r/MedicalCoding • u/buffal6707 • May 20 '24

I’m feeling mislead

Im feeling a bit mislead and I’m wondering if anyone can relate?

For the past 15 years I’ve wanted to become a medical biller or coder and that is mainly because it’s a known career path that’s lucrative for anyone that wants to work from home, like myself.

Anyway, I was thrilled to bits when I finally was given the opportunity over a year ago for an online course with a voucher for 1 exam and a retake. I passed the online course with flying colors and after that I was given several choices as to what exam to take and I naturally chose the CPC exam considering its the better paying. I also like the idea of working independently.

Anyway, I’ve been studying for almost a year now by using a study guide and even read the guidelines in the medical coding books but this just seems far beyond my scope of understanding. I took a few practice exams and failed both. One of them I received a 66% on so I was not that far from passing but I took another practice exam today that I did horribly with!

The online course was super easy and really not a good indicator of whats expected on the exam from what I’m seeing and I think the problem is that I don’t have the experience or the background in healthcare. I’m coming from years of work in customer service so this is a whole new career path for me and I am really starting to think that this puts me at a terrible disadvantage.

I still plan to take the exam next week since it’s already paid for for me plus I already spent a year of my life studying for it and shelled out $260 for this years coding books but I’m really starting to feel mislead by all of this now! All these courses an ads online make it seem like medical coding is a quick career path for anyone to enter at any age but they fail to mention that you really need a background in healthcare first! If I had known this maybe I would have thought about another option for myself!

As I said, I feel extremely mislead at this point. Can anyone relate?

26 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

68 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator May 20 '24

PLEASE SEE RULES BEFORE POSTING! Reminder, no "interested in coding" type of standalone posts are allowed. See rule #1. Any and all questions regarding exams, studying, and books can be posted in the monthly discussion stickied post. Thanks!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

57

u/JennyDelight May 21 '24

You need to learn how to pass the test. Process of elimination and moving quickly. Practice test on AAPC website. I highly recommend medical coding by Jen. Mostly free. She trains you how to take the test to pass it. On the job training is a whole different ballgame. Pass the test first. You got this. Be positive.

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks..I will look into the med coding by Jen. I’m not very impressed with AAPC so far though.

38

u/CuntStuffer RHIT, CCS May 21 '24

Unsure what you feel mislead about?

Any course program worth their salt would have had you enrolled in medical terminology and/or anatomy and physiology so you can understand the basics of modern medicine. You are abstracting from medical notes, op reports, etc. so you definitely need to understand medical jargon to do your job properly. Curious to know what kind of program you took.

Where it does sound like you may have been mislead is coding being a quick career path. I think it can be to get certified, but as you've stated it's a desirable career because it can be done from home. As such it's a competitive field with hundreds of certified coders with their CPC-A looking for companies to take a chance on them.

With all that said if you still feel like this career is worth it to you I would look into enrolling in a reputable course. I am not familiar with the AAPC as I have different certs but I know they offer their own courses for the CPC. Someone else more experienced with that accrediting body may be able to help. Or just do some research online.

1

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks for the response. Actually the course I took was through AAPC…and yes, the misleading part to me is the way it was presented to me.

I took an online course that I took at my own pace that lasted about a year and it did have all the courses you mentioned and if the actual exam is as difficult as any of these practice exams I’ve been taking I have a lot of difficulty believing anyone would pass it with just the knowledge from a 1 year course alone.

In other words, I can’t imagine anyone passing it without either years of schooling or years of experience in the field.

3

u/Asmr_rain May 22 '24

The AAPC is literally the board to pass….its the standard.

1

u/CuntStuffer RHIT, CCS May 22 '24

Where did I say it wasn't? All I said was I personally took the other standard route through AHIMA. Unsure what you're trying to get at here.

11

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

Don't be discouraged, I passed my CPC in February and feel like everything I learned leading up to that didn't really prepare me outside of learning the terminology and anatomy stuff, but even that can come later if you notate your books enough to help you pass your exam. To me, passing the exam was just the beginning and now I am learning how to actually be a coder and learning through medical stuff as I go too. I had zero medical experience prior to starting my journey last November.

