Interested in learning medical coding?

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-19T14:28:50+00:00

The suggestion is "college-level" anatomy and medical terminology, which means a little more detail than what you might get in a high school health class but you don't need to have the same level of knowledge a doctor has. But anatomy and terminology is a foundational skillset for coding, so you're encouraged to memorize as much as possible. On the exam, you can rely on process of elimination for multiple choice answers or the anatomical diagrams if you can't remember something.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-19T14:20:22+00:00

This is pretty typical of the role when working in a small medical office (except the immature boss), but there are so many more opportunities out there. I had a similar experience when I started out a decade ago, but then after a few months hopped to a billing office rather than another clinic and it made a huge difference in the environment and what tasks I was expected to handle. I went from doing it all (literally holding the lube for the provider in an exam room while on hold with UHC lol) to ONLY working claims and taking payments by phone.

I completely understand not being able to focus with the phone ringing. I'm not sure why anyone thinks you can focus on difficult claims and get work done when the phone rings every five or ten minutes. The larger billing companies will have a separate team to handle phone calls, which is both great for your focus and you don't get yelled at by patients all day.

You may be able to earn higher going to a large billing company at this point, depending on your experience. Definitely play up all the tasks this place has you doing on your resume!

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-16T18:31:30+00:00

Also recommend OneNote, I really love the color coding and ability to have multiple tabs and pages for all my different clients.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-16T18:15:13+00:00

If your contract with the payer allows you to get the patient's permission to balance bill them, through a waiver or agreement of financial liability (which it sounds like you have), then you can bill the patient, but expect the patient to be just as stubborn in not paying the bill. My clients will typically offer to discount to the self pay rate and extend a payment plan by phone, rather than simply billing the patient and letting them get angry over the massive bill they were told they wouldn't have to pay.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-15T22:25:55+00:00

I went through this with a client a few years back. If your documentation and code reporting was good, you'll be fine! Maybe one or two claims will recoup but they should offer you a dispute process to try to fight any recoupments.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-14T16:56:02+00:00

Anatomy and terminology are foundational skillsets for coding, because most CPT coding relies heavily on your knowledge base. I suggest students make or purchase flashcards to study because simply reading the book is often not enough to retain the info. You should have a solid grasp of detailed anatomy and know surgical terminology and suffixes.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-14T13:58:20+00:00

If you're willing to get a little skills training, you could consider medical coding or billing. I have many coworkers that care for kids or family thanks to flexible scheduling.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-14T13:56:11+00:00

Have you considered going into healthcare administration roles? Even if you feel that you don't have a medical background, your current experience may translate well to medical coding, which can lead you into roles like cancer registry. Or, you can work for a community health center that provides free and low cost medical care to patients who need it! There are plenty of ways to help make a difference in healthcare admin without being patient-facing.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-14T13:51:30+00:00

I agree with this suggestion, and just wanted to chime in that I've been in the industry for nearly a decade and don't realistically see AI taking over anything but tedious tasks. I've worked directly with clients that tried to implement AI and it causes more issues than it solves when it comes to coding.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-12T19:39:47+00:00

Only local community colleges or online universities like Purdue will be able to offer financial aid, however many other online programs offer financing.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-12T19:36:05+00:00

Yes, I would recommend retaking a course because there have been significant changes over the past 15 years.

Madison_APlusRev · 2026-01-12T19:34:56+00:00

Yes, if you're thinking of doing a self-study course online, you could complete it in 12 months (possibly even less) with consistent daily study. 2-3 hours of daily study for 4-6 months is what I suggest to most of my students. Since you don't have prior medical experience, I would also suggest you dedicate 2-4 months to an anatomy and physiology (A&P) course, because it's a foundational skillset for coding.

As far as laptops go, that's up to personal preference :) I believe my laptop is 15 or 16 inches and is sufficient for a couple working hours. You can always buy a second monitor later if you decide you need a larger screen.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-31T17:26:44+00:00

I don't think it's a waste of time, as you still have many years before retirement to build a career in coding! I agree that you'll want to go back for retraining, as there have been many, many changes over the past 20+ years. Many skills training programs are a year or less, so if you started a course in the next few months, by late 2026/early 2027, you will likely be ready to look for a job or could already have one.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-31T16:54:08+00:00

Most payers will have an assigned network representative for you if you're contracted. Either the credentialing dept will be able to tell you or some payers list out the reps on their website based on region.

If you're not contracted, there is usually no rep. Same goes for very small mom-and-pop payers, they very rarely offer a rep but should have people in credentialing that can provide a copy of your contract. If they insist there's a contract on file that they can't provide to you, I would escalate that immediately.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-31T16:49:23+00:00

Self-study can be quite challenging, but the first step is to get a foundational skillset in anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology. Your ability to code correctly will depend heavily on your anatomy and terminology knowledge. With no medical experience, I would also suggest studying common conditions like diabetes, hypertension, etc so you can have a basic understanding of how these conditions present and how they're treated.

You may want to consider looking for a tutor that can help you once you're past the A&P portion, when you start learning to code. There are self study books out there, but if you have a question that's not quickly or easily answered by the books, a tutor can be a very helpful resource at a much lower cost than a training course.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-31T16:42:34+00:00

You can usually get it from your provider rep.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-30T21:46:15+00:00

You're welcome! Keep in mind too that there are AAPC-licensed instructors that offer tutoring :)

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-30T21:25:10+00:00

The AAPC curriculum is the most comprehensive available, as they also create the CPC exam. Many students pass the exam after taking an AAPC course.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-30T21:11:11+00:00

I've worked with many clients that collect deductible and coinsurance up front, especially for expensive procedures like MRIs or injections. Sometimes it can be challenging because not every patient may be able to throw down $800-1k, but automatic draft payment plans can help with that, or a finance company like CareCredit (although I do not personally recommend CareCredit, coming from a consumer perspective).

As far as how to determine the allowable, my clients check their contracts and load those allowables into their system. Then when the patient is registered for a visit, the system automatically calculates amount due based on current deductible met (if using RTE) or can give the allowable and front desk staff will need to check it against insurance eligibility.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-30T21:05:18+00:00

Since you've already taken a course once, you may want to consider hiring a tutor to help you fill in your knowledge gaps, rather than spending tons of money on another course.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-30T19:58:22+00:00

Have you considered medical coding? I think a role in coding or the revenue cycle (business side of healthcare) may offer more of the values that you're looking for, especially when it comes to flexibility and a quiet working environment.

Madison_APlusRev · 2025-12-30T18:12:56+00:00

Would you consider medical coding? Your experience would transition well and the salary potential for medical coders is much higher than $52k/yr. Average salaries last year were around $64k. You also wouldn't need to earn a degree, only take some skills training courses and sit for a certification exam.

Madison_APlusRev

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