# No entry level job available even after passing CPC



## hbegum (Nov 10, 2021)

I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.

Hosne A Begum


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## LisaAlonso23 (Nov 10, 2021)

I understand your frustration.  I started as an Extern that led to verifying insurance. Then, I found a coding position.  I recommend taking any position you can to get a foot in the door to prove yourself. Also, a great resume is very important, as it's your introduction and first impression with a potential employer. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do.


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## ccallycat (Nov 10, 2021)

I agree it is frustrating, however the key is just getting a foot in the door. Are you just looking at coding jobs or have you considered billing or AR positions?  I've been in this field for over 20 years, and I began as a medical assistant and front desk receptionist, and found the billing more interesting, and honestly more flexible.  Working at the front desk "check out" window we would post the office visit charges, so I was able to get comfortable with codes.  I changed jobs few times, and was able to eventually stick with billing.  I've worked in private practices and billing companies.  I find billing companies are a little more flexible with who they hire, because training is not as a big deal because they have multiple billers who are able to spend the time training you. The billing companies that I have had experience with are still not looking for coders, they were looking for people to enter charges provided by the doctor's office and they wanted us to work the insurance and patient AR.  Doctor offices are looking at replacing that one person whose leaving and they need the experience biller/coder who can step in and take over, so its understandable that you would be looked over for no experience.  A large practice may be willing to work with no experience, but that is probably rare. Working at a billing company exposed me to multiple specialties, and the AR allowed me to better understand the importance of getting the icd and cpt right the first time, because everyone hates doing corrected claims. It exposed me to Medicare LCD guidelines, medical necessity, and appeals. Thanks to the billing company, when applying to other jobs I have always emphasized the knowledge of knowing multiple specialties, knowledge in the appeals process, and how to check a claims to make sure it cleared edits prior to submission.  With each job I've had, I've learned something different and was able to bring it along to the next job.  And even with all those years of experience and obtaining my CPC approximately 5-6 years ago, I finally landed my ideal job two years ago.


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## omgzchristie (Nov 10, 2021)

I started out in billing, entry level and worked my way up to billing manager. After many years I developed a great sense for the diagnoses and procedure codes. From there I took my CPC exam and passed. It took me almost two years before I got my now current job where I code.


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## fwnewbie (Nov 10, 2021)

hbegum said:


> I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.
> 
> Hosne A Begum


You are a lot more patient than I am to keep paying so much cash but at my age, I can't afford it.  I can't work at all now so it doesn't matter for me.  Good luck with the hunt.


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## hollyagee@att.net (Nov 30, 2021)

Thank you for this.  I'm in a similar situation, and I'm getting more desperate for work.  Everyone's posts here really helped, thanks All.


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## HotStrawberry (Jan 12, 2022)

I've been certified since 2019 and cannot get ANY medical jobs, coding or otherwise.  Every job posting requires 3 or more years coding experience and billing jobs are the same.  As for CEUs, the only free ones I could find have left me 3.5 short, and it EXPENSIVE to purchase the webinar packages or any other methods offered to obtain CEUs, on top of paying dues.  The people I know who are actually working as medical coders aren't even certified.  I think it's just a money making scheme, so I give up.  It's not working out despite the promises of great opportunity and growth in the industry and wealth.  The market is saturated with newly certified coders because of these promises.  I enjoyed learning something new and challenging myself, but it hasn't led to employment.


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## taylorking14 (Jan 14, 2022)

I am finding this thread interesting. I am in the opposite situation. I recently changed companies, and I've had nothing but luck seeing coding positions open.


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## taylorking14 (Jan 14, 2022)

I 


HotStrawberry said:


> I've been certified since 2019 and cannot get ANY medical jobs, coding or otherwise.  Every job posting requires 3 or more years coding experience and billing jobs are the same.  As for CEUs, the only free ones I could find have left me 3.5 short, and it EXPENSIVE to purchase the webinar packages or any other methods offered to obtain CEUs, on top of paying dues.  The people I know who are actually working as medical coders aren't even certified.  I think it's just a money making scheme, so I give up.  It's not working out despite the promises of great opportunity and growth in the industry and wealth.  The market is saturated with newly certified coders because of these promises.  I enjoyed learning something new and challenging myself, but it hasn't led to employment.


