some questions about taking coding course

Was this adequate training for you? Did you study online? Did you find jobs easily for CPC after you finished? Appreciate any advice?

It depends on what kind of job you are looking for after you finish your training. I started off studying for a year at a vocational school but it was my nursing background that actually got me hired. When I went back to a community college coding program that was accredited by AHIMA I saw how badly the vocational school failed me. In vocational school we basically just sat in class and coded pages of line items. In college we learned why we had to code things a specific way time after time. We learned about Coding Clinic and how to access and read it. We learned about DRGs. We learned about principle diagnoses and comorbidities.

For the big bucks, you need certification and training by an accredited school. The reason is because the places that are paying big bucks are very concerned about fraud and they want qualified coders. Think of certification as being similar to licensure except it is voluntary. It gives you a higher level of expertise and care about the work. It also means you are aware of the laws regarding coding. The coding organizations are pushing for mandatory certification, but it hasn't happened yet. These certification tests are not easy to pass ust as the NCLEX isn't either.

Thanks for the info! I was thinking of taking a distance learning class from AAPC or AHIMA. After you attained certification, did you have an easier time finding a job? Are there remote jobs available? Appreciate any advice! I live in TN

For those of you who are already coders, would you say there is more demand for inpatient/hospital coders, or outpatient/physician coders? I'm talking strictly in numbers of jobs, although if you have any salary insight, I'd love to hear that, too.

The RN market is getting tight around here, and I was looking into coding as something else I can get certified in once I am done nursing school, to make me more marketable. I want to thank everyone who's been so generous in explaining this market.

The first job is going to be the hardest to get. This field is not like nursing where employers are waiting for the new nurses coming out of schools with open arms. You will have to look and look for a job. Often, you will need to demonstrate your skill before being hired by taking a coding test and passing it with a 95% score or above. There is considerable training involved when you get your first job. I was in training for 9 months with my first job because they were so terrified of Medicare and wanted their coders to learn to code precisely when it come to Medicare. As I mentioned before, fraud is a big thing that reputable people in this field do not want to get involved in and mistakes in coding are called fraud and punishable with huge fines. These were physician coders. Hospital coder jobs are harder to find and involve just as much on-the-job training because of the statistical analysis that goes with the job.

AtomicWoman. . .physician coder jobs are more plentiful, but be careful with what the doc you work for allows the coders to get away with. It is often the docs in private practice that are trying to cut corners and end up getting caught for fraud because they are trying to figure out creative ways to add as much money as possible to their cash registers. My coding class sent us to a Medicare site that publishes the list of professional providers who try to do this and got caught. The coders hang along with the docs as well.

[quote=Daytonite;3270958]AtomicWoman. . .physician coder jobs are more plentiful.[quote]

Ditto this! RNs seems to be a better fit for the physican coder positions, too, because they are more procedure based. The company I work for sends its nurses through AAPC training & certification (CPC.)

The actual demand I cannot speak of. But I can say the jobs that pay more are the inpatient abstracting coding jobs. Get your inpatient certification and training, it will benefit you more as you are already an RN and you are more likely to be able to work from home.

Hi,
I just found this forum and I am excited to meet other RNs interested in coding. I need to get away from bedside care due to illness and weakened immune system. I found that my community hospital offers coding classes. The cost is $800.00 plus $209.00 for the books. This is a Monday ( 5-8) and Thurs (5-8) class that is 14 weeks long. I love working in health care!

I am hoping this opens a door to a different approach to health care. My dream would be to work from home and still have benefits. I hope this becomes reality and not just a dream. I would love feedback as to what others are doing in the coding industry.