Medical Billing/Coding

Thank you Ms. Linda, I guess that is what I have to do,but in Mississippi even getting a Unit Secretary position is hard. But I wont give up at this point.

also may try puremedicaljobsDOTCOM good luck!

Hi im currently living in Dubai, but i am orginally from the U.S (michigan)ive decided that i want to move back soon. I am a medical biller but not very very experienced but im looking for someone that i can work with that i can grow with as a team and dedicate my time and knowledge too. So if any physicians are interest or billers who work on their own that might need my help please let me know.My email is shavan1021@yahoo.com

is anyone know anything about "Allied school"?

I dont know what you are talking about. Are you plugging a school? Avoid online training that does not offer an externship along with certification.

Maria in Alameda, California said: is anyone know anything about "Allied school"?

Avoid online training if possible. Hands on along with a real-time training in a Hospital (externship)is the way to go. AHIMA Certification is a must.

Mrs Teacher said: Look into vocational education centers or community colleges. The private college will charge you $10,000+ and the certificate will be worth nothing. The public schools are monitered and accredited. Also they probably have a better reputation then the high cost schools and offer real credits to real universities. A public course in medical billing and coding should cost around $3000 for a 1000 hour course. Also offer college credits toward an AS,AA or BA.

At least look at the public options (many are online classes)before making a decision.

Other posters are correct. You must get your CCS or CPC to be a coder. Billing doesnt requiring a certification (not that I have seen yet) however being able to talk modifiers, Medicare and Medicaid requirements can get you the job. Check out the CMS website

There are private schools that offer: Billing and Coding training, 30 day field training or externship, AHIMA Certification Review,and job placement. A CCS-P is not worth nothing. Please do your research before rendering advice.

Cyndeew in Sulphur, Oklahoma said: Let me clear up a couple of misconceptions.

The BBB is the oldest consumer reporting agency around. They investigate complaints sent to them whether a company is a member or not. If a company has several unresolved complaints, or several complaints, period, it indicates a problem exists with that company. We have been in business for many years and have NEVER had a complaint. We are a member of the BBB, but again, they investigate whether you are a member or not.

Medical coding does NOT in iteself require certification. There are many people that legally provide coding services that have not taken a coding certification. So to say it is required is not exactly true. It's probably a best practice for anyone providing coding services to be a certified coder, but not mandatory.

It does not take 18 months and cost $3000. It can take a weekend bootcamp and as little as $750 for the bootcamp and $200 for the exam and $120 for membership to AAPC.

HBMA does NOT represent small billers. They represent large practice management companies. They believe small billers to be "kitchen table billers" and to my knowledge, the person recommending them has never been a member of HBMA, so you have to take that advice just like the rest, under advisement, but not necessarily act on it.

As for certification -- we have had apx. 1500 people take our exam. It is not a simple one. It now has over 800 questions on it that relate to everything from Red Flag Rules to coding, HIPAA, Compliance and more.

Don't take our exam if you don't want to measure your own knowledge, don't want to add credibility to your name by showing doctors that you have to keep up continued education each year, or you don't want build confidence in yourself.

As I said, people here, including me, giving you advice are giving you their points of view. It's up to you to act on it or not.

There is one thing I think we all agree on though, and that is to

Tammy Harlan said: (CONTINUED)..

When you take courses from these "allied" or "at home professions" or "united career institutes".. or "professional career crap" places.. what you are doing is throwing away your money. Why? Because they fall under what is known as "education clearinghouses." Not only will they "educate" you in medical billing and medical coding, etc, but they also provide you courses in plumbing, getting rich in real-estate, how to deal black-jack, etc. They pay third party people to write course. They then hire people to take these courses and those people then SUPPORT YOU.... when they are just as inexperienced as you are or even moreso! Unfortunately, because of greed/money, education and information is just as corrupt as quasi associations offering "national certification examinations" that simply do not exist.

This really is a great field to get into, but you better be prepared to do your homework and research, because there is just so much crap coming from so many people that sometimes my stomach turns to be in this field.

One last note: The BBB is a "for profit" organization. They are in some areas very well known for their sales tactics. They have never been and will never be considered an end all and be all resource. ANYONE can make a complaint to the BBB and it will be recorded. What you need to look for is "proper resolutions" to complaints given.. and be hesitant when the BBB record is highly negative.

As a business owner for many years, with tens of thousands of customers, I have had 2 people who have made a report against me to the BBB. So, to put this into perspective.. the advice that "if someone has a BBB complaint against them" requires you to "run" or "keep looking".. really isn't reasonable advice.

When posting, state your goals so that your advice is as good as it can be.