I highly suggest doing the monthly PDF reviews for FREE CEU's through AAPC. You read the pamphlet, then answer the questions to get free credits.


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## jfbeckwith (Jan 30, 2022)

taylorking14 said:


> I am finding this thread interesting. I am in the opposite situation. I recently changed companies, and I've had nothing but luck seeing coding positions open.


Hi! I think we’re all seeing open positions posted, but the point is they want experience and that’s hard to get if no one will give it to you. By the way is your company hiring lol!


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## melissapr28 (Jan 31, 2022)

hbegum said:


> I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.
> 
> Hosne A Begum


Where are you located?


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## Coder4Ever123 (Feb 2, 2022)

taylorking14 said:


> I am finding this thread interesting. I am in the opposite situation. I recently changed companies, and I've had nothing but luck seeing coding positions open.


We all see a ton of open positions, but those of us with CPC-A and minimal experience are not getting hired. It is very frustrating and discouraging.


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## RaeToll (Feb 3, 2022)

Change Healthcare usually has openings for remote coding positions. They specifically note they accept CPC-A and will assist in removing the apprentice status.


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## sls314 (Feb 3, 2022)

HotStrawberry said:


> I've been certified since 2019 and cannot get ANY medical jobs, coding or otherwise.  Every job posting requires 3 or more years coding experience and billing jobs are the same.  As for CEUs, the only free ones I could find have left me 3.5 short, and it EXPENSIVE to purchase the webinar packages or any other methods offered to obtain CEUs, on top of paying dues.  The people I know who are actually working as medical coders aren't even certified.  I think it's just a money making scheme, so I give up.  It's not working out despite the promises of great opportunity and growth in the industry and wealth.  The market is saturated with newly certified coders because of these promises.  I enjoyed learning something new and challenging myself, but it hasn't led to employment.



There are a lot of free CEUs available.  I already have 60 CEUs accumulated for my 2023 renewal, and I didn't pay for any of them.  (I'll probably have 150 by the time I actually have to submit them.  I'm required to earn 48.)

In addition to the quizzes and quarterly webinars on the AAPC website, chapter meetings are a great source of CEUs.  My chapter offers meetings/events that total 24 free CEUs a year if a person attends them all.  

There are also free CEUs available through other sources such as the Medicare Learning Network.  

If you're having trouble finding free CEUs, you can join one of the networking groups on Facebook where people often share links to free CEUs.


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## L4114B (Feb 6, 2022)

ccallycat said:


> I agree it is frustrating, however the key is just getting a foot in the door. Are you just looking at coding jobs or have you considered billing or AR positions?  I've been in this field for over 20 years, and I began as a medical assistant and front desk receptionist, and found the billing more interesting, and honestly more flexible.  Working at the front desk "check out" window we would post the office visit charges, so I was able to get comfortable with codes.  I changed jobs few times, and was able to eventually stick with billing.  I've worked in private practices and billing companies.  I find billing companies are a little more flexible with who they hire, because training is not as a big deal because they have multiple billers who are able to spend the time training you. The billing companies that I have had experience with are still not looking for coders, they were looking for people to enter charges provided by the doctor's office and they wanted us to work the insurance and patient AR.  Doctor offices are looking at replacing that one person whose leaving and they need the experience biller/coder who can step in and take over, so its understandable that you would be looked over for no experience.  A large practice may be willing to work with no experience, but that is probably rare. Working at a billing company exposed me to multiple specialties, and the AR allowed me to better understand the importance of getting the icd and cpt right the first time, because everyone hates doing corrected claims. It exposed me to Medicare LCD guidelines, medical necessity, and appeals. Thanks to the billing company, when applying to other jobs I have always emphasized the knowledge of knowing multiple specialties, knowledge in the appeals process, and how to check a claims to make sure it cleared edits prior to submission.  With each job I've had, I've learned something different and was able to bring it along to the next job.  And even with all those years of experience and obtaining my CPC approximately 5-6 years ago, I finally landed my ideal job two years ago.


