As you know, work from home job is becoming popular these days. In fact, when you search on Google for home-based jobs, you will find a lot of different work from home opportunities including medical coding. But the thing is, are there medical coding jobs from home with no experience?
When I became a mom, I had to make a choice between becoming a stay at home mom and continue pursuing my career. But you know, like any other moms in the world, you will always choose the former over the latter. As some people say, there is a lot of work in the world, but your child, he or she is irreplaceable. No matter how you work hard, its nothing compared to the joy that your child brings.
So, yes, I did give up my long-time regular job over motherhood, and as the saying goes — my life was never the same again.
But I thought that’s where the change ends. Two weeks after I resigned, I met up with a mommy friend who happened to be a full-time work from home mom. To be honest, I never imagine working from home. Although I am aware that home-based jobs exist, I never really considered being one. But how I see this work field changed through that conversation with my friend. She introduced me to medical coding. Gladly, I learned that there are medical coding jobs from home with no experience. Perfect for people like me who have no work-related experience in this industry at all.
To be able to pursue work from home medical coding job, I did go through an online medical coding certification course, and then right after I got my certification, I immediately applied for medical coding jobs from home with no experience and luckily, after just a week or two, I got hired.
If there’s one thing I learned about his experience that would be the fact you can pursue anything you like as long as you put your heart to it. While my primary focus is to take care of my child, I just knew in my heart that I will also need work from home to keep me busy when my baby is asleep. And I know there are a lot of mommies like you out there that think the same way I did.
With that said, I will be sharing with you some of the basic information about medical coding, and where you can find medical coding jobs from home with no experience. But before we proceed, let us first discuss some of the benefits of a medical coder.
What are the Benefits of Working as a Medical Coder?
– It’s in-demand. Believe it or not, there is a lot of data available that shows the increase in demand for medical coding billing jobs. It also proves how fast-growing this field is compared to other work from home jobs. With that said, it gives a certain assurance of job security and a massive opportunity for those who have the right training for this field.
A lot of people thought that becoming a medical coder is tough. While there may be truth to that especially since you need to take and finish a certification program first before you can work as one, once you are already into it, you will surely reap the harvest of your labor.
– It’s a work from home job. Gone are the days when medical coders work physically at hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, and other medical institutions. Thanks to technological advancement, even medical coders can now work remotely. Thus, making it even more ideal for stay at home moms like you and me. Like any other work from home jobs, it gives you the ability to make time and take care of your child, at the same time, the ability to work and earn money to help pay the bills.
– It offers a flexible work schedule. Apart from the fact that it is work from home, one more very important thing that makes working as a medical coder beneficial especially for stay at home moms is the fact that you can work anytime. Most companies that offer medical coding jobs from home with no experience offer several options when it comes to working schedules. The flexibility of the work schedule helps a lot in keeping a good balance between work and life.
Just to give you an idea, generally speaking, medical coder specialists work around 40 hours a week. Depending on the work environment and demand, you may work in alternative hours. This way, you get to easily manage your schedule according to you and demands of your child.
So, now that you already know some of the benefits of a work from home medical coder, let’s proceed to discuss what medical coding is all about.
What is Medical Coding?
According to the American Academy of Professional Coders, medical coding refers to “the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. The diagnoses and procedure codes are taken from medical record documentation, such as transcription of physician’s notes, laboratory and radiologic results, etc.”
Just in case you are not aware of t, medical coding has been around for a long time now. In fact, it happens every time you see your doctor or any healthcare provider. What happens is, the healthcare provider reviews your medical history along with your complaint, and then he or she makes an assessment about your condition, how to treat it, and then documentation of your visit transpires. That piece of documentation does not only serve as the patient’s record, but it also serves as a basis on how the healthcare provider gets paid.
According to AAPC, medical codes translate that documentation into consistent codes that inform payers the following:
- Patient’s diagnosis
- Medical necessity for treatments, services, or supplies the patient received
- Treatments, services, and supplies provided to the patient
- Any unusual circumstances or medical condition that affected those treatments and services
With all these, it is safe to say that medical coding is not simply coding something, but that it requires certain ability to understand physiology, anatomy, and details of service, as well as the rules and regulations of the payers in order to succeed.
