Medical coding?

[beckyboo80]

I've been researching different fields and one I keep thinking about is billing/coding. I am looking into the Career Step online program. Anyone have insight into what the job outlook is for this career? Any idea what the pay is like? I live in CA (SF Bay Area) if that helps.

Thanks!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

This forum is focused on Nursing - maybe not the best or most accurate source of information about coding.

Based on developments in my 'world' (large healthcare system) - The introduction of ICD-10 (Oct. 2014) is producing a cascade of effects. It is much more complex, so I would anticipate an increased short-term demand for experts in this field to help organizations and providers ramp up to meet the new standards. However, as time goes on it looks like a lot of the 'work' will be done via automated EHR systems... that will automate billing based upon semi-automated documentation that guides the provider to ensure that she enters information in the right format.

There will always be jobs in this area, but IMHO, entry-level jobs are going to diminish as EHRs take hold. So, if this is an area of interest, you may want to look for an educational program that also includes sufficient "informatics" training to ensure that your degree continues to be relevant in the future.

[Sam J.]

In a large hospital there can be several hundred people in coding, and related areas. Like stated above though, EHRs are eliminating the need for many of those jobs. In coding, there are maybe 30-40 different job classifications, certifications, and on and on. Different work areas want different certifications. But in fact, you do not need any coding education or certificates to work as a coder is some areas, such as a small private medical office. It depends on the employer. There's no state licensing, but there are national organizations that provide their own 'certifications', for money, and also sell classes, and seminars, and help their members find jobs. Be wary of the claims that 'you can become a medical coder and make big bucks!', that are flooding the market, just like nursing schools and their claims of a sure path to The Promised Land. Do your research before you start a coding program. Again, not only are EHRs taking a toll, which will escalate as ICD-10 and other coding systems become ever more complex, there is a push now to coding being outsourced, like anything else that can be done on a computer. And some hospitals are already so sophisticated that every entry in a digital chart is automatically coded, and even billed, without people sitting in front of a computer screen all day translating medical charts into 'codes'. Also, much like nursing, in coding some places want a college degree in HIT, then a certification, then another certification, then another degree, then another credential, like being a rat in spinning wheel that never seems to stop.