Thank you for the insight.  I know it has been frustrating for me when every job is asking for experience and it seems like I can't get ahead.


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## RAJASHRI2 (Feb 6, 2022)

hbegum said:


> I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.
> 
> Hosne A Begum


Same here . Even I am certified since 2017. It is really frustrating.


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## jstellarosales (Feb 7, 2022)

hbegum said:


> I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.
> 
> Hosne A Begum


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## jstellarosales (Feb 7, 2022)

I wonder if this has anything to do with location? I live in Phoenix, and just got into the medical field only 1 year ago, finished my CPC course, took the exam 3 months ago, and just barely attained my CPC-A. I have received dozens of coding job offers, there are so many positions here available. I also make sure my resume is really outstanding and connect with recruiters and make sure my Indeed profile is always updated with all my experience and skills. Hope this helps!


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## sinman0531 (Feb 7, 2022)

HotStrawberry said:


> I've been certified since 2019 and cannot get ANY medical jobs, coding or otherwise.  Every job posting requires 3 or more years coding experience and billing jobs are the same.  As for CEUs, the only free ones I could find have left me 3.5 short, and it EXPENSIVE to purchase the webinar packages or any other methods offered to obtain CEUs, on top of paying dues.  The people I know who are actually working as medical coders aren't even certified.  I think it's just a money making scheme, so I give up.  It's not working out despite the promises of great opportunity and growth in the industry and wealth.  The market is saturated with newly certified coders because of these promises.  I enjoyed learning something new and challenging myself, but it hasn't led to employment.


You have to think outside of the box. Verifications, referrals/authorizations, payment posting, provider reps (at insurance companies), A/R reps in doctor's offices and for facilities....the majority of my experience has come from the "other end" of the revenue cycle--I worked for 6 years for payers and third-party administrators, and only recently (late 2019) have been working for actual facilities/offices. Also, positions like data entry or HIM technician provide experience.

As for CE, I know Simply Healthcare and a few others offer free CE for those who are contracted with them. There is also the free CE provided by the AAPC in the monthly magazines--if you go into the archive, it goes back up to 18 months I think. Once you find a job, 99% of companies will reimburse you or pay for CE, because for them it's a very small price to pay to retain an employee.


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## jstellarosales (Feb 7, 2022)

hbegum said:


> I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.
> 
> Hosne A Begum


My 2 biggest pieces of advice are: prayer and determination! 

I started in medical data entry January 2021, started the CPC course in April, did some medical reception for a few months and then found a billing position. And now I’m starting a remote coding position in a week, which was my ultimate goal! So definitely getting your foot in the door in some other medical administrative position will be really helpful, and amp up your resume with anything you can think of as far as skills and knowledge that pertain to coding. And then just pray, apply, repeat! 
Good luck to you all!


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## monicamcdowell31 (Feb 7, 2022)

hbegum said:


> I am a Certified  Professional Coder since 2017. I am also a foreign medical graduate. Each year I have been renewing my membership with AAPC and keep submitting 36 CEU. It is really frustrating for me that I could not find an entry level outpatient coding job till today. Every one is asking for previous experiences.  I don't know how come if someone become experienced with out any opportunity to make it. I applied in multiple places during this 4 years and now planning to cancel my membership with AAPC. I think it is nothing but waste of money.
> 
> Hosne A Begum


I can definitely related. It’s been two years and still no luck. I may get a call for one entry level coder position, but it required me to reinstate. So here I am $455 down so I hope this is the one!


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## HotStrawberry (Feb 15, 2022)

Well, I've managed to obtain my required CEUs for free, so that's a relief.  But, I'm concerned with the rising cost of membership dues.  Having my CPC cert hasn't resulted in a job in the field, and continuing to pay $190+ every year seems pointless.  What would I be losing if I didn't renew?  My certification I'm guessing, and all the free CEUs.


