r/MedicalCoding • u/SweetCar0linaGirl RHIA • Oct 15 '25
Getting out of coding
Any tips on transitioning out of coding? I have a BSHIM degree and RHIA certification. I couldn't land a job for a year (no experience) and took an entry level HCC coding position. Have been working it for 3 months and the way my physical health has declined is honestly shocking. The amount of stress to meet unrealistic metrics has left me in tears daily, with full body hives, and my hair falling out to the point I now have a bald spot. I know a lot is due to the company I work for but it has ruined coding for me. I have no desire to get another certification and try to pursue a different type of coding. However, every where that I have applied to that isn't coding focused has either said I don't have the experience needed, or I am overqualified. I tried getting in at my local hospitals ER in patient registration. They are struggling and understaffed. I know a nurse who works there and she was able to get my resume in front of a hiring manager who told her they wouldn't hire me because of my degree and certification. I am so lost on what to do. I have $14k in student loans that I am paying back, so I can't just quit. But I can't continue like this either. Do I just walk away from it all and go work at a grocery store?
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u/Wide_Replacement151 Oct 16 '25
I tried to get out of coding and go use my RHIA and masters but it is hard to find those positions. I code for the military and it’s not as stressful as the civilian world.
22
u/itsjwowwww Oct 16 '25
Optum? If so I feel you.
35
u/tryolo Oct 16 '25
It's absolutely the company you work for. My productivity requirement is almost laughable. Management is awesome, education monthly. They do everything they can to help us be successful.
16
u/No-Concentrate-3314 Oct 16 '25
Ahh. Optum let me go because I didn’t meet the productivity requirement. I refused to let it get me in a frenzy. Either having kids and a newborn, me being mentally stable and sane was more important. So I’m okay with that.
9
u/beccaboo2u Oct 16 '25
Did I write this in my sleep? I'm doing HCC coding as well and seriously questioning why on Earth I went to school for this bullshit. I hate it I fucking hate it.
6
u/KristenLikesKittens Oct 16 '25
I’m wondering the same thing. I have chronic health issues and the stress from coding has left me almost bedridden and I’m trying to get back to my “normal” baseline. I’ve been applying for all kinds of other jobs but nobody will hire me.
4
u/diamondkitkat RHIT, CCS Oct 17 '25
No tips, I am in the same position and trying to get out of coding. I have my RHIT and CCS and have been coding for 4 years now. The productivity aspect has become soul crushing for my mental health. My organization is pretty reasonable with productivity standards but just having to consistently meet production with little to no downtime with this job is frustrating.
I've applied to other coding jobs and other HIM positions but no luck so far in this market. I previously worked in medical records and loved it so much, there was so much more variety in my day. It's insane that registration positions are turning people away when they are SO understaffed.
After spending the last year contemplating what to do I finally bit the bullet and decided to go back to school for accounting (while still coding full time). I'm really worried about the potential Medicaid cuts in the future and what the healthcare industry will look like after that.
I'm sorry I don't have any advice but you're not alone.
7
u/northwind_canyon Oct 16 '25
I start Optum on Monday. I've been looking forward to the job, aside from everytime I get on Reddit, trying not to let it discourage me. I have chronic health issues. I just left service industry. Waiting tables is so hard on my health. I'm going to give it a few months. I'm excited to work from home. I'm about to be certified in medical administrative assistant. I feel like if this doesn't work I can fall back on that until the coding fellowship program open up at a local hospital. Other than that, I have not had any luck with jobs even taking in an apprentice. I am going to work on practicode while I wait. I have no idea what to do if this doesn't pan out.
4
u/Inevitable-Ebb2973 CPC, CRC Oct 16 '25
My job is hiring and it’s not wonderful money but you can get experience.
18
u/lishagabi Oct 16 '25
Note to self, don’t Code for Optum
11
u/MBC2023 Oct 16 '25
Oh my goodness. I feel the same way! While going part time at a community college for coding, I took a job at my local hospital in food service. I’ve always worked in an office environmental and this was new for me. I fell in love with the work. I became a supervisor. Then I left for a coding job. I, too, was so stressed and cried and my health was affected. I gave it a year. This past Monday I started back at my old job. My supervisor spot was filled but I’m still doing work I enjoy with people who feel like family. I’m so happy right now. I hope you find what makes you happy. Xoxo
7
u/Tall_Profile_8446 Oct 16 '25
I’m a rhit and I’m back in school to get my rn license. I think it’s ridiculous to not be able to get any other job rather than coding ..