What Does a Medical Coder Do?
Still, according to AAPC, medical coders are the persons who “ensure the codes are applied correctly during the medical billing process, which includes abstracting the information from documentation, assigning the appropriate codes, and creating a claim to be paid by insurance carriers.”
How to be a Medical Coder?
Now that you already understand what medical coding is all about and what the tasks of a medical coder are, let’s proceed to discuss how to be a medical coder. Of course, before you jump into this, you have to know the basic requirements of the job.
First and foremost, to be a successful medical coder, you must be knowledgeable of the following:
– Anatomy
– Physiology
– Medical Procedures
– Payer Rules and Policies
Second, you must undergo training through a coding-specific training program or college. If you have a medical-related background, that would be ideal. If you don’t, you just have to take and hold a medical coding certification. Once you are done with the training program or certification, finding medical coding jobs from home with no experience will be easier.
Now, in relation to item number two, which is the Medical Coding certifications, you must be aware that there are several types of certifications, which depends on the area of the revenue cycle you would want to pursue.
Here are the different types of medical coding certifications for your reference:
– Certified Professional Coder (CPC) – This is the standard type of medical coding certification. According to AAPC, this type of certification “certifies the medical coder’s ability to work in an outpatient setting.”
– Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC) – This applies to facility coders who wish to handle inpatient coding.
– Certified Outpatient Coder (COC) – This certification is ideal for those who want to handle hospital patients who receive in and out services.
I know, perhaps you are thinking how then can you study when you are home attending to your kid. Well, the answer to that is – there are actually a lot of programs available for online training on medical coding. Yes, you can take the course online, as well as the certification, which I actually did. There are several institutions that offer such programs, and all you have to do is pick your preferred institution among the choices.
How Much Does a Medical Coder Make?
If you need extra money to help pay the bills or to simply be able to buy stuff for you or your kids, medical coding job is perfect for you!
On one hand, according to the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for medical coders is around $39,000. On the other hand, according to the site called, PayScale, the median wage by the hour of medical coders is $17.22. Another salary site called, Glassdoor, states that the annual salary for medical coders is at $38,000.
Where to Apply for Medical Coding Jobs from Home with No Experience?
Many people are quite hesitant working as a medical coder especially without experience because they feel like lading in one is really challenging. To be honest, I guess in any work field, getting in can really be challenging especially when you are new to it. But at the end of the day, if you are really focused on getting the job, and you have enough confidence in yourself and your abilities, landing a medical coding job will be easy with or without experience.
Moving on, now that you already know some of the basic information about what medical coding is all about, it’s time to share with you some of the best companies that offer medical coding jobs from home with no experience.
- Precyse Solutions
Precyse Solutions is a prominent clinical data management company located in Roswell, Georgia. The company was established in 1998 and has nearly 4,000 partner healthcare facilities like UMass Memorial Medical Center and Fairmont General Hospital. The company has been awarded the HIMSS Gold Corporate Member Award
Precyse Solutions boasts its history of excellent coding services. In fact, the company’s coding team consists of about 375 certified medical coders, all of these are living in 41 states.
If you are interested to be a medical coder for Pryce Solutions, you must have AHIMA credentials and at least two years of work experience as a medical coder. Once you are hired, you will undergo a full orientation, and free online training from Precyse University, which will help you learn the integrated PrecyseCode platform.
- Medical Record Associates
With Medical Record Associates LLC 30 years in the business, it has developed into one of America’s largest health information services organizations. Medical Record Associates is based in Quincy, Massachusetts. As of this writing, the company boasts about providing employment to about 500 employees nationwide. These employees provide full-suite HIM solutions.
Specifically for medical coding and cancer registry, the company offers flexible, work from home jobs. What to like about working form MRA is that they provide their work from home employees a well-rounded benefits, including paid holidays, which is uncommon to other work from home jobs.
