I am considering getting into the healthcare information technology like the medical coding licenses such as CPC, CCA certification...However, I don't have any relevant working experience in health industry but do have 4 years experience in office administration.
I was hoping someone could shed some light on the job market and average starting salary, to decide whether or not this is a good choice. I am 41 and heading towards divorce with kids so I am trying to do this as quickly as I can, not through a 4 year school.
Any ideas of online schools that are worth mentioning???
Any advice or info will help me to decide on this .
Thanks in advance
why not go to your local unemployment office and find out what jobs are open? That might help you decide on what path to take.
Julie pointed about the salaries, find out what people are earning your area.
Go to school and talk to counselors. That's a good idea too.
Our coders have no training that we didn't provide for them. We have sent them for certifications but as they came up. Problem is for someone getting into the field, you need to know someone.
California has a much higher cost of living so I am sure the starting wage is a bit higher, we start ours at 12 an hour. One big problem, after 10 years working for us one is only at 13.
Okay I have to say the terms they use to describe medical field positions are kind of chuckle worthy. So like they use the umbrella of healthcare information technologies to include coding? If you asked our COO who is our healthcare information technology person he would point to me and I do not have a two year or even one year online degree, I have a bachelors in ITM, along with a bachelors and masters in accounting. I am not saying this to brag, I am really irritated that diploma mills do not care about the people they extract money from. They give fancy names and vague promises and then take your money.
Please be smart about this. Talk to the people who you will hope one day hires you.
The job market is "weak" in Walnut Creek...
http://www.indeed.com/local/Walnut-Creek-CA-jobs
You need to go to a university or community college to talk with a counselor so he or she can help you make the right decision based on your desires and experience.
On-line courses will still take time.
You're heading for divorce - what does that mean? That you want to divorce but haven't yet? Or you have filed? either way - you have a lot on your plate.
Go to a school and talk with a counselor! It's their job to help you find the right major and courses to suit your needs and future.
You will get much better information if you talk with people in your community. I suggest you make an appointment to talk with a Human Resource office in a hospital or large clinic. Perhaps you could ask questions of the medical code tech at your doctor's office. This may give you a way in to more information.
I would not pay the huge amounts private schools who train for getting a certificate ask. It took my daughter several years to pay off the loans.
At 41 you know most of these programs are full of empty promises. My friend did this course and was NEVER able to find a job. No one does this stuff. Office managers hire people to do their billing but since it's soooo important that not even one single number be wrong they don't hire anyone random.
A friend of mine was in the medical field practicing and one of the office staff made an error and used old codes for their billing for months. They ended up being sued by Social Security and insurance companies and more. The docs were all sanctioned and their licenses suspended until they paid back every single cent of money they'd been paid for that whole time period. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid back. BUT one or two of the docs couldn't recover and is now working at a menial job and not practicing anymore. That's how important codes are.
Jobs that you can go to school and learn in less than a year....call your local Vo-tech and ask them about short term programs. Such as nursing. Some vo-techs have 9 month programs. You could also do something medical like Phlebotomy but you will be working shifts and weekends.
If you're heading for divorce you need to realize you have to go to work now and go to classes after hours so you can eventually make a higher income. If you're not working now he can claim you have no income and he can get custody of the kids because you can't support them.
I'm assuming that's why you want the education and job as soon as possible. Go find the best paying job you can, put the kids in child care or after school child care. Get that income coming in. Then enroll in some night classes and get the education you want.
Working at home when the kids are in school isn't a bad idea but they will be out for summer vacation soon and then you won't be able to work at home. Medical coding can cost someone their career and they won't hire someone who can't give 100% of their attention to what they are doing.
Finding out what jobs in your area are needed will help you find the best route to go.