Thanks for the compliment Tammy. You are a class act. YOU are promoting an online scam I mean school that is extremely questionable.

Brenda in Lawrenceville, Georgia said: I was wondering if anyone has taken the Medical Billing and Coding at Everest College in Atlanta. I am working full time (8 hrs a day) and planning on taking class at night 5 days a week from 6 to 10. Is there alot of study during the week or can I do it on weekends? Anyone with advise, it would really be appreciated.

Make sure you do your research. Everest charges $15,000 dollars and does not offer any type of credible certifications. They really teach you billing and a watered down version of coding.

Michael Career Training in Los Angeles, California said: Make sure you do your research. Everest charges $15,000 dollars and does not offer any type of credible certifications. They really teach you billing and a watered down version of coding.

Look hard in your area and interview people in the profession. It will save you alot of money.

To add.....the UB-92 >>>>>>> UB-04!

GOOD CATCH!! :) :)

Are we still talking about "education"? :>

"Are we still talking about "education"? :>"

Huh? :) I'm confused.......

I was saying Good catch on the UB-04 while remarking that we found those errors by someone supposedly promoting education :<

aahhhh, ok :)

My mind must be fried with the kids being home :0

Yes me too. I keep saying.. Is it September YET??

haha...me too! The use of the 'old terminology' doesn't surprise me a bit....I see it all the time-in advertised programs, as well as job postings.

My favorite is when people call it HIPPA LOL!

i will be graduating from everest college in dec. i was wondering we do i go to find out out about the cpc or cca certification tes and what steps do i need to take to start getting the information on the test. i wanted to go in to the specialty field of obgyn and
e/m services. can anyone give me some adive. i am a medical billing and coding student.

i meant where do i go sorry.

I am seeking a Work from home Medical Billing job.If you know of any Companies who hire Remote Billers then please email me at tdasu@hotmail.com

Wow,confused after reading all this. I have been working as a dental assistant for about 20 years. The last 10 years of that I have worked more front desk in a dental office. I was interested in medical billing and coding. Just looking for something different.

I have read there are associates degrees or certifications in medical billing and coding and I am trying to figure out if the degree is much more desirable. I also want to make sure I am not throwing my money away into a program that isn't worth much when you are done. There are SO many programs offered online. Thanks for any info in advance.

I agree with you!

Angie C. in Jackson, Mississippi said: After reading everyones comments I am nervous..I graduate in Dec. 2009 with an AA in Health Info Technology specializing in Medical Billing and Coding I also do start an internship at a med. billing and coding office in June as well as take the Cert. Test in Sept.
and even with this a job in this field seems impossible to find. How do you get experience, when you can't get your foot in the door?

I have been looking since January for a medical billing, coding, or even an admin/ receptionist job with no luck. There are so many candidates out there and doctor's offices want two or more years experience. I could not even get a job as a receptionist in a doctor's office because other certified candidates like me are vying for those jobs just to get a foot in the door. I spent $5,000 out of my pocket to go to school with no success at employment. I only know a few people in my class that are actually working in medical billing and coding. One did it prior and the other had years of billing experience in a different industry. A few have taken internships at hospitals that did not involve billing or coding (just admin stuff) and file work. THe NHA certification means nothing when it comes to billing and coding. Offices want hard experience. Maybe that will change but with the economy the way it is, and the plethora of people taking the courses to get certified, there is a huge backlog of candidates with no place to go. If you haven't already spent the money, I would rethink it.

Hi,i recently sign up for Medical Billing and Coding at Everest,im going to be going from 1 to 6 Mon-Thursday,and it gonna take away my work hours at work from 35-40 to 20-23,Is this worth taking,and will i be able to find a job when i get my Diploma,and is the pay good,because i gotta repay a $10,000 loan,My biggest fear is taken this course and not able to find a job that pays,im making $11 an hr right now,working at a warehouse,and if this is what it pays then i dont want to take it.

Bryan in Westland, Michigan said: Hi,i recently sign up for Medical Billing and Coding at Everest,im going to be going from 1 to 6 Mon-Thursday,and it gonna take away my work hours at work from 35-40 to 20-23,Is this worth taking,and will i be able to find a job when i get my Diploma,and is the pay good,because i gotta repay a $10,000 loan,My biggest fear is taken this course and not able to find a job that pays,im making $11 an hr right now,working at a warehouse,and if this is what it pays then i dont want to take it.

honestly at first and if you do not get hired on ur extern it will be hard to find a job at first i got hired on my exten and it did not work but i feel it was because i was new and did not have any exp so if they did not like the color of my hair they could afford to let me go cuz there were 20 more waiting but know have a job in medical collection but it took me three months to find that the best thing to do is to go to a local coll versus a tech school and really not everest i went there and i would have gotten a job but people would not even look at me just because i came from there due to the horrible students they pump out

well i'm looking school for medical billing and coding.. but i wanted to know how much you make in a year and whats the start?

