some questions about taking coding course

A coder makes about the same as an LPN and upwards like an RN, depending on where you work. You can definitely work from home too.

Check out the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), American Medical Billing Association (AMBA), RN-coder.com, and American Association of Clinical Coders and Auditors (AACCA) websites.

Check out their forums. There might be more information in attaining certfication through self-study. There are many coders who have self-studied and passed certification on their own, and are now employed. You can do it too!

Pay in coding depends on region and specialty. More information can be found at:

http://www.ahima.org/salarystudy/

http://www.aapc.com/surveys/medical-...-survey07.aspx

You can find more information about becoming a Cancer Registrar (aka Tumor Registrar) at:

http://www.ncra-usa.org/i4a/pages/in...geid=3301#Sub7

To work as a cancer registrar, you must pass the CTR exam to become a Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR).

http://www.ctrexam.org/

You can find salary info for Cancer Registrars at:

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/l...C07000214.html

Hello,
I know the post is kind of old but I wanted to give you some pointers. I would purchase the most updated ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS books you can find. There are also a couple of study guides out there, AAPC sells their own as well as AHIMA, I used the ones by Carol Buck. I have a BA in Biology and self studied and passed the CPC the first time around. I plan to take the inpatient CCS this December by studying the same way.

I currently make $30.00 working for a health insurance company as a clinical coordinator medical coder. There is absolutely no production work involved in this particular position. If you have any further questions, please feel free to IM me. I live in the Southern California area if that will give you more of an idea for the pay range.

Hi Foxybrown78

What study guides you are using to study for the CCS?

What study guides did you use to study for the CPC?

Are you going to take the CPC-H or CPC-P in the near future?

Thanks for sharing this with the forum!

I am also a nurse that went into coding. Some advice. . .get certified in order to increase you hireability. Go to a certified coding school, preferably a school in a community college. I learned that the only reason I got hired by a large coding company was because I was a nurse. Otherwise, I was told after I had worked there several months, they general felt that coders trained in vocational schools were inferiorly trained. The first job is extremely difficult to find. It is not like nursing where hospitals have open arms for new grads. You will spend a lot of time looking for a willing employer to hire and train you for your first job out of school. Coding is watched very closely by the federal government and people do get arrested and sent to prison by the federal government for fraud when people try to cheat and save a few dollars when coding for their doctor or healthcare employers. Coding has to do with bring money into a doctor or hospital's business and is a bridge between the practice and the business end. And nurses worry about getting sued by patients for malpractice--Ha! Ha! When you go into coding you have to worry about and know the Medicare and insurance rules and laws which are always changing!

CCS Coding Exam Review 2008: The Certification Step (CCS Coding Exam Review: The Certification Step (W/CD)) (Paperback)

by Carol J. Buck and
Professional Review Guide For The CCS Examination, 2008 Edition (Professional Review Guide for the CCS Examinations) (Paperback)

by Patricia Schnering

I just studied the coding books used in production (ICD-9-CM, CPT and HCPCS) for the CPC but you can also try
CPC Coding Exam Review 2008: The Certification Step (CPC Coding Exam Review: Certification Step) (Paperback)

by Carol J. Buck

No there is no reason for me to take the CPC-P or H as I will be getting the CCS from AHIMA soon. I have planned on getting into an RN program next year (at least a waiting list) then continuing to go to school to get an RHIT/RHIA while I am on the waiting list.

There is a difference in the different certifications. CCS is for hospital coding and familiarity with DRGs. CCS-P is for physician office coding. People who have worked as physician office coders for years have thought they could walk into the CCS exam and pass it on their experience alone and have been sadly mistaken. RHIT involves only some coding at all. You need a Bachelors degree in HIM to sit for the RHIA exam these days.

Yes I know the difference in the certifications, trust me. I reviewed the information long and hard before I put the money into getting them. I have been coding for 8 years (inpatient, outpatient, acute, HCC, E/M, etc.) and I am well prepared for the CCS. I have always been able to find work with my CPC though, but I want the inpatient for the prestige it brings. I have a BA in biology and I am already in a program for the HIM. I know I have to graduate the program before I can sit for that certification as well. I love the field I am in and it has been very lucrative for me. Hope nursing goes just as well. Thanks for the information!

Hi Everyone!

I know many coding students who passed the CCS-P and CCS on the first try without years of experience. Nowadays, it’s tougher to get coding jobs because hospitals require certification and experience. Why not fulfill one of the coding job qualifications by getting certified.

I found that the CCS-P is the first certification that many coding students take. Some who pass the CCS-P do not necessarily pass the CCS. The CCS is a tougher exam, but there are a number of coding students who have passed it after finishing coding courses on their first try.