Medical Coding And Billing careers...Anyone?? (insurance, how much, home)

[*MissCrabby*]

Hi .
I'm a Certified Nurses Assistant and I'm SERIOUSLY considering going back to school for Medical coding and billing. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this field and if you do I would really appreciate ANY insight you have....Thank you!

*MissCrabby*

[Arron]

I used to do medical billing many moons ago. I didn't go to school or anything, just learned on the job at the time. the billing part is easy enough, and depending on the type of practice there could be anywhere from only 3-4 CPT codes to MANY..

the work itself was not very rewarding. also very repetitive - we had a weekly billing schedule so every day of my week was always the same.

and if you have to get into the bill collecting part of it, well that's just hell. constantly calling insurance companies and trying to get money out of them is no easy task.

lastly the pay was not stellar. And not much room for advancement in that field.

so overall, sorry but I would not recommend it for these reasons. If these do not sound like things that would bother you and you are just looking for some light, relatively non-stressful work then it may not be all that bad.

but i'd say if you are already a nursing assistant and you find working with patients rewarding, go for your LPN or something instead..

[I have a voice]

If you wanted to be a pure coder and working for a consulting company that reviews medical records and looks for lost revenue, etc you can make 6 figures depending upon the coding specialty you develop.

[*MissCrabby*]

Thanks for the input. Actually it was a toss up between going for my LPN or the medical billing and coding. They will both take around 2 years to complete. I originally wanted to go for my RN but that will take to long to complete so if I go for the LPN when I graduate I can take courses for the RN and still be making descent money. The only problem is, is I'm a CNA now and it's really depressing. I've only worked in a nursing home setting and it's just so sad. It was making me depressed all the time. I don't know....I'm so lost here!!!!

[Arron]

well yes, a nursing home setting would be a little depressing for nursing because generally no one is getting better there.

Something like a rehab center, on the other hand, could be much more rewarding work because you actually contribute to and see patients' improvement. They eventually get discharged and get to get on with their lives (in whatever capacity).

So I wouldn't necessarily swear off nursing yet if a nursing home is the only setting you've ever experienced.

[foxybrown78]

Hello,

I am currently a certified professional coder also known as a CPC. I live in Los Angeles County, CA and make 28.50 hourly. The career has been rewarding for me and allows me to go to school to finish pre requisites for an RN program I would like to take. Once I am in school full time, there are plenty of jobs out there that pay at least 20.00 hourly and let you work from home.

I learned coding on the job and just studied the books like the CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS and then sat for the exam and passed. If I were you I would definitely not take a 2 year program. There are plenty of Adult Schools who offer simple intro to coding. Just learn the basics, study the books and take the test. Get one year of experience under you belt (volunteer at a hospital if you need to) then you can work from home. Good luck to you!

[KarenBo]

I'm going to agree with Arron and FoxyBrown. I also used to work in billing and coding and I learned on the job. It was a good job and I made decent money, but it was essentially clerical and therefore not ultimately rewarding.

If you take an intro adult ed course you can probably get a job at a doctor's office or hospital doing billing. I certainly wouldn't invest two years and the tuition expenses for a job that you can usually get without certification. You could possibly make more starting out but eventually that would even out. I'd say save your money for the nursing classes. You will make a lot more and it will probably be more rewarding.

[LocalX]

How much can be made? I've been looking into this also.

[foxybrown78]

Originally Posted by LocalX

How much can be made? I've been looking into this also.

if you read the thread you will see some salaries posted

[purplesky]

Does anyone know any reputable online schools for medical coding? I'm a respiratory therapist, but I would also like to get into the medical coding field (the hours are better when you have children), and there are so many programs out there.