Was wondering if anyone has ever takin any class for medical coding? Just wanted the good, bad and ugly on your expierences. Anything i need to look for in particular in a online course in this field?

Thank you

I haven't taken any courses like that but I have seen tons of advertisements for courses for them, too many I think. It seems that this is the new "got to have" class and everyone it teaching it. I worry that the material might not be watered down a bit for a quick buck. I remember that happeneing with something else a while back that was the big thing at the time. Everyone trained for the job and there were so many people fighting for the same thing that it became nearly impossible to get hired on for what you trained to do.

Anyways I searched around a bit over the internet Fond some information that is helpful in

http://www.medicalcodingandbilling.c..._as_career.htm

If anyone is interested just read below a short intro. medical coders and billers work together to assure health care providers to get paid for their services. The main shared focus area is the medical and health care provider's business financial aspects. The health care provider's livelihood and success depends on the coder's and biller's dependability and accuracy

Coding & Billing Career

Health care facilities are always seeking qualified workers! Medical coders and billers assure that health care providers get paid for their services. The main shared focus area is the medical and health care provider's business financial aspects.





Who Needs Them?
All types of health care facilities, from small to large, are screaming for qualified workers with a strong background in medical office administration, medical coding and billing procedures, administrative and support functions and various other skills applicable in medical office environments.

I was looking into this myself until i heard you have to work inside a hospital for a few years before you can do it as a work at home job. I was hoping to find something i could do right from home to start and go to school for.

I have been researching online medical transcription degrees, and noticed that some places also offer medical coding as a seperate or 'combined' degree... Of course, they didn't mention that you would have to work in the workplace for a few years instead of starting right at home...

Maybe it depends where you take the course? I have noticed quite a wide spectrum of quality when it comes to online MT courses...

I am also thinking of studying MT and what is this other one? medical coding? What does one do in medical coding?

A friend of mine is getting a degree in this online thru Sullivan College in Ky.
It is a college in Louisville, Ky. Good legit school.

Feline,
There is information about medical coding at the career step website. I have done quite abit of online research on MT and career step seems to be highly recommended...
HTH

This is from the career step site:
http://www.careerstep.com/site/type=mc/page=whatis-mc


"Medical coding is TRANSLATING medical language into numeric language... CODES!! As the name implies, coding is the process of assigning formal, standardized codes to diagnoses and procedures performed or identified by physicians.

Medical coders work with medical records documents and patient charts. They are responsible for identifying diagnostic and procedural information and converting this information into simplified numerical codes that can be electronically processed for payment by 3rd party payers - Insurance companies and Medicare, for example."

Actually, I work for a college that offers Medical Billing and Coding online, and I have a couple of family members taking the course so I speak with a bit of experience.

The main thing that you want to make 100% certain you get is the option to take refresher courses. It's a very fast-changing field, and that degree will become obsolete very quickly. I know our school does this, but I don't know any others off-hand that do. Definitely take that one thing into consideration, at very minimum. If you have any specific questions, I can answer.

dhill@anthemcollege.com

I have been thinking about taking medical coding & billing courses. However, I think that I will take the ones offered by the national associations. It seems that those that have taken these courses have had better luck finding homebased positions.

American Academy of Professional Coders
American Health Information Management Association

I've listed a little info on my blog.

http://owork.blogspot.com/2006/06/me...nd-coding.html