Wiki Advice for non experienced coder

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krissy76

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Hi everyone,
I graduated in December 2015 with my Medical Billing and Coding Diploma and I have tried taking the exam 2 times and failed. The 2nd time I took it I missed passing by 12 questions. I am going to take it for the third time next month and pray that I pass! I live in SW Florida, Fort Myers/Cape Coral area. I have absolutley no experience in the medical office field, only banking and real estate. I have been applying for all sorts of medical office jobs just to get my foot in the door. I even listed at the top of my resume my schooling and the classes and I did an internship for Lee Physician Group but it was only for a week.

I would love to work at the place I interned but they require the coders to have at least 1 year experience and of course be certified but even after I get certified I'm afraid I'm going to keep having the same troubles in finding a job. I really want to get my career going but how do you get experience when no one will even give you a chance?

Anyone else going through this? Does anyone have any tips or connections?

Thank you!
Kris :)
 
I can't say that you're wrong in thinking that it'll be just as hard to break into the field when you get certified, however, I have seen job postings that accept CPC-A's or accept education in lieu of experience.

As far as finding an "in," AAPC is a great resource for networking. I would start with attending chapter meetings and reaching out to those who serve on your local chapter and see if they might have any advice or contacts.

Good luck!
 
It's all about networking. I worked in the ER doing patient registration for a little over a year while I was completing my ICD-9 courses. I contacted the managers in the coding dept. and told them I was in school and wanted to come in on my spare time and sit with their coders and observe. They allowed me to do so and after completing school I was offered a job without being certified.

Another thing is to work on your resume. I see a lot of resumes on here that are all over the place with their experience.
 
I'd recommend looking for jobs in the billing field that may not necessarily be coding specific. For instance, there are often postings for billing specialists or even patient account representatives. While these might not be coding jobs specifically, they often don't require an extensive background, and once in the role, you will be getting experience with coding and billing (as well as certain payer guidelines).

Once you have a job in the field within an organization, take every opportunity to ask questions, train and grow. That should at least put some experience under your belt and help you network!

I'm also curious- what made you decide to pursue coding after being involved with banking and real estate?
 
I'm in the same boat as Kris. I passed my CPC test in February. I've looked high and low for any kind of coding jobs. All of the jobs want experience. I am easily trainable to fit the need of the practice or hospital. I have even applied for a billing job at our local hospital. They said I didn't have the correct experience. I've been an elementary teacher for 23 years. I have all kinds of different experiences being a teacher. I would appreciate any ideas also.
Thanks,
Pam
 
pbeck said:
I'm in the same boat as Kris. I passed my CPC test in February. I've looked high and low for any kind of coding jobs. All of the jobs want experience. I am easily trainable to fit the need of the practice or hospital. I have even applied for a billing job at our local hospital. They said I didn't have the correct experience. I've been an elementary teacher for 23 years. I have all kinds of different experiences being a teacher. I would appreciate any ideas also.
Thanks,
Pam
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I would encourage you to do whatever you can to learn about the insurance plans available in your state, especially Medicaid, how to verify eligibility for these plans, how to determine if a service is covered, the appeal process etc. Most of this information should be available on their websites. Go to your chapter meetings and try to network with people who can help you learn about referrals and authorizations and everything else that goes along with the revenue cycle and billing insurance carriers. Billing requires vast knowledge of insurance and it is very time consuming to have to train someone with no knowledge of insurance beyond that of being a patient. Most coding jobs require knowledge of billing and insurance so having this knowledge may help you get a job although you don't have actual coding experience. There are several people where I work who had no direct experience in the position for which they were hired but their knowledge of Massachusetts health insurance carriers gave them an advantage over other applicants who also had no experience.

You will see many posters recommend looking for a front desk or patient registration position. I believe that is one of the best places to start. Unfortunately many people sign up for an AAPC course or take out loans to go back to school for coding without looking at current job postings to see what employers are requiring and they have a difficult time finding a job. I frequently see postings in Massachusetts where the employer isn't even requiring a CPC certification, they want experience.

Heather
 
I just got my certification and after looking at most of the jobs that I've applied or want to apply to, I feel like I've wasted my time and money. The entire reason I took up this field was because I thought it was insulated from the "experience trap" (can't get a job with no experience, can't get experience without a job), but I guess it was all smoke and mirrors from people marketing the field. For God's sake, I came across an "entry" level position that required 2 years' experience. Then it's not entry-level, is it?

And I'm not networking, either. I shouldn't have to debase myself just for a sliver of an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I got my certification, I've proven that I can work, now give me something. I don't have time for this, I've gone five-plus years without full-time work.
 