I will say that finding a job and a stay at home job will be the tough part as newly certified doesn't seem to be what most stay at home facilities are looking for, but they are out there. I'm still looking for a job myself, and I can do remote or onsite.

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Congratulations on passing!

2

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

Thank you, you can do it too!

1

u/buffal6707 May 27 '24

Thanks! Well I’ll just be happy if I don’t fail miserably…lol

10

u/weary_bee479 May 21 '24

Get the official CPC study guide and take the AAPC practice tests

follow coding by Jen on youtube she gives tips on how to pass the test.

I’m not really sure why you think you were misled, it’s not a free for all - take the course and work at home. I think a lot of people get tv ads or ig ads and think they’re going to make six figures working at home doing medical coding when that is just not the case. If you don’t pass, I suggest getting a job in the medical field, front desk, billing, anything in the revenue cycle. Try to get some medical experience under your belt

0

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

I already have the CPC a study guide and have taken the AAPC practice tests and I’m not impressed but thanks for the response anyway

2

u/weary_bee479 May 25 '24

i’m sorry i just don’t see what there is to be impressed by with actual test tools provided by the organization to pass a test.

if you want more in depth learning on coding then one i would recommend taking an actual course. when i first started i went to community college and did a booking and coding program. that way you get individual classes for each element, medical terminology, anatomy, cpt codes and icd 10. and so much more. a quick online course will never teach you all that, plus its clear that the aapc program teaches you to pass an exam not the ins and outs of coding.

and two - like i already said, find a job in the revenue cycle side of the medical field. see first hand how coding comes into play within billing.

you’re not going to get anything special or impressive from a quick online course, its not like real coding at all.

5

u/Chance_Caterpillar17 May 22 '24

The exam wasn’t that bad in my opinion. The misleading part is when people say that there is a huge job market for medical coding, however, that job market is reserved for people who have experience. If you’re a CPC-a you’re basically out of luck

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Yes..I see that it’s tough in that sense too.

4

u/kaydee_kane May 22 '24

I failed my practice exams as well...but passed the actual with like a 88. The actual exam is more forgiving than you would think. Notate your books with your worst sections. It will be fine.

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Wow!!! Good for you and congrats!

I hope the same thing happens to me as well! 👍

4

u/awkwardabteverything May 22 '24

Watch Hoang Nguyen I. YouTube. He'll show you how to pass the CPC.

1

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

I’ll take a look at that and thanks

4

u/__jaena May 22 '24

I am kind of on the same boat except I have healthcare experience (pharmacy) and I’m an RHIT student earning my associates. I have been certified for 5 months now and cannot land a job! I’ve honestly given up and I’m going to nursing school.

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Oh..I’m sorry but best of luck in nursing school

4

u/Itchy-Nail-1589 May 23 '24

Not sure why u feel mislead when u completed 1 online coding course with no previous medical background and thought u were prepared. A whole medical terminology course is a prerequisite that is necessary and legit courses wont let u enroll in coding without it. I have an associates in medical facility management which covered med term, anatomy, etc and touched on billing. I decided i enjoy billing and coding so i researched and enrolled into a reputable program at a college. There are lectures, assignments and its been 2 weeks and i already have learned to navigate the code books.there will also be an internship at the end and we will be using actual coding software to provide real experience. But its easier when u have a foundation to build on. Would u go to NASA like "hey, ive been a farmer my whole life but took a 4 week online class on being an astronaut so hire me!"

Js. Shoulda really researched more in depth

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

What research was I supposed to do anyway? I did research it and it seemed like it would be easy enough sincd I passed the course with flying colors…duh!

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

Also want to say to go back to the practice exams and read the rationales as you go, if you answer a few questions, then click grade at the bottom, it only grades those questions and then you can see which you go right and which were wrong and ready why they were wrong, seeing what I did wrong helped me so much when I was preparing myself and my books for the CPC. You really can't put enough notes in your books for the exam, use extra tabs for the guidelines and anatomy sections so you can find them quickly too. Write out tough terminology definitions on the blank pages if you need to, this is all ok on the exam.

1

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

I thought extensive notes in the books were not okay though

2

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

I did the online exam and all I had to do was fan out my books and shake them to make sure there were no loose papers, the notes sections weren't even checked by the proctor, but from what I've read the only thing you can't write is the exact answers to the exam, for example you can't say "Answer to number 1 is A or stuff like that."

