Wiki Don't Waste Your Time

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kellytroye

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Do not waste your time, money and energy on this useless CPC-A certification. I spent the last year and a half studying, passed the exam in March, applied to at least 50 jobs and have gotten nowhere. I should also mention that I have worked in a hospital for the past 14 years. I am seeing this frequently on message boards from other users as well. If you are reading this forum and are thinking about getting your certification, i am here to be honest with you- Do Not Waste Your Time!!!
 
What type of work have you done in the hospital setting?

Depending on your work background, I would suggest having your apprentice designation (the A in the CPC-A) removed. You can find more information about how to do that here: https://www.aapc.com/apprentice/applied-experience.aspx

If you have 14 years of experience working in a hospital, it's likely that you qualify to have the apprentice designation removed. (Again, depending on what type of jobs you have done.)

There are many places that won't consider hiring apprentice coders. However, there are also places that will. You need to target your job search onto those employers. I'd also make sure that you're putting your best foot forward on your resume - highlight your past hospital work experience and frame it in a way that makes you look attractive for coding-related positions.

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If so, are you connecting with recruiters and other coders? There are tons of opportunities that come up on LinkedIn - you may be missing out if you don't use the site.
 
While I agree that finding coding work as a CPC-A can be challenging, it is not impossible. Additionally, if you actually want to work as a coder, almost all employers require certification, whether through AAPC or AHIMA. It is required at my employer. Almost all experienced coders and hiring managers recommend the same things to new CPC-As. 1) Get your foot in the door with any position at a company that employs coders. Don't only consider a coding position. 2) Get your -A removed by working as a biller, authorization specialist, etc. 3) Network at your employer and outside your employer. 4) Make sure your cover letter and resume are spot on. Have a few customized for the different types of positions you are applying for. 5) Practice your interview skills.
If you believe that after passing your exam, with no coding experience, that you will make mid-high 5 figures and work remotely, then yes, it is useless.
Coding is not for everyone. I personally do a variety of tasks at my job and coding is only 1 of them. As much as I enjoy coding, I would not want to code 40 hours per week. If your goal is be coding for any portion of your job, then certification will be required.
 
I disagree wholeheartedly. Is it tough to get your foot in the door? yes! But if you really want to code, you dont give up.
you spent waaaaaaayyy too much money and time to give up now. You have gone all the way and now you want to GIVE UP all your hard work?
It took me since 2016 to find an actual true coding job but I landed a charge entry position first and let me tell you, I love charge entry.
Its so cool. But because of my 18 months in that position, I now have a coding job AND THEY RECRUITED ME.
make darn sure your resume is up on INDEED because employers definitely check that site for candidates.
you might be on the verge of success right before the finish line. I beg you not to waste your education !!!!
 
kellytroye said:
Do not waste your time, money and energy on this useless CPC-A certification. I spent the last year and a half studying, passed the exam in March, applied to at least 50 jobs and have gotten nowhere. I should also mention that I have worked in a hospital for the past 14 years. I am seeing this frequently on message boards from other users as well. If you are reading this forum and are thinking about getting your certification, i am here to be honest with you- Do Not Waste Your Time!!!
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I've been coding since 2007 and been in healthcare my entire life and have been part of hiring and training new coders. I know that this is challenging right now, but it has been my experience that those who "make it" are those who don't give up.
 
I actually feel your pain. There are no positions that even offer a living wage for a new coder, and this is coming from someone who actually had the experience to get the A removed upon passing the exam. It seems like there is a massive influx of applications with unemployment ending in my state, making it even more difficult to get any attention from employers. I even go so far as to locate potential openings on job sites and go directly to the employer site to apply! I have applied to 100 jobs this month alone and been offered three interviews! Those three companies decided I did not have enough experience- no skill assessments, no nothing. I have myself and my two children to take care of, and I cannot work my butt off coding for $9 an hour. I am about to give up and go serve tables or something.
 
cheyenneabee@gmail.com said:
I actually feel your pain. There are no positions that even offer a living wage for a new coder, and this is coming from someone who actually had the experience to get the A removed upon passing the exam. It seems like there is a massive influx of applications with unemployment ending in my state, making it even more difficult to get any attention from employers. I even go so far as to locate potential openings on job sites and go directly to the employer site to apply! I have applied to 100 jobs this month alone and been offered three interviews! Those three companies decided I did not have enough experience- no skill assessments, no nothing. I have myself and my two children to take care of, and I cannot work my butt off coding for $9 an hour. I am about to give up and go serve tables or something.
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Oh yikes.

Out of curiosity, were those pay-per-chart positions that you were guessing would average $9/hour for you? Or did someone actually offer you a starting hourly wage of $9/hour?
 
cheyenneabee@gmail.com said:
I actually feel your pain. There are no positions that even offer a living wage for a new coder, and this is coming from someone who actually had the experience to get the A removed upon passing the exam. It seems like there is a massive influx of applications with unemployment ending in my state, making it even more difficult to get any attention from employers. I even go so far as to locate potential openings on job sites and go directly to the employer site to apply! I have applied to 100 jobs this month alone and been offered three interviews! Those three companies decided I did not have enough experience- no skill assessments, no nothing. I have myself and my two children to take care of, and I cannot work my butt off coding for $9 an hour. I am about to give up and go serve tables or something.
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I second the yikes! Minimum wage in my area is $15, so even entry type positions in a medical office make at least a smidge above that. Certainly coding positions requiring certification would be even higher.
It is not unusual if you are starting off on a different career path that you may need to initially take less than you were at your previous position with experience. From what I have seen, the main reasons people take a different career path is that either they do not enjoy what they are presently doing, or the long term salary outlook will be better. Sometimes both.
If you enjoy coding and are good at it, in the long run you should be able to make a nice living at it. But I agree that very few people can possibly consider working full time with certification for less than $20k/yr.
 
I would highly recommend setting up a LinkedIn account and start networking. I also agree with csperoni about trying to get your foot in the door somewhere that has coding positions, whether it be a receptionist at a clinic or a patient account rep at a hospital.

"We don't grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges."
 
The original post doesn't strike me like s/he was asking for help, but experiencing burnout and just venting while thinking s/he can "help" other people who are having the same challenges.
 
P441623 said:
Membership fees are out of control. $210 now??? I have a job coding but I still consider dropping this credential. It is not worth it. I don't make any more than someone who codes with no credential.
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I agree with this. It is not worth it. I have 30 years experience in healthcare administration yet nobody will hire me to be a coder. I have done billing, medical records, EHR, working in clinics, referral management, etc., worked in conjunction with other coders but nothing. I know a lot of people coding without a credential because they learned on the job???
 
P441623 said:
Membership fees are out of control. $210 now??? I have a job coding but I still consider dropping this credential. It is not worth it. I don't make any more than someone who codes with no credential.
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I feel your pain but if I drop the credential I no longer qualify for my job. They do reimburse me my yearly books and membership fee however.
 
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