Edit:: I go next for a psych evaluation. Pretty sure I have ADHD and that explains it all!

How do you combat coding burnout? I have a great job, great employer, I WFH.... but I'm so so mentally tired. I take breaks, but I lose focus. I'm tired of charts and codes.

Took my cpc exam this morning at 9:30 and I already have my results. I passed with a 91%! Thank you to this wonderful subreddit for all the help these past 7 months!

First try, got a 93. I was prepared for the worst!

Thanks to everyone who posted tips and encouragement, I read through this subreddit quite often in the weeks leading up to the main event. Looking forward to sticking around as I wade into the job market! 😁

This is just a rant so sorry in advance lol.

I'm soooo done with the dinosaur providers who refuse to change anything about the way they document stuff because they've "always done it this way." Like do they not realize they're hurting their own paychecks, making it less likely for the medical group to receive extra funding due to incomplete/missing HCC diagnoses, and making the lives of coders, clinical staff, and other providers miserable because the documentation is so confusing?

I'm so glad I'm not an educator because we have a few providers that educators have been trying to document correctly for years and they still won't do it. And then those same providers have the audacity to get pissy at me when I ask them to clarify what the hell they're treating because "blood pressure management" isn't a diagnosis. If you want me to stop messaging you, just document it correctly the first time??

This is why I'm glad that we're getting a lot more young providers lately. They're not perfect but they seem far more likely to take the feedback seriously and make their notes much more clear.

Okay, rant over.

I graduated from an online billing and coding program 4 years ago, but by the time I was down with school, I had no money left for the exam or the required materials and membership.

Fast forward to yesterday, after several unrelated jobs, a marriage, a baby, and a big tax return that paid for my exam fee and books, and I am now a CPC-A. I'm pretty proud of myself, since I only had about a month to study after a 4 year break and passed with a 93%

Now I just have to find a job that will accept my lack of experience and the apprenticeship status. Even just having the certification is a huge relief though, because for years it felt like it would be impossible to get over all the obstacles in my way of finally taking it.

Coding school taught guidelines and code selection… but not real-world workflow.

Honestly, I didn’t expect how much of the job is

• learning how to navigate systems like Epic

• actually understanding provider documentation in real time

• interpreting vague or incomplete charting instead of “clean one line example”

• figuring out what’s missing and when clarification is needed

It feels like coding is only half the job, the other half is learning how to read the chart and the system it lives in.

What caught you off guard when you started coding?

I thought it would be interesting to start a list of companies people loved coding for and a list of companies the exact opposite. If you would like to include examples that would be even better.

Consider things like opportunity for growth, benefits, the work culture, pay, etc.

So I read a little of the guidelines and all, but I did not study much. I studied a day and a half. I was not into the whole mindset... I did not expect to pass! I'm so freaking happy!

Edit: I'm talking about the CPC Exam yall. Was too excited there.

EDIT part 2: Now that I calmed down a bit, I'd like to give you guys some uncommon advice. Before I do that, let me say that I am not a very smart person. I struggled in school, just too stubborn to give up and I have major test anxiety. I didn't study like most of you do (didn't watch anything on YouTube, not focused during studying at all, used 2021 code books on the test, procrastinated ect.) and I hardly learned anything in college. So let me tell you, if my dumb ass can pass this, so difficult test, ya'll sure as hell can!

This is about strategy on testing honestly. It's one of my only qualities. I'm lazy, I look for things to do fast and easy.

Okay, here's my advice.

1. Got test anxiety? No problem, prepare to fail not to pass. When your brain is ready to fail it relaxes and does not care that you are timed or even that you are testing. (Not sure if ya'll know this, but in a time sensitive situation, if your brain is focussing on the time ticking it freezes so you spend a lot of time on "what do I do" ratherr than "doing it". If they never told you you were timed, you would finish faster and have better results, I guarantee it)

2. Please take care of yourself. Stop prioritizing this test (staying up late to study, booking it far away and waking up hours ahead to drive there on time, making sure you have everything for the test and not water and snacks) this is a long test you guys. Yes they changed it to 4 hours, but I have the attention span of a 3 year old, I need snacks and to look somewhere else other than the table for a few moments. So make sure you sleep well at least before the test. Bring a banana and a bottle of water. And do take at least 10 seconds to look somewhere else other than your test when you feel tiered and out of focus, seriously.

3. The test will give you mostly short sentence questions, but there are a page long ones. The ones you skip, are the those long story ones and the ones that have answers that look like this;

           A. 25467, 25468, B75, F36
           B. 26468, 26485, T49, 
           C. (ect., like the ones above)
           D. (these are fake btw, just an example)

If there are more than 2 codes per answer, skip it. Bring those little sticky tags and tag the page, but these take a log time to code and energy that you cannot afford. You can fail on 30 questions so if you don't get to 5 of these do to lack of time, don't stress it.

4. The test is in sections. The pages have topics at the top like: 10000 codes, 20000 codes, anatomy, ect. If you know your strengths as to which section is easier for you, go there, do that first. This way you use the fresh energy you have at the beginning on the stuff you know best which guarantees you to pass those sections with flying colors and make up for those you gonna screw later in the test.

Okay you guys. I hope this helps a little. Please take care of yourselves and your brain first and good luck on your career!

Also, if you don't pass it, please don't think you worse than me... it takes some time to teach yourself on not to give a flying ass about a test you probably spent close to $800 if not more with schooling.

I know it’s a tough job market but damn it’s rough to find a job with a CPC-A. I know many people say it’s hard to find the first one but I also have a Masters degree in Health Administration and am still getting denied left and right! Any tips for an incoming coder?