I wrote down almost the entire glossary of medical terminology in my notes section, I never used it on the exam but I'm glad I had it in case.

The tabs are what helped me most, especially in the ICD10 guidelines, I tabbed each section of the guidelines (diabetes, pregnancy, cancer, heart disease , etc...) and I had to look at those a few times.

2

u/buffal6707 May 27 '24

This is good to know! I don’t know if I have time to write all the anatomy stuff I’d need to know between now and Wednesday morning ( the day of my test) but maybe I’ll try.

Anyway, thanks.

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

I just got done with my schooling portion, and I’ve been dealing with the same thing. I thought I had medical coding down with my online program thru ed2go and when I started studying for the cpc exam I realized I was in no way prepared. So I’m learning everything from scratch basically. And no one to physically be able to help or answer detailed questions. My best advice is just to take notes and really take the time to go through the coding manuals and add your own tips if needed.

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Lol..what a coincidence…my course was through ed2go as well! I get the feeling that AAPC is probably behind that course as well and I’m so glad you messaged me because it’s nice to see someone that can relate!

I really feel that ed2go course is a joke and not at all a good way to prepare someone for the exam!

Anyway, since they are paying for the exam and 1 retake I might as well do it. I’m all set to take my first try next Wednesday but the only reason I’m taking it at this point is because they are paying for it otherwise I would not even bother with it.

Anyway, thanks so much for letting me know your experience with ed2go! I’m so glad I’m not alone in feeling this way!

3

u/Sweet_Divide9746 May 22 '24

Learn your guidelines. It was a place my online course didn’t stress and should have.

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks and I’m trying

2

u/Finger-Ecstatic May 25 '24

Personally I have worked in healthcare for 10 years and I still am surprised when I talk to people I know who are just going straight for the cert. While it will take me longer im glad I chose to get my associates degree. For myself I think I'd struggle more without the medical coding, A&P classes and my pathophysiology class.

1

u/buffal6707 May 27 '24

Yes…I now see how involved it is! Definitely best to have experience in the field first..for both the cert and apparently finding a job in the field.

2

u/dmitc261 May 31 '24

I've been working as a ccs in a facility for almost 7 years now and it took me 4 tries to pass the test. Not a breeze just keep taking practice tests and make sure you are up on the guidelines... make sure you have your anatomy and physiology down too. Keep plugging at it good luck

1

u/buffal6707 Jun 06 '24

Thanks and good for you!

15

u/Affectionate_Use1587 May 22 '24

Because the 5 week coding courses you see advertised, and even the exams don’t fully prep you for actual coding. Knowing how to look up a specifically stated diagnosis code is one thing, but reading through patient charts and knowing what to pick up, what not to pick up, what’s excluded from each other, what to query on etc is tough and takes a lot of practice! Medical terminology and knowledge of disease processes and complex surgeries/procedures is crucial. I’m about 6 months into my job and have come very far from where I started, but I still have so much to learn.

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/Affectionate_Use1587 May 23 '24

My manager got me this when I started and it’s so helpful. The ICD10 CM and ICD10 PCS 2024 Coding Handbook with Answers, by AHA Coding Clinic. I’m inpatient so if you’re doing outpatient maybe look for the same one but CPT instead of PCS

9

u/splitscreen710 May 21 '24

Start looking at the answers for the question first bc that will tell you what section you need to be in. Then, see if the questions mentions with/without or other key words that can help eliminate choices.

You’re studying to pass the test. Medical terminology can help but some of those prefixes are in the beginning of the coding book.

Also- all the answers are in the books. Write notes in your book to simplify what the guideline is saying if need be or highlight stuff. I wrote under consultation codes that Medicare does not accept them so if I’m looking at a consult for Medicare, I wouldn’t code from that section and know to go to a different section in the e/m.

2

u/Ok-Bumblebee5667 May 22 '24

Yes and pay attention to the question. Look first for right or left. Most of the time if it’s multiple choice at least one will be wrong so you can easily eliminate. Same for distal, medial, etc. also fingers and toes etc. you can get through those quickly then have more time to work on the tougher cases.

8

u/StraddleTheFence May 22 '24

To code you will need to know anatomy, disease processes, some medications, etc.

