Anyone out there in the medical coding career? I am currently trying to determine my career path. Medical coding is one of my options...any advice on education? I would prefer some schooling I could do from home so that I can still be available for my kids. I just don't want to sink any money into something that turns out to be a bad option.

I am also considering scoping. The only anxiety I have about that is having to work for myself. LOL I'm sure it's not that bad but the fear of the unknown for me...

peapie

I have to do coding sometime for work and I HATE HATE HATE it!!!!!!!!!!! there is way to many codes for way to many illnesses!!!!!!!!!

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I used to process medical claims for an insurance company. I found it very interesting, and a lot of fun. It really comes in handy, too. I learned "coding" on the job. I didn't have to go to any seperate school for it.

What is scoping?

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Oh wow, I just started this in January! I'm about to take my mid-term on Wednesday.

If you like hunting and searching and have an eye for detail, this would be fun for you I think. Taking the class really ups your 'employability', there IS a lot to learn.

I don't know if it's going to be my career (long story), BUT I'm glad I'm doing it, I'm learning a lot and when it's done I can say I finished it! I'll then have another option as to what I want to do.

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What kind of job opportunities are there for medical coding?? I used to do data entry for a medical supply company when I was about 20, and the stuff you entered had the diagnosis (ICD9 codes) were on the forms from the doctors office.
What is scoping??
I guess its important to figure out what kind of job opportunities are available in your area...I am trying to figure out what you would do with the coding, do they (who?)dump a bunch of diagnoses on you and you have to lookup the correct icd9??
The dr's offices and hospitals now have computers that pop this stuff right in for claims purposes (I also worked at blue cross/blue shield for 15 years)
These are just some of the questions I would ask myself

From what I understand, coding is taking the information on the patient and fitting what the doctor did and used into codes for the insurance companies. I have an aunt who has been doing medical coding for 8 years now and has worked from home the last 5 years working for a major hospital in the area. I just haven't been able to get ahold of her to get more info. I was hoping I could get together with her and see what she does.

Scoping is taking the transcript from court reportsers (after it's been run through a program that translates the steno) and basically editing it for proper grammar, capitalization, punctuation, etc. You also translate any steno that might not have gone through. Supposedly the CR can add this stuff to their programs dictionary so it catches it the next time.

The big advantage to scoping for me would be working from home. With medical coding I can't be 100% sure I'd be able to get a job working from home...which is why I wish I could get in touch with my aunt.
I'm not necessarily looking for a full-time job. My DH works full-time and is our main income...mine would kind of be supplemental income.

I am the type of person who likes this sort of thing...my family always joked about how I was the grammar police. lol

peapie

Coding entails reading the chart notes/procedure notes and picking out the right CPT code to match the notes as well as the diagnosis, (with any modifiers) to get the bill paid. Not all insurance companies require that a bill be accompanied by chart/procedure notes, but for those that do--the notes MUST substantiate the charge.
For example: CPT 99213 is a for an office visit. There is certain criteria that must be met (information contained in the chart note) for an insurer to pay that code. If the notes do not substantiate that code, it can be denied and the insurer can request that it be rebilled with the proper code(like CPT 99211) or the provider give more information regarding the visit..
The coder doesn't put in the correct modifier (such as R or L) the bill can be denied (again this is based on chart notes).

So, while Medical providers may have computers that generate the code they think they should be paid for, they have to provide medical documentation to substantiate the code. If the do not/can not/will not they don't get paid. Hence medical coders are needed.

I don't see a whole of need for medical coders in an actual doctor's office, the biggest opportunity I see is for Bill Review/Bill Audit with an insurance company. Those individuals can make a lot of money and a lot work from home (especially in this day and age of digital/electronic systems).
Of course coders have to cross reference the ICD9 w/ the CPT codes to make sure that it makes since. IF the chart notes indicate that the patient was seen for their diabetes, but the ICD9 code is for cancer well then--you see the issue. I've seen ICD9 codes of pregnancy on a male patient!!

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I understood every word you said!

YAY ME!!

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Today I enrolled in classes at Gatlin. I start my basic Medical Coding and Billing class on the 17th of this month. It is online and you work through the modules at your own pace. I have 6 months to do it. I've already had Medical Terminology so when I get done with the class, I will sit for the CCA exam and then go into the Advanced Coding class. Even better, there is a program here at our local university through the Continuing Ed office and they are paying for everything for me, even the books and CCA exam. I'm not even low income, so I was surprised they would. Apparently there is a huge shortage of coders in Kentucky. At our local hospital, a basic, just-starting-out coder starts out at $14 per hour. At some of the bigger hospitals in the bigger cities, they start out at around $20 per hour.

You may as well try it if you can get funding through grants or whatever. You may not end up liking it, but you won't know until you try it.

How did you find out about getting it all paid for? When you applied for financial aid? That would be awesome. I just went to the Gatlin site and see that our local University has this program.

Thanks for replying!

peapie

If you enjoy legal work, you might enjoy scoping. I used to be a court reporter and owned my own business, but I did all my own work. And with scoping, you could do that at home and be there for your children.

I started out when my sons were babies transcribing for a court reporter. It was great working at home, and I did a lot of my work while they were napping and in the evenings (or whenever I had some down time). I would think you could do the same with scoping. And who knows, you might like it enough that you would want to go back and do the actual court reporting when your children are older. That's what I did. I really enjoyed it.

As for the medical coding, I don't know anything about that. I've always been in some sort of legal work all my life. But do what you think you would enjoy and go for it!!

Good luck with whatever you decide.

You don't need school for this. They'll train you on the job. I did it years ago when we lived in Vegas and the hospital taught me everything. It was an ok job but it did spark my interest in the medical field and I'm an RN now.

Hmmm, not necessarily true. I was talking with the manager of a coding dept at a hospital a couple days ago and she told me that she WANTS her people to go to school. She got the hospital to budget a higher pay scale for her current employees to take a coding class to encourage them to do so. She's been in the business for 20+ years and said it's changed so much since she started, SHE actually wants to go back to school. Any additional hires, she's wanting to be certified.

I'm sure any hospital in any city can be different, but I'd check it out and see who requires what.


Very cool on becoming a nurse!!

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Personally, I think schooling would be beneficial...for me, at least. I don't have experience in the medical field. Plus, I've read about people starting out with on-the-job training and then they found out that it was hard to get another job because they were trained to do it the way that particular place did it.

It just seems I'd be marketable if I had some education and some initial understanding of what I'd be doing.

peapie