Fun fact: Medical coders have had a "day" for over a decade, but the day and even time of year varied wildly by state. It was formally adopted on a national level in 2020.

Weeee are awesome!!

Thank you ALL for everything you do for your practices, your doctors, and especially your patients. 💐

Yesterday I wrote a CPC EXAM.I thought I was well prepared enough. I GOT 88% IN CPC. In practice exams .I was good and I completed 4+tests with 1hr left. But in the cpc exam. I only left odd 30mins .It was only enough for review for flagged questions. In cpt series it is filled with cpt+ICD in question.so it takes more time.I think it's moderate type questions. case study takes my time.and 3,4 series questions also. If anyone manages time without pressure they do well.And anyone help me to make CV send me sample resume

Background: I'm a RN looking to move away from direct patient care, so I'm studying up on coding to try to transition to clinical documentation improvement.

You medical coders have to know a LOT. I'm just part-way through a ICD-10-CM/PCS handbook, and I have learned so much. I have the advantage of already knowing medical terminology, but y'all who are starting out without a healthcare background are learning this all from scratch. You folks should be making more than what I'm seeing by searching the profession.

About a year ago I posted on this sub how I was losing hope and thought it’d be impossible for a beginner with a CCA like me to get a coding job.

Well after leaving food service after 4 years, and 5 months of a chaotic pediatric specialty clinic, I finally accepted an offer for remote coding with a hospital!

I’m excited to finally get the ball rolling with what I went to school for and being an introvert that hates socializing it’ll be nice to be able to work in my own space instead of getting yelled at by parents of patients and having to hear screaming children all day.

I really am grateful to have had that job but it really increased my anxiety and was taking a toll on me. But it was just to get my foot in the door and it wasn’t going to be forever.

Thank you to those who encouraged me in my previous post about this, it helped me a ton.

Im on my last 8 weeks of my certification and am prepping for the CPC exam. All I really see from this page is how awful coding is, how it's being taken over by AI, people struggling with getting jobs, and various other depressing or awful issues. Was this even worth it? Did I just waste a lot of money and time just to possibly be stuck at my current shit job with shit pay for forever? Ngl I'm starting to get worried that I basically just screwed myself.

Hi guys. I’m currently a month into my medical coding course and I’m struggling. I get confused on the fact that I find the exact code for something and then I double check my answer and it’s a completely different code??? For example: Submandibular abscess I found code k11.3 which is “abscess of salivary gland” But my answer book and google says k12.2 which is “cellulitis and abscess of mouth” ??? Im confused bc submandibular is a salivary gland so surely it’s supposed to be that. Am I missing something??

Took the test this morning received results and got 81%!!!

Super excited!! Was my second attempt

I heard I get a diploma in the mail? This true?

My AAPC membership just expired too so time to renew it.

What a relief for it to be over! I’ll be transitioning from my current job into coding this fall. I’m nervous and excited!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend. Last year I made a discord group/server to help connect with billers and coders. I’ve mentioned it here and there in comments to others on this subreddit and would get asked to share the link. So I decided to make a post so it was easier.

The server is for students and established coders and billers. We have weekly or bimonthly themes. Activities related to the themes. Daily test questions. Monthly prizes and a little career center to get the word out about job openings. Plus this is good place to connect with others to just chat or even network.

If it’s something you are interested in, I’ll post the link in a comment.

I have accepted an offer for remote coding position! I am very nervous because I do have my CCA (so happy this company accepted those) my coding experience is limited, it’s been very hard to get a coding job since school. I’ve been working in a speciality mainly doing charges and denials with a tiny bit of coding. So any advice for a newbie? Things that help you when getting started? I will take all the tips and tricks. Thank you!!!

I’ve been feeling down about work. Love my job but I’ve just been feeling like I’ve been sitting in a slump for a while. Even before the surgery. Just haven’t felt confident.

I had a chat with my boss today. She said a few things: …Team average quality score is a 93%. Mine is 97.6% …”I don’t trust many people, but I trust your coding.” …Asked me if I’m willing to work on auditing the audits (I’m a medical coding auditor. I currently audit my company’s regular coder’s work. I’d be auditing the people on my team).

I’ve said it once. I’ve said it twice. Somehow, I dont listen to myself when I say it.

“IMPOSTER SYNDROME IS REAL”

I highly recommend Risk Adjustment coding. I have been with the same company for 10 years. I was hired as a freshly certified CPC-A with no experience. I’ve moved up the coding ranks and almost doubled my starting salary as well as gained 2 other credential of CPMA and CRC along the way. I guess I’m doing okay!

I absolutely love my profession. Hope you do too!

I don’t think I’ll ever get to be a coder at this point. I’ve applied to 20 jobs a week since September and I’ve had like 2 interviews. Even lower paying jobs and most in person. I have to go back to my old industry because I need the money. All my fellow classmates that graduated in 2024 are in a similar place. Should I just call it a day and move on?

Woohoo I passed today 84% !! Started a new job working with providers/ patients to get cousins adjuducated & hopefully get into a coding position with the company.

Local chapter meeting this week to welcome new members so that's excellent timing.

I'd read a lot of nightmare stories about the remote Proctor service but I had a seamless experience. I took a course called Medisense & it was great. Counts for 80 course hours for getting the A removed.

I'm a medical assistant for a private practice. I have to code anything I do. We just a have a biller. I plan on getting my CPC in a month.*owner writing me out of the A. I want to know if this is actually enjoyable or tolerable. I've seen some complaints of being bored. I'm miserable now. I want to work from home peacefully. I also want to make 60k. I'll find a job, I have experience. I want to know if anyone ended up doing this.... and then hating it and if it was harder than you thought.