Naz and Other Want to Be Medical Coders

[Deleted]

The hospital in my area is offering a $10K signing bonus for certified coders - with NO EXPERIENCE required if certified!  I also know from previous postings that this job starts at $24 an hour! 

My doc yesterday told me that they have a hard time finding qualified coders in the area and that if I get certified I will easily find a job.

I just thought their posting was pretty cool, so I thought I would share.

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Inpatient Medical Coder- $10,000 Bonus
Fairchild Medical Center | Rural Hospital - Yreka, CA

Certified Coder
Top 100 Critical Access Hospital *

Our Client is located in northern California- Just 45 minutes south of Ashland, Oregon. This is a dynamic opportunity for a CCS Medical Coder looking for a great opportunity.

The position is offering an excellent package- Including a Sign On Bonus / Relocation Package up to $10,000.00 AND 2 weeks of temporary housing.

About the position:

The position reports to the Director of HIM. The HIM department has a plethora of experience and is a dynamic and fast paced team.

This is an ideal position for an experienced Certified Coder who is looking for a beautiful rural community and a position at an award winning hospital.

Requirements:

CCS certification - new grads welcome - RHIT, RHIA, CPC acceptable with 2 years of inpatient coding experience
2+ years’ experience coding and abstracting in an acute health care facility preferred

For a complete job description, please call us directly. This is an immediate opening and we are scheduling interviews daily.

[truthbound]

10k? Sign me up.

[Deleted]

There are two CPC certs: CPC and CPC-H.

I would call to see if they want the CPC-H only since you'd be doing hospital billing.

[Phoenix84]

How long does it take to get certified in medical coding?

[Deleted]

It depends on how much Anatomy and Medical Terminology you know. I didn't need those prerequisites so my class and test prep took @ 4 months, IIRC.

You can sign up to take the test on your own (not that I would recommend it to anyone). The test is @ $300, I think? Plus you're going to need the code books, so another couple hundred bucks on top of that.  The AAPC sells an online course for $1600. Plus you'll need the E&M course which is $400.  

I guess going through a school would be beneficial because you may qualify for financial aid. 

[Nazgul Girl]

   Wowee, zowie.   If it was remote coding I'd look into it, but I'm not able to move to California.   What a generous offer, though !!!

[Deleted]

Sounds like you have picked a great program to pursue that will have definite opportunities for you right where you live! 

Will you post along the way as you go through the program? I'd love to hear about it. It sounds like a job that might be right for one of my young adult kids that needs a job that can track to remote work opportunities.

[justme]

I was wondering the same thing as cheesecake. Shasta, are you getting the CCS certification that doesn't need any experience?

[Deleted]

I am doing the Everett CC option.  I can sit the CCA exam when it is completed.  I understand to sit the CCS you have to have 2 years of experience with an employer.

There is a problem recruiting to this area for medical personnel because of the location/economy. However, we have 2 hospitals here.  Fairchild is an award winning hospital. The other is part of the Mercy system.  (Not sure I could handle working somewhere that prays daily in a religion I don't agree with.)

In the surrounding areas there are also many hospitals.  So, I have options.

There are also medical offices who hire coders as well.

If I am unable to find a job, I am going to do an RHIT program.

And sure, I will be happy to let you know how it is going.   

[Deleted]

I also wanted to add, there seem to be a fair amount of companies who will allow you to do their coding at home after an onsite training time.  I would be able to travel to do that, so that might also be an option to pursue.

[raeoflyte]

I'd love updates as well.  I suggested this to my dh as a possible 2nd career.  (I've definitely thought about it as well, but he's already got all the medical background knowledge and has pigeonholed himself into a deadend job).  

[truthbound]

May 14, 2014 22:14:19 GMT -5 CCL said:

It says CCS or CPC with experience. CCS is only through AHIMA and it's pretty tough. I've seen offers like this before, so the jobs are definitely out there. There are a lot of remote jobs but most require experience, usually 2 years.

So you do have to be qualified. So much for that. Moving on.

[Nazgul Girl]

   When I retire from my current medical coding position in 6 weeks, ( unless I get part-time from my current employer ), I'll be looking for a PT remote coding position.   Hopefully, there's something out there for me.   Getting experience is the hard part.   But, I already have that.