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## tsmith65 (Feb 16, 2022)

HotStrawberry said:


> Well, I've managed to obtain my required CEUs for free, so that's a relief.  But, I'm concerned with the rising cost of membership dues.  Having my CPC cert hasn't resulted in a job in the field, and continuing to pay $190+ every year seems pointless.  What would I be losing if I didn't renew?  My certification I'm guessing, and all the free CEUs.


You have to think how hard you worked to get that CPC certification and it will be revoked in addition to all you'll lose if you don't pay the dues. I don't think you can just reinstate with payment either; it may be a much more difficult process. I agree the rising cost of membership in the past few years is ridiculous and frustrating and borders on blatant corporate greed. We should get more for what we pay. I have 4 certifications and thankfully an employer who pays membership dues but to have all that revoked and have to re-earn it.... no way-- it would such a loss so I would do whatever it takes (and that's what they bank on- literally!) to keep the certifications current.


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## HotStrawberry (Feb 16, 2022)

Yes, I did work very hard and I am proud of achieving my CPC, so I renewed.  Sigh, I need an opportunity though, internship, part time, ANYTHING!!!!


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## bgudal (Feb 16, 2022)

Ditto! I am very disheartened to read about all these folks who passed the exam 2-3 years ago and still haven't found a job. I'm also feeling like there's been a bait and switch. I took the class and passed the exam to become a coder. Not a medical receptionist. Not a billing specialist. Or anything else just to 'get a foot in the door.' I think AAPC could/should have been more upfront about the scarcity of entry-level jobs.


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## HotStrawberry (Feb 17, 2022)

Yes, this!!  I don't want to answer phones, I want to code


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## csperoni (Feb 17, 2022)

I can sympathize that many people with a coding education and certification want to immediately start as a coder.  My personal opinion is having real world exposure to those related positions can help make you a better, more well rounded coder in the long term.  If you've never had to argue for months with an insurance about getting paid for an unlisted code, you may not exhaust every other possibility before deciding on unlisted.  Understanding the nuances of different insurance plans can be invaluable.  
This is not unique to coding that a new graduate or newly certified employee may have to do work that seems less than what they were trained for.  A new architect graduate is not hired to design a building.  A medical school graduate has to first be a resident, intern, and sometimes fellow (4-8 years of additional training).  A lawyer who just passed the bar last week is not going to be arguing a case in front of the supreme court.  Would you want a contractor who just started home construction yesterday building your house?  
If you have never worked in the medical field at all, taking those more entry level positions while you are an apprentice will usually help you in the long run.  Use that experience to interact and discuss with coders.  Your coding knowledge can come in handy and it gives you a good "big picure" overview.  
I do feel that employers (especially large companies) should be more willing to hire and train apprentice coders.  Have a program that they are hired as a coder, but the training is extensive.  Spend 3 months front desk.  Spend 6 months in billing.  Spend 3 months working alongside an experienced coder.  So in 1 year, you are independently working and coding.  However, many employees don't even stay a year, so I understand why companies may be hesitant.  This to me is something individual coders who are in management positions can start to change on their own.  I only have a team of 3 currently, but do have 1 of my 3 positions for an entry level coder.  I am willing to spend the time to help mentor that entry level coder.  Not all managers are willing to do this.  In fact, in many organizations, a manager may not even be a certified coder.  
Maybe AAPC should come up with an "Apprentice" curriculum that could help employers who are willing, but don't want to create an entire program.


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## angela.myers1260@yahoo.com  (Feb 17, 2022)

If you can find a position doing Insurance Follow-up for a year or two you will be in a much better position when applying for and working as a coder. The real world coding environment is nothing like taking the course, (course is much much easier in my opinion) no multiple choice and productivity requirements leave little time for research.


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## Coder4Ever123 (Feb 17, 2022)

bgudal said:


> Ditto! I am very disheartened to read about all these folks who passed the exam 2-3 years ago and still haven't found a job. I'm also feeling like there's been a bait and switch. I took the class and passed the exam to become a coder. Not a medical receptionist. Not a billing specialist. Or anything else just to 'get a foot in the door.' I think AAPC could/should have been more upfront about the scarcity of entry-level jobs.


