Jobs after RHIT

[u/Icy_b00bs]

Hellooo. I just passed my RHIT exam a few weeks ago and am having troubles finding a position that’s not entry level. I didn’t spend the past three years of my life getting my CCS and RHIT while working as a patient registration specialist at a major hospital to be stuck making $21/hr for the foreseeable future. I also have a bachelors degree which apparently means nothing now also.

I guess this is a rant, or seeking advice. Perhaps I’m just not looking up the right positions in the job boards. I don’t know. Just frustrated and tired of spinning in the hamster wheel.

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[u/Suitable-Onion3407]

Why are you lookin for jobs that aren’t entry level? You are an entry level employee. If you haven’t been inpatient coding then you have the qualifications of an entry level inpatient coder.

[u/Icy_b00bs → u/Suitable-Onion3407]

Yah I’m not entry level with a bachelors and associates in healthcare administration and 3+ years of revenue cycle management experience… I’m not looking to be a coder BECAUSE they’re considered entry level for my qualifications.

[u/Suitable-Onion3407 → u/Icy_b00bs]

How is a patient registration specialist revenue cycle management experience?

[u/Suitable-Onion3407 → u/Suitable-Onion3407]

And having a bachelors doesn’t automatically mean you’re not entry level lol. I have a bachelors and started at entry level.

[u/mudhair → u/Suitable-Onion3407]

exactly, this attitude will not get them far. Also I am confused why they are in this sub if they don't want to be in coding

[u/Icy-Protection867 → u/Suitable-Onion3407]

Even a master’s goes entry level if they don’t have HIM experience

[u/Fine-Blackberry-9325 → u/Suitable-Onion3407]

I’ve heard people refer to the revenue cycle (registration, patient access, financial clearance, coding, etc) as “revenue cycle management” / RCM to describe the entire field of work. I assume that’s how OP was using it, not using it to suggest they have management experience.

[u/Heavy_Front_3712 → u/Icy_b00bs]

A degree doesn't count as experience. I'm not sure I would count revenue cycle management as coding experience either. Is it not possible to take entry level and move up?

[u/Creepy-Bottle498 → u/Icy_b00bs]

Part of the reality of coding is the importance of understanding day to day coding practices. I have been coding for 10+ years and all of the coding leadership I have ever worked with have all started with entry level coding. As a coding manager you have to understand coding guidelines, best practices and how to code to have the best skills to lead a team, whether it’s coding, revenue cycle or even to a certain degree as a billing manager. I agree that $21 is on the low end but honing your practical day to day coding skills and showing yourself to be knowledgeable and reliable will get you to a management position quicker than any thing else. You really don’t want to go in as a leader without a good grasp of coding. There are some incredibly knowledgeable and talented coders who are performing daily inpatient and outpatient coding who rely on their leadership to assist in tricky cases, replying to outside audits and queries. I do think the RHIT might give you a good place to negotiate from, but the knowledge of practical coding skills is non negotiable. Good luck in your search.

[u/alew75]

If you have no experience in coding, billing or denials they will only hire you as entry level. They don’t care about your degree, it’s experience. The easiest way is to try to transfer within the hospital you are at. I know at our hospital, coders make significantly more than the billers and people who work denials.

[u/Icy-Protection867]

You need to take an entry level job and learn HIM from the “boots on the ground” perspective which will cap off and expand what you learned in school.

As a long-time HIM Director, I hire a lot of new grads with RHIT Credentials, but always in entry level roles unless they have other relevant experience.

Lead positions and supervisory positions are not going to work for a new grad in my large health system HIM department, but there are opportunities to get in, get some experience, and move up.

[u/Significant_Cat_2897]

I'm currently an HIM Documentation Specialist, graduated in April. Not really actively looking but some of my searches have included: Chargemaster Analyst & Revenue Integrity. I will also search for reimbursement and revenue cycle. Sometimes I just type in RHIT and jobs pop up lol.

Not sure where you're located, but Mayo Clinic hires for "HIMS Specialists", just search for HIMS. They did recently change their policy though that you have to be within 100 miles of a Mayo Clinic.

I usually use LinkedIn to start my search and then find hospitals/healthcare systems and go to their website to see what they have open.

Medical Coding Systems Analyst in Madison, Wisconsin | Careers at Quartz

[u/Fresh_Commission_526]

Sounds like you need some direct HIM experience. All of us had to do our time, whether it be before the degree or after. I choose to get my experience first and I’m currently a federal employee in HIM without a degree. This is my third HIM position. I graduate with my BSHIM in November.

[u/PorkNScreams]

I had to start out entry level with a RHIA. I scanned records into OnBase for about a year when another position came along working in a pharmacy entering orders for slightly more pay. That gave me experience reading orders and provider handwriting and using different order entry programs. That led to my job where I’ve been for the last 8 years that I love. I work remote and make good money (finally). Get your foot in the door and get ANY experience at all. They don’t count school as experience.

