Does anybody know??

[Stray dog]

Does anybody be able to tell me nursing system differences between Canada and US?? Are there the same kinds of job like EMT or MA in Canada?? Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.

[loriangel14, RN]

We have EMTs but I don't believe we have MAs.

[Stray dog]

Thank you for your reply. Who's billing or codding or manage financial things in Canada?? if you don't have MA?? Any info would be appreciated.

[loriangel14, RN]

Because Canadians receive universal health care there is not really billing and coding as such. At the facility I work at there is an accounts receivable office that takes care of billing for tvs and phones in the room or if someone wants to pay extra for a private etc.

We do have a ward clerk that orders supplies and submits our hours to payroll.

[loriangel14, RN]

What does billing and coding involve? I am curious about your system.What is coding?

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

Every procedure and diagnosis has a code. So when the facility bills the insurance company the codes tell them what's been done. Then the codes have a price attached to them that they pay the facility for. They're called ICD-9 and CPT codes.

[Stray dog]

Thank you tempa girl. Is it hard to be a nurse in Canada as well?? Is there wating list to enter nursing program like in US?? and Question for tempa girl. At some Dr.'s office,nurse have to do billing and coding and ordering like MA. Is that true?? Any info would be appreciated.

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

Thank you tempa girl. Is it hard to be a nurse in Canada as well?? Is there wating list to enter nursing program like in US?? and Question for tempa girl. At some Dr.'s office,nurse have to do billing and coding and ordering like MA. Is that true?? Any info would be appreciated.

In the office I worked at yes I did some of the billing and coding but we had a woman that was a medical insurance billing and coder that would come in twice a week and do most of the billing and appeals. It's kind of tricky the way things have to be billed with some procedures and the books themselves take a while to get the hang if. It just depends on how the office works some have the or nurses do the billing as soon as the patient leaves the office, some have an outside company come in, and others send it out to a third party type company. Most insurance companys are also doing away with paper claims so everything is done electronically. Although almost evey office that I've seen that has an actual nurse is either the office manager or just answers patients questions they do occaionally help out where ever assistance is needed.

If your interested in coding they do offer classes for it. I know here they run about six months. It could be of value if that's what you would like to do in an office setting.

[loriangel14, RN]

Thanks so much for the explanation. It never occurred to me that billing would be an issue but if you are dealing with individual health insurance it makes sense. The ward clerks up here take a course too but i guess it is kind of a different job.

I don't think that it is any harder to be a nurse up here but it is different, from what I have read on these forums.I don't know about waiting lists for sure, I got into my program the same year i applied.

[Stray dog]

Thank you for your answers. I really appreciated. which province do you live in canada,loriangel14?? I heard that LPN can't do IV in some states.Is that true?? How did you learn coding and billing?? Is there any MA in your office?? A lot of places start hiring MAs a lot.I believe that MA's don't do the things as much as nurses do,right?? Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.

[loriangel14, RN]

I live in Ontario and we have provinces not states. I am an RPN and IVs are within my scope of practice.It can also depend on the facility policy if an RPN can do IVs.

We do not have any coding or billing because we have universal healthcare so no pt billing except for tvs or upgrades to private rooms.We have no MAs just ward clerks.They take a year long program for ward clerking and they do paperwork and ordering supplies.etc.

If you have pt billing do nurses have to keep track of supplies used etc? Thanks for nay info

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

Thank you for your answers. I really appreciated. which province do you live in canada,loriangel14?? I heard that LPN can't do IV in some states.Is that true?? How did you learn coding and billing?? Is there any MA in your office?? A lot of places start hiring MAs a lot.I believe that MA's don't do the things as much as nurses do,right?? Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.

I live in Florida and LPN's can do IV's here but can't do blood components and some other things that may vary from facility to facility. I learned how to do billing and coding from the medical biller that worked at the office with me. MD offices are usually the only places that hire MA's around here. As a MA I assisted the MD with procedures like draining joints (can't think of the proper term for it) pap smear, LEEP's, Colposcopy's, IUD insertions and removals, circumcision. By myself I was able to do ear lavages, gave injections, drew blood, did urinalysis, EKG's, staple removals, wound cleaning and dressing changes. Plus I did all the charting an patient updating in the computer, called insurance companies for benefits and pre certifications for procedures and surgeries, scheduled surgeries, did healthy start screenings, made appointments, got co pays, basically everything that is done in the front office.

As a MA working for a OB/GYN office I was able to give RhoGAM injections. Once I receive my LPN license I won't be able to because I'm not allowed to administer blood/blood components. So there are some things that you can do as a MA that as a RN/LPN you won't be able to do because it's not within your scope of practice. MA's don't have a scope of practice and work under the MD's license.

Like I said there is a medical billing and coding class that you can take. They're about 6 months long give or take and teach you how to read and understand the ICD-9 and CPT code books.