I took billing and coding classes several years ago. One of my instructors straight up told all of us in class "you won't find a job doing this" LOL Boy, was she right! I have been a biller for 10 years now and recently became a CPC. I have had five interviews for coding positions over the past two months but cannot get hired. What REALLY sucks is I have had to take tests just to get those interviews. Between all of them I have probably spent 6 hours of unpaid labor taking those tests, and all for nothing. I am starting to think the AAPC is a money grabbing scam.


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## Coder4Ever123 (Feb 17, 2022)

angela.myers1260@yahoo.com  said:


> If you can find a position doing Insurance Follow-up for a year or two you will be in a much better position when applying for and working as a coder. The real world coding environment is nothing like taking the course, (course is much much easier in my opinion) no multiple choice and productivity requirements leave little time for research.


I have been a biller for 10 years and still can't get a coding job. It doesn't matter that I have that much experience. All these employers want is CODING experience.


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## Coder4Ever123 (Feb 17, 2022)

jstellarosales said:


> My 2 biggest pieces of advice are: prayer and determination!
> 
> I started in medical data entry January 2021, started the CPC course in April, did some medical reception for a few months and then found a billing position. And now I’m starting a remote coding position in a week, which was my ultimate goal! So definitely getting your foot in the door in some other medical administrative position will be really helpful, and amp up your resume with anything you can think of as far as skills and knowledge that pertain to coding. And then just pray, apply, repeat!
> Good luck to you all!


You are definitely one of the lucky ones if you got a coding job that quickly. That is not typical for the overwhelming majority of us.


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## HotStrawberry (Feb 18, 2022)

Is the problem that most medical offices/hospitals/clinics/etc don't actually have a dedicated medical coder on staff, but they have people in other positions do the coding?  Getting a two-for-one essentially, one paid employee but getting two positions filled.  I would be more than happy to do another position and work with whomever codes there in a mentor/mentee capacity, but the jobs I see STILL want 2-5 years doing the other things, be it billing, data entry, whatever.  With no medical background at all, I'm not someone they even will consider.  The only interviews I've had were for, one, the owner said that it was an office of all females, and they were very sensitive girls, so I needed to make sure I was nice to them and said good morning every day or they would get hurt and upset.  The other two just kept harping on the fact that I had no experience and wanting to know what I was looking for.  I said experience, and was then told that they needed someone who already had some, but they were just calling every one who applied to be polite.


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## taylorking14 (Feb 18, 2022)

HotStrawberry said:


> Is the problem that most medical offices/hospitals/clinics/etc don't actually have a dedicated medical coder on staff, but they have people in other positions do the coding?  Getting a two-for-one essentially, one paid employee but getting two positions filled.  I would be more than happy to do another position and work with whomever codes there in a mentor/mentee capacity, but the jobs I see STILL want 2-5 years doing the other things, be it billing, data entry, whatever.  With no medical background at all, I'm not someone they even will consider.  The only interviews I've had were for, one, the owner said that it was an office of all females, and they were very sensitive girls, so I needed to make sure I was nice to them and said good morning every day or they would get hurt and upset.  The other two just kept harping on the fact that I had no experience and wanting to know what I was looking for.  I said experience, and was then told that they needed someone who already had some, but they were just calling every one who applied to be polite.


First off all, don't ever feel like you have to over compensate in order to protect someone else's feelings. If you don't say good morning to a person and they become upset enough that they've told you about it... quite frankly that sounds like a child to me. Also, yes many places have their MA's do the coding. In order to find a sole coding position, the best place to go for someone with zero experience is a health system. Health system's typically have more hands on training with their coders, whereas a healthcare management company wants you to have experience so that they know you are going to be able to work on productivity and remotely while doing so accurately. You can see my recent thread about why new coders should have hope.


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## HotStrawberry (Feb 20, 2022)

When she said that, I got such a knot in my stomach, like what kind of place is this to work?!  My first thought was either A) She knows there is a problem with her employees and how they treat new comers so she was warning me, or B) She thought* I *was going to be hard to get along with or something and was warning me.  Either way, I felt so many red flags fly up!  I think my next step would be to educate myself as much as I can on the billing side.  Not necessarily taking any courses here ($$$$$) but finding information and books and tests.


