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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Health Care |
I am going to school for Medical Insurance Billing and Coding at Pinnacle Career Institute....? |
Is this school good? It is the only one I could find with a nine-month program like most of the tech schools out here. And am I looking at a good career field? Can I go for billing AND coding? Most of the job descriptions I saw had billing OR coding jobs - not both. And are the starting wages/salaries good? I have a son and looking to get married soon to add another to my family in the next 3-5 years... Is this a good career move? Medical Insurance Billing and Coding are two very separate fields. I am personally a CPC through the AAPC, A CCP through PHIA, RN, and I am an auditor. I have been a CPC (Certified Professional Coder) since 1995. I have been doing this for some time. I also have taught at the National College of Business and I can tell you that your diploma will not help you in the job market. However, it may help you to learn the field, how to code, the basics, etc. but it will not help you otherwise. You must get certified through the AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) or PHIA (Professional Healthcare Information Association). It all depends on what your state most employs. That is something you need to look into. As far as the job market, it is in high demand. If not locally, you can work remotely or travel. Personally, I travel. I make anywhere from $120,000 to $200,000 per year. You should really consider getting a mentor to help you with your career decisions. I have mentored multiple people and trust me here, it will really help you. If you choose a mentor, make sure that they are certified and that they have been for sometime. There are many new certified coders and/or billers out there that are new to the field. Nothing wrong with that, but the real world in this field is totally different from you actually learn in school... For instance, when taking the CPC exam, you can not use rules for Medicare. This is where it will become very confusing for you if you are already coding. However, if you know your stuff you will not have any problems. The CPC exam is as hard or harder than the nursing boards I took if that tells you anything. You really need to know your anatomy and all of your basics before you venture into the coding field. Billing, this is more behing the scenes. You will work with insurance companys etc. With coding, you need to work more hands on with the physicians, nurses, etc. You have to know pretty much everything that goes on with the patients. I have wrote a book on coding and believe me, I could go on for days. It is a good field and in high demand. Unfortunately from what I've heard, there are not too many jobs in the medical billing and coding field (or in medical assisting). And as for the coding itself, they say that one typically must have at least 1-2 years (or even more depending upon who one talks to) of coding experience since it's that specialized. The company can actually get a hefty fine if the coding is not done properly, and most companies would like the coder to have passed their certification(s) exams. The Pinnacle school actually sounds like a school that is a 'diploma mill' which would include online schools such as Stratford Career Institute, Penn Foster, University of Phoenix, Strayer University, Kaplan U, Kaiser U, and Devry U and employers don't really see the curriculums or schools as reputable. I don't, however, know anything first-hand about the school. If you really would like to get the training, please really consider attending a local program offered thru the community college or county vo-tech school. Otherwise, you may be in debt while not finding a job ;) Best wishes to you! For other jobs: US Occupational Outlook Handbook www.bls.gov/oco and can type into search 'medical coding' or such. They give average, general info and not necessarily by geographic location. Here is another interesting website which actually has consumer complaints about various products and services. www.ripoffreport.com and can type into search 'continuing education' or such. |
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