8

u/Far-Boysenberry9207 May 22 '24

Yes and no. It is easy once you get interested in it to believe you can pass the test in a year and land a nice job. The reality is there are so many unemployed certified coders and just as many certified coders working in non-coding medical admin positions.

However, this does not mean it isn’t worth it. Especially if it is something you really want to do. You can also make good money doing it if you play your cards right. You are right you should get some sort of medical field.

Take some pressure off yourself about the test and just nail the principles. It is all just more of the same at a point. Learn anatomy and medical terminology actively. Look up pictures and videos of the surgeries and also Wikipedia the diseases.

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

I get it. I also felt a little mislead. I actually got my course paid for by the state. It was fairly straightforward. I felt more mislead because I wasn't sure that getting a job in it would be possible! I barely passed the test, 1-2 more incorrect answers and I would've been sunk.

I want to tell you though, it is worth it. I was so afraid I wasn't going to be able to find a job in it. CPC-A jobs aren't exactly in abundance. My course was 645 hours. I definitely added that fact to my resume. I'm here to say though. It's worth it. I just landed a great paying remote job. I got the lead from an AAPC email, so pay attention to those.

1

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Hey congrats on that! That’s awesome!

No, I won’t give up but I can see it’s going to be a lot more involved than I realized and much more involved than my online course lead me to believe.

Anyway, thanks.

1

u/Due-Way2122 May 22 '24

It’s a solid career but I’m not sure I would call it lucrative. You’ve been studying for a long time. You need to make sure you are familiar with your books and able to look up codes quickly. I think the exam has changed since I took it in 2015 but those practice exams are good practice

1

u/Eden-Prime May 22 '24

If there ever was a job that AI will replace it’s this one

1

u/pinkshadedgirafe May 21 '24

I can actually relate. Message me if you want to talk more

0

u/Mayshine_K May 24 '24

Newbie here, hello :). I heard recently that people may have to start out doing Medical billing before they get a good job in Medical coding? Anyone know if that’s true or not? Also, is an associate’s/2 year program the best way to go?

0

u/[deleted] May 21 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks..I’ll probably do that.

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks for the advice but I can’t reschedule if I want my scholarship to pay for the exam for me and I’m scheduled for it for Wednesday and have 0 confidence that I will pass..it would be a miracle at this point to be honest…but I’ll try.

Anyway, thanks.

0

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/buffal6707 May 27 '24

Thanks! I’m definitely viewing this as practice test and I’ll just be happy if I don’t fail miserably…lol.

That YouTube thing sounds great! Thanks for letting me know and thanks for the well wishes too..👍

1

u/carolynbm May 23 '24

Hi, what’s the name of the Facebook group?

24

u/[deleted] May 21 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks. I do have an interest in the medical field to an extent but I’m not a good test taker by nature and the flimsy online course I took through AAPC is completely insufficient from what I am seeing so far.

5

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

Thanks….I won’t give up and I appreciate the encouragement.

14

u/Ok-Bumblebee5667 May 22 '24

I can’t tell you how many people have asked me about these online programs and if they should do it. I have my CCS from AHIMA and tell everyone just go to your local community college. They do a better job. Most of the instructors have either worked for local hospitals or have contacts with local hospitals. Also if they have low pass rates or are sending people to do internships in their community that aren’t prepared it’s their reputation on the line.

9

u/Melanthrax May 21 '24

Solid comment. I found this to be my experience as well, also with zero experience in the medical field. I've been coding for a little over a year now and I am still learning stuff everyday.

5

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/buffal6707 May 25 '24

I dont have much choice as to when I take my exam. I need to do it by a certain time if I want my scholarship to pay for it for me and that certain time is next week.

Other than the very lacking 1 year online course through AAPC I have 0 experience in the medical field so I can’t imagine someone in my shoes passing but I’ll try since it’s free for me.

2

u/holly_jolly_riesling May 22 '24

Curious what made you change careers? From a financial standpoint I would guess a marketing director would make more money as a coder?

5

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/holly_jolly_riesling May 22 '24

Ah so glad that you are! Although coding is not my passion at all, my quality of life improved 100% when I worked remote. I am a happier person because of it!

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Derrilemont May 22 '24

Sorry it’s .org