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## washburncherry@yahoo.com (Feb 20, 2022)

csperoni said:


> I can sympathize that many people with a coding education and certification want to immediately start as a coder.  My personal opinion is having real world exposure to those related positions can help make you a better, more well rounded coder in the long term.  If you've never had to argue for months with an insurance about getting paid for an unlisted code, you may not exhaust every other possibility before deciding on unlisted.  Understanding the nuances of different insurance plans can be invaluable.
> This is not unique to coding that a new graduate or newly certified employee may have to do work that seems less than what they were trained for.  A new architect graduate is not hired to design a building.  A medical school graduate has to first be a resident, intern, and sometimes fellow (4-8 years of additional training).  A lawyer who just passed the bar last week is not going to be arguing a case in front of the supreme court.  Would you want a contractor who just started home construction yesterday building your house?
> If you have never worked in the medical field at all, taking those more entry level positions while you are an apprentice will usually help you in the long run.  Use that experience to interact and discuss with coders.  Your coding knowledge can come in handy and it gives you a good "big picure" overview.
> I do feel that employers (especially large companies) should be more willing to hire and train apprentice coders.  Have a program that they are hired as a coder, but the training is extensive.  Spend 3 months front desk.  Spend 6 months in billing.  Spend 3 months working alongside an experienced coder.  So in 1 year, you are independently working and coding.  However, many employees don't even stay a year, so I understand why companies may be hesitant.  This to me is something individual coders who are in management positions can start to change on their own.  I only have a team of 3 currently, but do have 1 of my 3 positions for an entry level coder.  I am willing to spend the time to help mentor that entry level coder.  Not all managers are willing to do this.  In fact, in many organizations, a manager may not even be a certified coder.
> Maybe AAPC should come up with an "Apprentice" curriculum that could help employers who are willing, but don't want to create an entire program.


I agree with you and a few other posts here. I feel that AAPC is misleading people, and charging crazy money for the course. I was never told until after I paid for the CPC certification that they had the CPC and CPB course together with one fee. Was upset about that because that would have saved me a lot of money. Also I have had issues almost every time I try to talk to someone in regards to the course or anything else. They are not clear on the information they give out, they either don’t respond at all or week or so later. I honestly wish I would have not wasted thousands of dollars on something that isn’t going to benefit me honestly. I also believe they should add a crash course on EPIC or other medical software that’s used for coding and billing. We all know that the medical field is always changing and for some of us that have not had recent experience in today’s medical billing software could use it and benefit from it. Those are just some of my options. I don’t understand how AAPC is so highly ranked.


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## sls314 (Feb 20, 2022)

washburncherry@yahoo.com said:


> I agree with you and a few other posts here. I feel that AAPC is misleading people, and charging crazy money for the course. I was never told until after I paid for the CPC certification that they had the CPC and CPB course together with one fee. Was upset about that because that would have saved me a lot of money. Also I have had issues almost every time I try to talk to someone in regards to the course or anything else. They are not clear on the information they give out, they either don’t respond at all or week or so later. I honestly wish I would have not wasted thousands of dollars on something that isn’t going to benefit me honestly. I also believe they should add a crash course on EPIC or other medical software that’s used for coding and billing. We all know that the medical field is always changing and for some of us that have not had recent experience in today’s medical billing software could use it and benefit from it. Those are just some of my options. I don’t understand how AAPC is so highly ranked.



EPIC training is only offered through EPIC to people sponsored by an employer. AAPC does not have the ability to develop a course - there is no private EPIC training through any association or school.

Each month AAPC has some sales and promotions - it varies from month to month what those might be. Those are always viewable on the AAPC website as a banner ad, and they send out an email as well.

The CPC/CPB are not generally offered as a combination course, but there was a promotion last year at one point. If you see someone talking about registering for both courses, they would have registered under the special promotion.


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## susanpersaud (Feb 20, 2022)

RachelTollHouse said:


> Change Healthcare usually has openings for remote coding positions. They specifically note they accept CPC-A and will assist in removing the apprentice status.


