There Is A Compelling Need For Medical Coders
Every month in the United States there are literally millions of medical records that need to be coded. These millions of records represent billions of dollars worth of clinical services. Health care is such a huge part of our economy that it represents around 25% of the Gross Domestic Product of the United States.
We don’t mean to take you back to high school economics, so as a quick reminder, when we are talking about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), we are talking about the total value of ALL goods and services products within an ENTIRE COUNTRY over the course of a year.
There is a number even bigger than 25% when it comes to health care. That is 40% of all the money that is raised from your taxes. Nearly 40% of all our federal government’s dollars go to support health care programs. That is 40% of all the money that raise from your taxes. And these numbers are growing.
The main reason is that at the end of World War II the biggest generation started to be born. And dubbed “Baby Boomers.” There are 76 million of baby boomers. World War II was a long time ago and this generation of people is beginning to get older. And because of incredible improvement in Health Care, they are living longer than ever, and consuming more health care than any generation in history.
And every one of those millions and millions of records every month has to be coded. Are you still unsure what coding is?
Great Medical Coders
There are a lot of options for being trained as a medical coder. Most schools are pretty good at covering the basics, like Medical Language, Anatomy & Physiology, How to Use the Code Books. And these things are very important when it comes to actually doing the work. They are also important when it comes to passing a national certification exam.
In fact, most schools and most medical coding programs are designed to get you prepared to pass one of those tests.
The problem is that there are so many schools that are putting graduates into the tests that coding companies and hospitals can afford to be picky. They don’t want to just hire anyone who took a course, or even anyone who passed their certification test. They want to hire someone who is good.
Actually, they want to hire coders who are great.
Because there are so many millions of records to be coded, most facilities and companies are buried in work and they can’t afford to mentor someone right out of school. They want to hire someone who has already done the work and knows what they are doing.
What Makes A Great Coder?
The difference between someone who knows the basics and a great coder can mean everything to a company or hospital.
And we can tell you in one word what makes that difference.
Experience.
After you learn the basics, understand about codes and can look them up you are absolutely ready to take (and most likely pass) a national certification test. But you have zero experience.
CareerWize Was Created To Make Great Coders
CareerWize was not created to help students pass the test. Or to give them just the basics.
CareerWize was created in order to make great coders.
Dave Jensen, who founded one of the largest medical coding companies in the country, had hired literally thousands of coders over several years. His company, like most companies, couldn’t afford to spend a lot of time mentoring and teaching brand-new-out-of-school coders to be productive. He watched as many of these people came in the door, worked a few days, a few weeks, and sometimes even a few months, and had to be let go.
He calls it the “Revolving Door.”
And he wanted to put an end to it.
ChartWize Practicum & Comprehensive Curriculum
How do you address a lack of experience in education? Simple, by providing experience!
After you learn the basics, but before you’re ready to begin your job search, you need to code real medical records. Yes, actually code them just like you would if you were on the job.
So we created the ChartWize Practicum—our own virtual internship.
This unique component to your education gives you hundreds of actual medical records to code—and then walks you through how to come up with the right answer, grading your efforts along the way. By the time you finish your virtual internship, you have the very skills that employers are looking for. And you have real experience.
Of course ChartWize is the last piece of a very comprehensive curriculum. The virtual internship is not the only part of your CareerWize education that stands apart from everyone else.
Process to Becoming a Medical Coder
- Select Your Course (Hospital vs Physican)
- Complete all the Course Work
- Do the ChartWize Virtual Internship
- Pass your CareerWize Exam
- Schedule and Take Your National Certification Exam
- Begin Building Your Resume
- Job Interviews
- Start your New Career
Our curriculum is extremely comprehensive, and—dare we say it—even fun. Imagine that! An education that isn’t only comprehensive, but is actually enjoyable to sit down and do! How is that even possible? We have integrated more than 25 different types of interactions into your education. So you are rarely just reading text. And you’re not doing the exact same thing over and over. Sometimes you are playing a sound game, sometimes doing a crossword puzzle, and sometimes competing with your fellow student for top-spot on a game.
But no matter what you are doing, you are learning along the way.
Lifestyle
Most Medical Coders love what they do. It’s challenging, interesting, and different every day. Plus what you are doing matters. As a medical coder, you are an integral part of important work—life-saving work. But that is just the beginning of the lifestyle Medical Coding can give you.
It’s possible to work from home as a medical coder, and by “home” we really mean anywhere at all. We know medical coders who take weeks’ and even months’ long “vacations,” living on the beach and traveling the world, without ever taking a day off.
A lot of medical coders work in their pajamas and work around the school schedules, nap schedules, fitness schedules, whatever needs they have personally and in their families.
Imagine a lifestyle where your life actually comes first, and you make “work” fit into it, instead of the other way around!
5 Reasons Medical Coding Rocks As A Career!
Picking The Course That Is Right For You
Every journey begins with a single step. And the first step to your new career is picking which course that is right for you. How do you decide?
One of the biggest factors may be people you already know in the medical coding space. If you learned about CareerWize or medical coding from someone who already does it, you may have an “In.” Find out from whoever introduced you to this fabulous career if there are openings where they work and what type of work it is. You can have a line on a job before you even begin.
Other factors could be whether you want to work from home, how you want to develop your career in the future, and how much money you want to make.
- A lot of at-home medical coding jobs (but certainly not all) are doing physician-based work.
- You may want to move into auditing or supervising, and being in a facility would make more sense for you. Inpatient Coders have a higher earning potential.
You may also have a driving interest in a particular specialty—like neurosurgery or cardiology, and if you know that, then choose the program that will allow you to follow your passion.
Breaking It Down
So... which course is right for me?
Let’s make this very simple. There are two main career tracks for a medical coder to take, and as such we have two courses for you to choose from.
Outpatient
Outpatient Coding is also called Physician-Based Coding. But it really means the same thing. Basically, it is coding the records for patients who went to a clinic, doctor’s office, urgent care, or other facility for treatment.
You want to choose this option if you are looking for flexibility and if the freedom of working from home appeals to you.
Inpatient
Inpatient Coding is also called Hospital-Based Coding. This is coding complicated, detailed records for patients who were admitted to the hospital.
You want to choose this option if you are looking for a serious career path, with upward mobility and a greater income potential.
Outpatient Coding Program
- Coding Industry Basics
- Foundations of Medical Language
- Anatomy & Disease
- Pharmacology
- Health Data Management
- ICD-10-CM Coding
- CPT and HCPCS Procedural Coding
- ChartWize Outpatient Virtual Internship
- ICD-10-CM Outpatient Coding Exam & Certification
- CareerWize Test Prep Tool (6 Months Access)
- Graduate Support Package
Inpatient Coding Program
- Coding Industry Basics
- Foundations of Medical Language
- Anatomy & Disease
- Pharmacology
- Health Data Management
- ICD-10-CM Inpatient Hospital Coding
- CPT and HCPCS Procedural Coding
- PCS Procedural Coding
- ChartWize Inpatient Virtual Internship
- ICD-10-CM Inpatient Coding Examination
- CareerWize Test Prep Tool (6 Months Access)
- Graduate Support Package