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Uh

de234932 said:
I just got my certification and after looking at most of the jobs that I've applied or want to apply to, I feel like I've wasted my time and money. The entire reason I took up this field was because I thought it was insulated from the "experience trap" (can't get a job with no experience, can't get experience without a job), but I guess it was all smoke and mirrors from people marketing the field. For God's sake, I came across an "entry" level position that required 2 years' experience. Then it's not entry-level, is it?

And I'm not networking, either. I shouldn't have to debase myself just for a sliver of an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I got my certification, I've proven that I can work, now give me something. I don't have time for this, I've gone five-plus years without full-time work.
Click to expand...

1) How is networking debasing yourself?
2) Most experiences in life require networking.

...good luck.
 
de234932 said:
I just got my certification and after looking at most of the jobs that I've applied or want to apply to, I feel like I've wasted my time and money. The entire reason I took up this field was because I thought it was insulated from the "experience trap" (can't get a job with no experience, can't get experience without a job), but I guess it was all smoke and mirrors from people marketing the field. For God's sake, I came across an "entry" level position that required 2 years' experience. Then it's not entry-level, is it?

And I'm not networking, either. I shouldn't have to debase myself just for a sliver of an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I got my certification, I've proven that I can work, now give me something. I don't have time for this, I've gone five-plus years without full-time work.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but I don't feel bad for you. You passed a test and feel like something should just be handed to you without trying to at least put yourself out there. How have you proven that you can work? You haven't worked full-time in over 5 years when you could have been working in a healthcare setting and had 5 years experience to add to your resume.
 
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de234932 said:
I just got my certification and after looking at most of the jobs that I've applied or want to apply to, I feel like I've wasted my time and money. The entire reason I took up this field was because I thought it was insulated from the "experience trap" (can't get a job with no experience, can't get experience without a job), but I guess it was all smoke and mirrors from people marketing the field. For God's sake, I came across an "entry" level position that required 2 years' experience. Then it's not entry-level, is it?

And I'm not networking, either. I shouldn't have to debase myself just for a sliver of an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I got my certification, I've proven that I can work, now give me something. I don't have time for this, I've gone five-plus years without full-time work.
Click to expand...

With an attitude like that, I don't think you'll get very far in this field. Passing a test and getting a certification doesn't really prove anything to a potential employer. It just lumps you in with all the other thousands of AAPC members who probably have the same credentials as you. To stand out you have to go beyond the basics and prove that you're committed, and yes, that means networking. It sounds like you think that networking means collapsing at someone's feet and begging for a job when in reality, it's about making connections and contacts.

I do sympathize with those struggling to find a job and know that it can be hard to find an "in," however, sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do and put yourself in different situations to get to the end goal.

I wish you the best.
 
No experience

Yes, I am going through the same thing as you. I graduated with an Associates Degree in Medical Inpatient Coding and I can't find anything to even apply to because they all want two to three years experience. I am going for my certification exam this Saturday, keeping my fingers crossed. I feel I will still be going through the same problem I am having now, no experience. I am applying for front office medical jobs just to be able to stay in the field, however, haven't had much luck with that either. Another problem I am seeing is that some positions are combining billing/coding for the position. I have had billing experience but it has been over 15 years since I have done that, so that is not helping either.
Thought about taking another class for billing, but I don't want to keep adding on to my school loans and ending up with the same problem I am having now. I am going to start applying anyway to positions that at least say only a year experience. We all have to start somewhere and I don't know how we are supposed to get the experience if you can't find a company willing to give you a chance.
 
mspatrish said:
Yes, I am going through the same thing as you. I graduated with an Associates Degree in Medical Inpatient Coding and I can't find anything to even apply to because they all want two to three years experience. I am going for my certification exam this Saturday, keeping my fingers crossed. I feel I will still be going through the same problem I am having now, no experience. I am applying for front office medical jobs just to be able to stay in the field, however, haven't had much luck with that either. Another problem I am seeing is that some positions are combining billing/coding for the position. I have had billing experience but it has been over 15 years since I have done that, so that is not helping either.
Thought about taking another class for billing, but I don't want to keep adding on to my school loans and ending up with the same problem I am having now. I am going to start applying anyway to positions that at least say only a year experience. We all have to start somewhere and I don't know how we are supposed to get the experience if you can't find a company willing to give you a chance.
Click to expand...

You have to remember that job posting are listing qualifications for an ideal candidate so don't count yourself out just because you don't need education, experience, etc requirements. I would still apply to those things. Connecting and getting yourself out there will open you up to more opportunities and hopefully match you with that one company that will give you a chance.

Good luck!
 
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