I just became a CPC-A it's very discouraging that you work so hard for your certification and can't find a job with a CPC-A credential, I would love to know more about this company.


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## washburncherry@yahoo.com (Feb 20, 2022)

bgudal said:


> Ditto! I am very disheartened to read about all these folks who passed the exam 2-3 years ago and still haven't found a job. I'm also feeling like there's been a bait and switch. I took the class and passed the exam to become a coder. Not a medical receptionist. Not a billing specialist. Or anything else just to 'get a foot in the door.' I think AAPC could/should have been more upfront about the scarcity of entry-level jobs.


I 100% agree! I think I will do some investigating and contact some people in regards to this. When I spoke with AAPC to become CPC certified I was not told any of this prior to paying for my course. I am just now learning about the CPC- A as well as being told I need at least 1-3 years experience in coding to even be considered for the position. I have 14 plus years experience in the medical field, as well as an Associates degree in Science (Medical Billing and Coding). All this money, time and hard work to do what I wanted to do for employment to realize I may have just wasted my time as well as money. I wish you the best of luck!


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## washburncherry@yahoo.com (Feb 20, 2022)

csperoni said:


> I can sympathize that many people with a coding education and certification want to immediately start as a coder.  My personal opinion is having real world exposure to those related positions can help make you a better, more well rounded coder in the long term.  If you've never had to argue for months with an insurance about getting paid for an unlisted code, you may not exhaust every other possibility before deciding on unlisted.  Understanding the nuances of different insurance plans can be invaluable.
> This is not unique to coding that a new graduate or newly certified employee may have to do work that seems less than what they were trained for.  A new architect graduate is not hired to design a building.  A medical school graduate has to first be a resident, intern, and sometimes fellow (4-8 years of additional training).  A lawyer who just passed the bar last week is not going to be arguing a case in front of the supreme court.  Would you want a contractor who just started home construction yesterday building your house?
> If you have never worked in the medical field at all, taking those more entry level positions while you are an apprentice will usually help you in the long run.  Use that experience to interact and discuss with coders.  Your coding knowledge can come in handy and it gives you a good "big picure" overview.
> I do feel that employers (especially large companies) should be more willing to hire and train apprentice coders.  Have a program that they are hired as a coder, but the training is extensive.  Spend 3 months front desk.  Spend 6 months in billing.  Spend 3 months working alongside an experienced coder.  So in 1 year, you are independently working and coding.  However, many employees don't even stay a year, so I understand why companies may be hesitant.  This to me is something individual coders who are in management positions can start to change on their own.  I only have a team of 3 currently, but do have 1 of my 3 positions for an entry level coder.  I am willing to spend the time to help mentor that entry level coder.  Not all managers are willing to do this.  In fact, in many organizations, a manager may not even be a certified coder.
> Maybe AAPC should come up with an "Apprentice" curriculum that could help employers who are willing, but don't want to create an entire program.


What I'm hearing when I read these discussion posts is "AAPC should have been more honest, informational to people when they are signing up to pay that amount of money for the CPC course to gain employment as a coder." I did not know any of this information until reading everyone's posts. Now I wonder if I made the wrong choice of going through AAPC for my CPC. On top of that I also enrolled in the CPB course a few months ago, so add that up that will be a lot of money I just wasted. Which I am sure it is anyway because they definitely weren't forthcoming with mentioning that they were doing a special and combining the CPC and CPB courses together in one package. (of course not because they would gain money by not mentioning it). This is crazy and I do not understand how all this can happen, but I will be looking into it all and contacting a couple of people I know for their help.


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## taylorking14 (Feb 20, 2022)

washburncherry@yahoo.com said:


> What I'm hearing when I read these discussion posts is "AAPC should have been more honest, informational to people when they are signing up to pay that amount of money for the CPC course to gain employment as a coder." I did not know any of this information until reading everyone's posts. Now I wonder if I made the wrong choice of going through AAPC for my CPC. On top of that I also enrolled in the CPB course a few months ago, so add that up that will be a lot of money I just wasted. Which I am sure it is anyway because they definitely weren't forthcoming with mentioning that they were doing a special and combining the CPC and CPB courses together in one package. (of course not because they would gain money by not mentioning it). This is crazy and I do not understand how all this can happen, but I will be looking into it all and contacting a couple of people I know for their help.