To apply for the job, you must have RHIT or CPC credentials with at least 95% accuracy rate. That’s quite tough, I know, but getting in is definitely worth it.
By the way, MRA serves a variety of clients like doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare providers who opt to outsource their HIM department.
- Altegra Health
Altegra Health has over 25 years of experience to back them up when it comes to providing end-to-end reimbursement solutions. It is a privately held, national company based in Weston, Florida. Over the years, the company has partnered with diverse healthcare providers in all 50 states in the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico. Altegra Health is, by the way, affiliated with the AHIMA.
To date, the company has over 5,000 employees both on-site and those who work from home. To qualify for their remote certified coders’ post, you must have at least one year of work experience. Once you get in, expect that the company follows strict QA standards.
- Maxim Health Information Services
Maxim Health Information Services is located in Gardena, California. The company belongs to one of the largest staffing companies in the US. MHIS has worked with different healthcare facilities in the US to help improve electronic patient records through outsourcing solutions. For its impeccable service, the Better Business Bureau has awarded Maxim Health Information Services an A-rating.
The company is providing both long-term and short-term medical coding jobs particularly for those with ICD-10 training. If you want to receive competitive pay, full benefits like dental and 401(k), then Maxim Health Information Services is the perfect company for you. Furthermore, the company offers a room for career advancement from medical coding associate to medical coding supervisor posts.
- Humana
Humana is ranked on the Fortune 500 list. In fact, it is considered as a giant health insurance corporation. The company is located at Louisville, Kentucky, and boasts over 13.8 million medical members. An estimated 10% of the company’s 49,000 associates are said to be telecommuting from home.
Humana is definitely one of the companies to aim for especially for new medical coders. Computerworld tagged Humana as one of the “100 Best Places to Work” in the United States. In addition, the company has also earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
Most of the company’s remote medical coding and billing jobs are regularly posted for applicants with CPC or CCS-P qualifications. Apart from these positions, the company also hires virtual coding educators but must have at least five years of work experience.
- Aviacode
Aviacode is one of the most popular companies when it comes to medical coding and billing contracting in Salt Lake City. In fact, the company employs around 850 certified work from home medical coders nationwide. Aviacode is said to serving about 8,800 physicians across 61 medical specialties.
Aviacode hires work from home medical coders’ to work as 1099 independent contractors for 15 to 40+ hours per week. To qualify, a candidate must pass the ICD-10 proficiency assessment through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
- Conifer Health Solutions
Conifer Health Solutions is based in Frisco, Texas. It is a successful health information services firm that has over 30 years of experience to back them up. The company has over 800 medical clients. Thus making is one trusted company by healthcare providers. In 2016, Conifer Health Solutions was listed as number 66 on Forbes’ list of “America’s Best Employers”.
Currently, the company hires work from home medical coders with a very competitive $3,000 sign-up bonus. Apart from medical coders, the company is also accepting candidates for billing specialists and cancer registry consultant posts.
Final Thoughts
You see, I only listed 7 of the many companies that provide medical coding jobs from home with no experience. Just a disclaimer, although some of the companies I listed prefer medical coders with experience, they still do not close their doors for newbies provided they are able to meet the company’s requirements.
Medical coding can be quite intimidating at first, but once you are in it, you will surely love being part of it. Of course, for moms like me, with all the perks of the job, I guess there really is nothing to dislike about medical coding, right?
Thanks! This is really very encouraging! I have been searching for quite a while now. Trying to find a foothold or means on how to get back to work.
Thank you for this information. What company do you work for.
I graduated medical billing and coding with associate degree..
Thank you! I am looking for a remote medical coding job due to having Epilepsy. I am pursuing my Associates Degree for Medical Administration but have no coding experience. Do you have any suggestions on how to take the AHIMA certification at a more reasonable price and how to get some experience in at home, for practice, maybe a Medical coder would like a free assistant in exchange for referral on my resume?
Thank you,
Tina
Thanks for sharing this information. This information is of great value to amateurs like me. Keep sharing more posts like this.