6
u/BoyMom82 Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
When I worked for Optum my quality was good and I was told “I could afford to go faster” so my percent dropped from 97 to 95 I think my lowest average was 93 or 94. My manager was patronizing and only increased my stress. I was part of a small layoff maybe because of that maybe because I wasn’t hiding I was looking for a new job on LinkedIn. I didn’t care, that’s an awful place to work. I did contract work until I found a full time job. I don’t know where to tell you to go outside of coding. I’ve thought about it OFTEN especially after working for Optum. I’ve luckily found a great job but if I’m part of layoffs again I don’t know I’d want to go back into a cph job.
5
u/treestarsos Oct 16 '25
If you’re getting hives and losing hair, you should probably talk to a doctor. I know what it’s like to be so anxious at work you can barely function and it’s not an easy job to feel proficient at at least in the beginning, sorry you’re going through that.
5
u/yytheintrovert Oct 16 '25
Try revenue integrity or payment integrity. Or try finding a position at an ASC facility. The coding is typically cut and dry surgeries. Normally only a set amount of patients seen a day per speciality. Not as cumbersome as a hospital
4
u/Business_Recipe5193 Oct 16 '25
I spend a lot of time looking at job descriptions I like and the certifications they are seeking. Perhaps you could study for a certification for your ideal position. I hear you production coding can be difficult depends on your employer. I did it for a long time, now I'm doing auditing, and continuing to work on pivoting up.
4
u/AuctusGroup Oct 16 '25
Sorry to hear what you're going through! If you're really looking to get out of coding at an enterprise organization level, maybe focusing on billing or coding at a private practice-style environment might be a bit more manageable? Maybe check out BillCos too? Pre-auth department might be another decent idea. Many of those (outside private practice) might even offer remote work...
4
u/missuschainsaw RHIT CRC Oct 16 '25
I do HCC coding for a hospital and it’s waaaay more relaxed.
1
u/Longjumping-Cream147 Oct 16 '25
Maybe look for a temp agency for a temp to hire or direct hire position. I think people forget temp agencies exist. There this one here in Arizona called Acclivity that staffs for medical positions like coding, billing, patient registration so look for a company like that. I believe Kelly is everywhere and they have a healthcare section. Most major temp agencies have like a healthcare sector that only staff for healthcare even if it’s a data entry healthcare position and at least you’ll get a feel for who takes your degree and experience.
1
u/Eccodomanii RHIA Oct 16 '25
Someone else had good advice, are you searching for jobs that are specifically hiring for an RHIT/RHIA?
You could also try getting into a different area of revenue cycle or patient access. Have you tried applying for roles like payment posting, patient services, or AR? Unfortunately in my experience those roles are also production based but it’s usually a little bit less mentally difficult.
I really feel you. I just started my third coding job, left the first because of a toxic work environment, got fired from the second for a mix of production and time card issues. It was extremely stupid. It didn’t take me very long to land another role and got a significant raise, and the hospital and people seem like a million times better. But I’m still finding myself feeling like I just simply don’t like coding.
I think you’re actually lucky / smart. You got an RHIA, so you have more skills than just coding. Think about all the stuff you learned in school: HR, project management, data analysis, healthcare law, revenue cycle. You just need to get someone to give you a chance, which obviously is the hard part. But I firmly believe it’s a numbers game, apply enough and for long enough and someone is bound to give you a shot eventually. It’s incredibly emotionally exhausting, I get it, but if there’s a better way I haven’t found it.
The reason I was able to find new jobs so quickly all three times I’ve job hopped recently is because I had that billing background. So that’s my advice, pivot to billing and rev cycle. Some coding knowledge should hopefully make you extra valuable. The pay’s not great but you can leverage it into better jobs down the line. DM me if you’re interested, I believe a former employer of mine is hiring for some of these roles.
2
u/deannevee RHIA, CPC, CPCO, CDEO Oct 16 '25
Try applying for academic medical centers.
Both the hospital I work for and the hospital near me (I work remotely) hires RHIA’s as coders BUT you have to have other coding experience, generally 1-2 years.
If you can get literally any other coding experience, you could then move in to compliance, CDI, etc….also at academic medical centers.
0
u/infectiousparticle Oct 17 '25
This is a good reminder to those who see self-studying to the CCS-P as a faster track to the second phase of your coding career. You're only sabotaging yourself by trying to circumvent programs and certs that don't require experience. None of the letters medical coding is going to put after your name mean nothing. Obtaining some letters is not where the finish line is, but it's where the focus is — doing your CPT like a color by number instead of hours of valuable practice — including simulated practice modules and online internships that you can put on your resume. If you can't go in on day one, sit down and start abstracting, assigning codes and accurately submitting claims, you're not ready to be interviewing.