How Easy is It to Get a Job in Medical Coding
Get a job in Medical Coding with LITTLE or NO EXPERIENCE
Brian Cui
Brian Cui
Curator of the CEU HIT List | Paying it Forward for the HIM, CDI, and Medical Coding Community
...More like, what do you do AFTER you pass your certification exam? I thought the big hurdle would be the exam. I have discovered that the real hurdle is getting considered for a job position without experience. No doubt getting additional certifications can help but for those of us that don't have the financial resources this can be a challenge. It is a deep frustration.
Newly credentialed medical coders want to know why they cannot get a job without experience. But even before answering that, medical coder needs to understand the bigger picture and understand where they can fit in. Hiring is simply based on the law of supply of demand . And the question you want to ask yourself is are you able to fill that demand (even if there is short supply)?
REVENUE CYCLE MANAGEMENT
The first thing that I learned when I first started healthcare finance was "Healthcare is a BUSINESS". And in any business there is a MOVING system in place that cannot be disrupted. And to disrupt this process will affecting the bottom line, REVENUE. Any changes in revenue will alert the Chief Financial Officer to identify what is slowing down the process.
The medical coding is necessary in order to begin to bill for services. This process needs to be done in a timely manner to prevent increasing the Accounts Payable. A experienced medical coder are able to proficiently and efficiently assign diagnosis and procedure codes.
What would happen if a newly credentialed coder was brought in to be part of the revenue cycle?It really is a 50/50 situation depending on how well the new coder is able to acclimate to the work environment and then be able to perform according to productivity standards.
[Frustrated? Let's take a breather for a minute. The next section might help.]
MY FIRST JOB IN MEDICAL CODING
MY FIRST JOB IN MEDICAL CODING was in Clinical Documentation Improvement. I only had the basic medical coding skills and very minimal anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology.So imagine the learning curve I had to deal with. Fortunately enough I had the support available to help me understand my role and how to improve.
How did you get the position with NO EXPERIENCE? The company had a very high demand and the supply was near ZERO. This was also a company that had a SOLID financial foundation and they were at a point of GROWTH rather than RECOVERY. A company that would be in recovery would be seeking out experienced coders to help complete backlog as quick as possible with a high accuracy rate.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
DO YOUR HOMEWORK. One suggestion that is always tossed around is to apply everywhere even if you don't qualify. Be SMART. RESEARCH. Look for companies that are FINANCIALLY ABLE and WILLING to take new medical coders and HAVE THE TIMEto integrate you into their company. Again, look for companies that are GROWING rather than RECOVERING:
- New healthcare companies
- New hospitals
- New physician offices or group practices
- New clinics
- New managed care offices
[Note: This may require you to relocate. Plan accordingly as you research]
NETWORK (with a purpose). Prior to obtaining my first medical coding position. I did my internships for that healthcare system for a couple of semesters. The HIM management team was familiar of who I was and what my goals and aspirations were in Health Information Management. I traditionally started as a Health Information Technician until I obtained my RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator) credential. I also networked at my state and local HIM association.
The primary (but not obvious) purpose is to get leads on open positions. But also use you network to gain information and to stay on top of the healthcare industry to see where the growth is happening.
BE PREPARED. PRACTICE.Continue to expose yourself to different medical coding cases. Begin to do advanced cases. Take a refresher course. Consider hiring an affordable private tutor to check your work to make sure you are prepared. With practice you are developing your skill-set that you can prove on your resume when an employer hands you a medical coding skills test. And once hired your learning curve will not be dramatically high. Remember: If you are not prepared, someone else will be...
Being ready isn't enough; you have to be prepared for a promotion or any other significant change. - Pat Riley
Brian Cui is a Private Medical Coding & Health Information Technology Tutor for MedicalCodingGeek.com specializing in identifying individual strengths and weaknesses to provide focused preparation for medical coding and health information technology certification examinations. Brian has over 10 years experience, involving a variety of roles in Health Information Management, Adult Education, and Clinical Documentation Improvement.
For free articles, tools, and resources to help you prepare for your medical coding or HIT certification exam, please sign up for my free newsletter at MedicalCodingGeek.com
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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-job-medical-coding-little-experience-cui-rhia-cdip-eligible
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