Dwight CBCS in Houston, Texas said: honestly at first and if you do not get hired on ur extern it will be hard to find a job at first i got hired on my exten and it did not work but i feel it was because i was new and did not have any exp so if they did not like the color of my hair they could afford to let me go cuz there were 20 more waiting but know have a job in medical collection but it took me three months to find that the best thing to do is to go to a local coll versus a tech school and really not everest i went there and i would have gotten a job but people would not even look at me just because i came from there due to the horrible students they pump out

hello i just read you letter, i'm looking things up medical billing and coding at everest too.. but i havent started yet.. i have to able to pass my test to get in.. i'm the brights person.. but i do want to know more about too so let me know how it goes

ehasoury said: well i'm looking school for medical billing and coding.. but i wanted to know how much you make in a year and whats the start?

this wasn't directed at me, but i will go ahead an answer. pay varys so much. depending on your region, your state, your experience, your certification, your specialty, if you are clinic or hospital.

when i first started (3 years ago in utah, very low paying state) i started at $12, i have gained more experience, and am now making $19. i am taking my CPC in march and hope to make more after that.

Tamii in Tifton, Georgia said: I am seeking a Work from home Medical Billing job.If you know of any Companies who hire Remote Billers then please email me at tdasu@hotmail.com

from what i gather, remote billing (at home billing) is srsly a thing of the past, due to HIPAA it is almost extinct. there may still be places that do it though, good luck

ehasoury said: hello i just read you letter, i'm looking things up medical billing and coding at everest too.. but i havent started yet.. i have to able to pass my test to get in.. i'm the brights person.. but i do want to know more about too so let me know how it goes

how what goes my job if that is it i will make a year in april i work with a hospital system so i will have that exp under my belt so it want be hard to train me on the emr

valentine in West Jordan, Utah said: from what i gather, remote billing (at home billing) is srsly a thing of the past, due to HIPAA it is almost extinct. there may still be places that do it though, good luck

hi do you do billing or coding

medical coding and billing. I was just looking at my future options on this profession. I have made the decision that I would like to run a homebased business in this profession once I graduated. I am doing all of my research now. So any tips that anyone might have on this subject would be greatly appreciated.[URL="www.faurgroup.com"]www.faurgroup.com[/URL]

valentine in West Jordan, Utah said: from what i gather, remote billing (at home billing) is srsly a thing of the past, due to HIPAA it is almost extinct. there may still be places that do it though, good luck

I couldnot disagree with you more- working from home is a "thing" of the present. I currently work from home for a coding company and I find that this is more and more prevalent.
Additionally, companies have employees sign HIPAA agreements and therefore it relinqueshes the companies liability for the mostpart.

???? in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: I couldnot disagree with you more- working from home is a "thing" of the present. I currently work from home for a coding company and I find that this is more and more prevalent.
Additionally, companies have employees sign HIPAA agreements and therefore it relinqueshes the companies liability for the mostpart.

Please don't give people mis-information. Signing HIPAA agreement does NOT relinquish liability!!
There is a huge difference between "working from home" and owning and operating your own business, many successful billing and practice management companies exist!

I have been looking high and low for a medical billing and coding job... Does anyone have any leads or advice on where I can find a job doing medical billing and coding. Also, I would love to work from home if it is possible.

Do you know how I can get a medical billing job in Houston?

I purchased Lytec billing software from www.softwaremd.com to ease the transition from school to a job, and familiarize myself with the most used software - worked like a charm!

LaMetria crocker in o'fallon, Missouri said: i will be graduating from everest college in dec. i was wondering we do i go to find out out about the cpc or cca certification tes and what steps do i need to take to start getting the information on the test. i wanted to go in to the specialty field of obgyn and
e/m services. can anyone give me some adive. i am a medical billing and coding student.

Hello LaMetria,

I know this is an old post but for the benefit of others that might be in your situation later on and read this post I suggest you go to both the AAPC and AHIMA websites. Since they are the 2 largest credentialing bodies for medical coding they will give you all the up-to-date information you need. Make sure you have pen and a pad handy because sometimes you'll have to jump back and forth for the the info you need so take notes as you go. Here are the links:

AAPC = www.aapc.com/certification/

AHIMA = www.ahima.org/certification/

Mirta
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