Wiki Practicode vs actual experience

[shaliehouse]

Do employers recognize the Practicode as the equivalent of actual experience in the hiring process? I am asking this because I have the CPC-A and wanting to know if it is worth continuing the Practicode to remove the Apprentice or just go into entry level with the Apprentice because employers would not see Practicode as actual experience.

 

[csperoni]

I do not know of any hiring manager that considers Practicode the equivalent of real world experience. I personally consider it additional training/education. Practicode may help you stand out from other CPC-As, but if a job requires 1 year of experience, Practicode will not waive that. My personal opinion would be to take any position in a medical office, hospital or healthcare system that will give you relevant real world experience, even if it's not coding experience. Insurance verification, authorizations, front desk, scheduling, registration. All those will help you get familiar with EMR systems, medical abbreviations, insurance plans, and potentially interact with coders and clinicians. To me, all that is more relevant than Practicode.
If you can find a Project Xtern site (or convince someone to create one for you), that is also an option.

 

[amyjph]

I agree with Christine. It is not the same thing.

 

[shaliehouse]

I do not know of any hiring manager that considers Practicode the equivalent of real world experience. I personally consider it additional training/education. Practicode may help you stand out from other CPC-As, but if a job requires 1 year of experience, Practicode will not waive that. My personal opinion would be to take any position in a medical office, hospital or healthcare system that will give you relevant real world experience, even if it's not coding experience. Insurance verification, authorizations, front desk, scheduling, registration. All those will help you get familiar with EMR systems, medical abbreviations, insurance plans, and potentially interact with coders and clinicians. To me, all that is more relevant than Practicode.
If you can find a Project Xtern site (or convince someone to create one for you), that is also an option.

Thank you!! I really appreciate the information that you provided!

 

[shaliehouse]

I agree with Christine. It is not the same thing.

Thank you for your comment!

 

[Pam Warren]

As a hiring manger who hired CPC-As when I led a team of coders, I can tell you that I did not consider practicode. In fact, the less coding experience you had, the better I liked it. That way there were no issues with poor training that I had to fix.

 

[shaliehouse]

As a hiring manger who hired CPC-As when I led a team of coders, I can tell you that I did not consider practicode. In fact, the less coding experience you had, the better I liked it. That way there were no issues with poor training that I had to fix.

Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it!

 

[777pbhc@gmail.com]

As a hiring manger who hired CPC-As when I led a team of coders, I can tell you that I did not consider practicode. In fact, the less coding experience you had, the better I liked it. That way there were no issues with poor training that I had to fix.

I am thankful to know there are people who give beginners an opportunity to shine.

 

[ShantaPr]

As a hiring manger who hired CPC-As when I led a team of coders, I can tell you that I did not consider practicode. In fact, the less coding experience you had, the better I liked it. That way there were no issues with poor training that I had to fix.

Do you know of anyone or company that is still hiring CPC-As

 

[Pam Warren]

Do you know of anyone or company that is still hiring CPC-As

Some of the risk-adjusted coding companies will hire CPC-As. I don't know of any other hospital or practice organization right at the moment, but don't look specifically for a coding job. Look for patient access, pre-authorization, billing, medical records, or charge entry roles. That experience will be invaluable, and you'll have your foot in the door for additional opportunities. AAPC's career board has 7 roles open for CPC-As.
Most private practices and higher-paying coding jobs require experienced coders, since getting your certification only shows that you know how to pass the test. It's far more complicated than that, unfortunately. So look for hospitals that will hire for ententry-levelsitions. I once hired a CPC-A who had been working in the cafeteria after she got certified. She was already an employee, and I needed a data entry person. She later became one of the best ED coders I have ever worked with.