stay at home mom for the last 20 years. Prior to that I worked for BCBS for 10 years. I'm wanting to get back into coding and have been reviewing, studying and preparing for the CPC exam in May. I'm beginning to think this will be for nothing...? And yes I,too, have spent close to $1,000 on learning materials alone~coding books, preparation test materials, AAPC fees, etc. Will this be for nothing???
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I just passed the certification in February (last month). I have had one interview this week already and I have another tomorrow. No they are not coding positions however they are in billing areas for big hospitals in my area. Yes getting certified and looking for a job is a process, but it can be done. It takes a lot of patience and prayer to get through it. If coding is what you want to do go for it. I wish you all the best.:)
 
Thanks for the encouragement, Lateefah. All YOU need is to just get your foot in the door...Best of luck in getting that job! Are you a CPC or CPC-A?
 
I am a CPC-A. I am praying that I get my foot in the door, but if not I will continue to be patient. I work for an insurance carrier so maybe something at my job will open.
 
lack of experience

TjH111964 said:
I've been reading all these posts about studying, preparing, receiving certification and still not receiving any job offers and it worries me. I've been a stay at home mom for the last 20 years. Prior to that I worked for BCBS for 10 years. I'm wanting to get back into coding and have been reviewing, studying and preparing for the CPC exam in May. I'm beginning to think this will be for nothing...? And yes I,too, have spent close to $1,000 on learning materials alone~coding books, preparation test materials, AAPC fees, etc. Will this be for nothing???
Click to expand...

I have seen the same complaints on the LinkedIn site. Another hurdle is that most companies don't acknowledge AAPC credentials only AHIMA. Not to say there are not jobs out there but your area plays a part as well. I was blessed-certified with CPC-H in June of last year and was hired in Aug. Most remote jobs want at least 3 years experience, certification, and sometimes a degree. Just letting you know what you may run into but DON'T GIVE UP!
 
What? That statement about recognizing AHIMA credentials is too much of a generalization. Yes, some hospitals may only acknowledge AHIMA, but I have worked at physician practices that did not recognize AHIMA, only AAPC. It is absolutely a mis-statement to say that "most companies" do not recognize AAPC. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Look at the setting in which you are applying. You should tailor your certification to that, pure and simple. I believe the guard shall be changing shortly. Most graduates these days obtain multiple credentials and ally with both organizations. When they become managers they are more inclined to recognize the importance of both.
 
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