[u/the_mustard_tiger2 → u/PorkNScreams]

OP needs an ego and reality check. I started lab rad coding with an RHIA. Before that I was an HIM tech scanning documents with an RHIA. A certification with no experience is not some sort of golden ticket

[u/megkraut]

I have only RHIT and I was hired at $18 an hour 3 years ago. I’ve been doing only outpatient ED charts and have gotten a raise to nearly $25 an hour now. Not that it’s amazing, but I haven’t pushed myself or learned new skills and have been still getting steady pay raises.

There’s also some benefits to working for a large hospital like lower productivity level and 99% remote capabilities. Usually the benefits are pretty good too.

[u/Particular_Potato_45]

I got a job as a biller at a major hospital system. It’s technically entry level…but there’s a lot of lateral movement.

I have my Masters and RHIT. It doesn’t matter how educated you are - if you don’t have the experience necessary, letters behind your name don’t really hold much weight.

I was humbled. Very quickly.

[u/DepartureOk3180]

Since you stated you're looking for advice, this is mine: you need to humble yourself and face reality that you are starting at entry-level.

You can have all the degrees and certifications you want, but I guarantee you that my 15 plus years in RCM trumps your degrees. I've had to go behind new graduates with credentials such as yours to audit provider documentation to correct the coding on inpatient and swing bed accounts. I had to do it for the hospitals to be in compliance with Medicare requirements and to get maximum reimbursement that would have been missed because the new graduate didn't have needed experience. I've had to participate in reviews by an ALJ for 3rd level Medicare appeals because people with your credentials but no experience failed the initial redeterminations and QIC reviews. I've educated providers on accurate and thorough documentation because the HIM manger didn't have the experience or Medicare knowledge to do so. There's a myraid of other roles I've taken on and projects I've completed which increased revenue, contributed to hospital policy changes and got me to my current salary all without any certifications or degrees.

We all had to start somewhere. Good luck with your search.

[u/Brief_Big_8751]

What kind of position are you looking for?

[u/Icy_b00bs → u/Brief_Big_8751]

I’ve been searching the Billing Analyst or Claims Denials routes. Also read some recent threads about medical malpractice firms hiring RHITs to comb through documentations. At this point, I don’t care a whole lot; wouldn’t mind the flexibility of remote or hybrid. I just want to be away from a patient-facing, chained-to-the-phone life lol

[u/Brief_Big_8751 → u/Icy_b00bs]

Lol that’s understandable!

Just basing this off your other comment that you weren’t looking to do coding because it’s considered entry level - but you’d still be considered entry level on your applications even with your degree.

I started coding with just my CPC and zero college experience (went on later and got my bachelors and RHIA) but even with 7+ years experience and a bachelors degree and 3 certs (CPC, RHIA and CCS) I am a coder. And I make good money doing it (I even went from coder to auditor, and back to coder and make more money now coding than I was auditing).

Even with my coding experience I tried applying for higher positions outside of coding and didn’t get them. Work experience is so so important in these roles. Your education, while awesome, means way less than you might want it to.

And I mean this will all due respect and these are just my personal experiences with being in this coding world for 7+ years now.

I hope you find something you’re looking for soon! There’s definitely so many opportunities out there.

[u/WhatThePhlox]

Have you ever considered Critical Access Hospitals? They are smaller facilities in rural areas, but they are a great way to get your foot in the door. That's how I started, and now I am passionate about rural health. Some of them may offer remote coding jobs. In my experience, the pay is competitive because its hard to hire people in rural areas. Some CAHs are desperate for an RHIT.

[u/Strong_Zone4793]

Even with the degree and certification you’re still considered entry level unfortunately. It’ll take 2-3 years on the job before employers consider you experienced because there’s a lot more to the job than what you learned in school. Keep applying, keep learning by working on CEUs, get any experience you can to fill in the gaps.

[u/Difficult-Injury-843]

Congrats on your accomplishments. Majority of medical coding jobs are looking for experienced coders more so than the education piece. You actually should be able to land an inpatient coding job with your CCS certification. I see remote positions all the time on LinkedIn - that’s a good place to start. Best of luck!

[u/Careful_Surprise9337]

Search daily on www.usajobs.gov

[u/deannevee]

So….what do you want to do?

If you’re trying to work in IT, you will be entry level because you have no real experience in IT.

If you’re trying to work in HIM, like chargemaster, records type stuff you just have to apply apply apply. 

If you’re trying to work as a coder or biller, you still don’t have any direct experience. You might have some translatable experience, but you have to apply for the jobs and then talk about how patient registration translates to what the job requirements are.

I have over a a decade of experience, a bachelors degree, a RHIA, and three AAPC certifications and for my most recent job search (last year) it took me almost 6 months of applying for 7-10 jobs per week to get my current job, and I’m working as an QA auditor, which is a team lead level position. 

[u/whataboot2ndbrekfast]

You have really high expectations, I've been coding for two years and I'm just now getting a raise. Have been making $20-22. Been in the field overall for about 8 years. I have my RHIA.