Many employers require or want a CCS or RHIT. Unfortunately from what I’m seeing in the field, a CPC doesn’t necessarily give you much ground to stand on. Many employers want coders who are certified to do both OP and IP and have the credentials.


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## HotStrawberry (Feb 25, 2022)

Free CEU link gone from Education Tab.  They have remodeled the site and this option is not where it was. Did it move or are they no longer being offered? I just renewed my membership and that was a major reason why I did, to access these.  One more thing that has me questioning this whole certification.

**Update** from mamurph34
Two ways to get there now from home page:
1. Resources tab drop down-->Healthcare Business Monthly Magazine-->test yourself will take you to the monthly magazine
2. Training tab drop down-->CEU Search-->Other Low cost CEUs--> takes you to the page I used to see


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## camillecoder@hotmail.com (Feb 25, 2022)

From an employer's perspective, this is what I've noticed the past couple years.  The applicants I've seen expect to be able to work at home right away.  That's not an option in our practice.  I don't have an an online training program developed; you need to be able to spend time during normal clinic hours learning to code our specialty and navigate Epic.  Because you need to be on site for training we require a Covid vaccination.  Not everyone is willing to be vaccinated.  Whether training takes a week or six months depends on your ability to catch on. Eventually you can work from home IF you live in a state where we have a business license.  Our ad specifies that we require on site training in Washington State and employees must live in a tri-state area.  If you send me a resume from New York, I'm not going to call you.  We don't have a big coding department so we don't have one dedicated trainer, it's a team effort.  A red flag for me is not someone who has no experience, it's someone who changes jobs frequently.  I'm looking for reliability and commitment.  And because coding is detail-oriented and requires communication with many other departments, I like to see a resume that has correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.  I can't tell you how many resumes I've seen that show someone has experience with "HIPPA".  As others have mentioned, be willing to "start at the bottom".  Get your foot in the door then communicate with the coding department and let your interest be known.  I've hired three people with apprentice status, one of whom was an extern with us; it's not impossible.  It appears that Humana and United Healthcare hire coders with no experience and who work at home.  Good luck to you all!


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## Blackhorse (Feb 28, 2022)

I was graduated and certified in 2017, got hired during my externship as a medical coder.  My manager asked me to audit surgery codes first because I was new.  I had learnt a lot by auditing, I also found there is a big difference between the knowledge I learnt from CPT manual and the coding in a real world.  I decided to learn billing, insurance verification and authorization, credentialing and contract, office policy and documentation, patient balance, AR review, month end report, charging and posting, collections and etc.  I believe we can not be a good coder without billing knowledge, insurance policy and government regulations.  As a coder, we also have to communicate with physicians all the time, communication skills are also very important.  That's why it will be difficult to find a coding job simply with CPC certificate as the knowledge is far not enough to complete a good job.  I encourage you to take any kinds of opportunists to get into the medical field first,  "No knowledge is ever wasted"!  Thank you.


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## wynonna (Feb 28, 2022)

Join Indeed website and post your resume.   Don't be surprised if employers contact you.  Make sure you highlight your CPC and some of the chapters in the test/study guide.   (Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology, Multiple specialty surgery coding including surgical packages, labs, pathology, E/M, anesthesia etc.)


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## emily.cooper (Apr 27, 2022)

From an employer's perspective, it is difficult to recruit newly certified unexperienced coders.  We are in a rural area in Arkansas and many newly certified coders want $25.00 and hour and up with no experience.


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## gonar_2004@yahoo.com (Apr 27, 2022)

taylorking14 said:


> I
> 
> I highly suggest doing the monthly PDF reviews for FREE CEU's through AAPC. You read the pamphlet, then answer the questions to get free credits.


Where did you find it please?


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## taylorking14 (May 4, 2022)

gonar_2004@yahoo.com said:


> Where did you find it please?


I believe you select resources, free ceu's, the you can see the monthly agendas and read those then take the quiz.


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