Getting a Medical Coding Job
The options for medical coding employment are extremely varied. But most of them lead back to the same place – a medical coding job with a medical clinic or hospital. Fortunately, unless you happen to live in an extremely out of the way locale, opportunities for medical coding jobs should be plentiful. The supply of medical coders has not been sufficient to meet the demand for medical coders for many years now and the supply-demand imbalance in the medical coding industry is only getting worse. This is good news for a newly minted medical coder looking for a medical coding job.
So how do you find a medical coding job?
Of course, you can look in the classified ad section of your local newspaper in search of medical coding job opportunities. However, you are always at the mercy of the timing of postings. It is not our preferred method. You should be aware that there are a lot of medical coding industry publications where medical coding jobs are routinely posted. Advance Magazine, an AHIMA (American Health Information management Association) publication, is an excellent resource. Also, in this day and age, there are many medical coding job boards dedicated to opportunities and information in the medical coding field.
If you are not bashful, one of the best ways we can think of to identify medical coding job opportunities is to call or visit the medical records department of local hospitals or clinics. If you ask to speak directly to the medical records director or medical coding supervisor, you may be fortunate enough to catch them at an opportune moment and make a brief introduction. Finding the best medical coding job requires a little networking and proactivity on your part.
Medical coding jobs can be found in a variety of organizations, including:
* Large hospital systems
* Private hospitals – small and large
* Government hospitals
* National medical billing & Coding service providers
* Clinics and Physician Groups
* Nursing Homes & Rehabilitation Centers
* Home Healthcare Agencies
* Insurance Companies
* Law firms and Consulting firms
The path you ultimately take on your medical coding job search will depend on a number of factors. Some of these factors include:
* Level of Experience and Proficiency
* Income Requirements
* Benefit Requirements
* Importance of Freedom and Flexibility
* Personal Motivation
* Risk Tolerance
Hospitals tend to be more rigid and bureaucratic in their approach to medical coding employment than smaller, more nimble medical clinics or physician groups. However, their pay rates can also be higher.
Hospitals tend to require a higher level of inpatient coding skill and certification. On the other hand, large hospitals can offer medical transcription employment benefits which far outweigh those provided by most smaller organizations. These benefits may include overtime pay, flex-time, sick leave, paid vacation, and perhaps most importantly - generous health care benefits. Also, if you are interested in pursuing a long-term career as a Medical Records Director or Hospital Administrator, a large hospital system will typically provide more opportunities for upward mobility.
Medical clinics and physicians offices tend to operate under relatively normal business hours. This allows medical coders employed by these organizations to enjoy a traditional and fairly stable medical coding work schedule. However, if medical coding job flexibility is important to you, you should consider a medical coding job in a hospital setting. Most hospitals are open 24 hours per day 7 days per week and often offer significant flexibility to medical coders in terms of flex schedules and shift work.
Source: medical-coder.com, used with permission
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The Medical Coding Job Outlook