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Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2From Student to Grad. . . . 2Coding Challenge. . . . . . . . 3MedicalDear Cari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4CODINGStudent Spotlight. . . . . . . . . 5Graduate Spotlight. . . . . . . . 5BulletinErgonomic Topic. . . . . . . . . . 6Career Step, LLC. Spring 2010Facing the fork in the road: CCA or CPCWhich exam is the one for me?You decided a few months ago tochange careers, and after a lot ofresearch you selected the growing anddynamic field of health care. After findingthat coding might be an excellent fitand making it the career of your choice,you researched available schools thatcould offer you training in the field. Afterconsidering a number of options, youselected Career Step as the provider foryour education. Then, you arrive at theday when you pass the final exam andyou heave a sigh of relief. In the midst ofthe practicum and wrapping your brainaround “late effects,” you thought the daywould never come.You’ve made so many decisions up tothis point to get you here, and nowthat you’ve graduated, you face onemore decision, one that will help youmake that last step toward findingemployment in the industry. You’veheard of AAPC and AHIMA, but you areunsure which certification exam is rightfor you.Overcoming the CommonMisconceptions of CertificationI’m still a student, and I don’tneed to worry about membershipuntil after I graduate.Even if you’re still a student, it’s a greattime to start thinking about yourcredentials. AAPC offers a studentdiscounted membership of 70 (abig savings when compared to thestandard membership price of 120).As a Career Step student you qualify forthat discount, and if you want to savesome money and reap the benefits of amembership early, we’d encourage youto look into membership to either AAPCor AHIMA while you are still finishing upyour training.I don’t need to certify.Many employers will only hire certifiedgraduates. Certified graduates are inhigh demand. They also tend to find jobsmore quickly and tend to have highersalaries than graduates that are notcertified.It doesn’t matter whichcertification exam I take.Career Step Graduates are preparedto take either the CCA exam throughAHIMA or the CPC exam through AAPC.Many coders after obtaining their CCAand CPC and gaining a few years ofexperience on-the-job go on to earn aspecialty certification or mastery-levelcertification (CPC-P, CPC-H, CCS, CCS-P,etc.)Continued on pg. 3Career Step Quality Medical Coding Training 4692 N. 300 W. Suite 150 Provo, UT 84604 www.careerstep.com Ph: 800-246-STEP
GRADUATESKelli – Converse, TexasI am really glad that I found Career Step. Anytime I had a question, someone was alwaysthere to answer it for me. I now have my CCAcertification and am ready to start work. Ineeded help on my resume and cover letterand the help I received was really great. I nowfeel confident when I send out my resume. Youwon’t regret it if you decide to enroll in CareerStep.Nadeen – Brooklyn, New YorkMy experience at Career Step? Successful!From the first day of my enrollment, the CareerStep staff has been an extremely supportive,helpful, understanding and encouraginggroup of men and women. Whether it wasRandy answering my plethora of codingquestions and being on the phone with mewhen I didn’t understand, or Cari challengingme to think “out of the box” or Emma andKanani with answers for my extensions, theAnly – Houston, TexasCaroline – Wellington, FloridaChristine – Denver, ColoradoChristopher – Denver, ColoradoDana – Jacksonville, North CarolinaDawn – Fayetteville, North CarolinaDebbie – Phoenix, ArizonaDiane – Littleton, ColoradoEva – Sugar Land, TexasHannah – Aurora, ColoradoIvette – Cataula, Georgiapolite receptionist and Ms. Jenae Walker, whoseresources of all aspects concerning employmenthave been and invaluable, it has all beenappreciated. Working full-time and doing thiscourse full-time was not easy, but this course,the Career Step team and the support from theparticipation in the online forums have madeit easy for me to focus my determination onmy dream. I am currently preparing for theAAPC CPC exam and I am confident that I canaccomplish this all thanks to Career Step! Ifully endorse this business that gives qualityeducation at an affordable price.Roslyn – Aurora, ColoradoI think that Career Step has quite a program puttogether for Medical Coding. I was enlighteneddaily by the material, and was encouragedto continue when the going got rough. Iresearched the program and was never quitesure this was the program for me until I metChris, the most wonderful instructor ever.Jamie – Raynham, MassachusettsJeanette – Converse, TexasJeanne – Bailey, ColoradoJennette – Littleton, ColoradoJoann – Englewood, ColoradoJoanna – St. Charles, MissouriJody – Matthews, North CarolinaJim – Coolidge, ArizonaJudy – Santa Maria, CaliforniaKelli – Converse, TexasLaurie – Denver, ColoradoChris has insight and knowledge that onlya teacher of her caliber understands. Once Ibegan class I knew that I could get the supportI needed. Chris was able to help me understandso much of the course and while the subjectmatter is complicated she has a wonderfulway of remembering things and making youremember them as well. A little later when Imet Randy I was double sure that I this wouldbe a dream come true. The material covered isthorough and in depth and there is a completeexplanation for everything that is taught. Thesubject matter is tough and I think you guysdid an awesome job.I would never have done it without both Chrisand Randy.I can’t wait to find a job.Vera – Gates Mills, OhioI had no problems passing my certification testwith AAPC.Leslie – Goodyear, ArizonaMarcela – Orange Park, FloridaMegan – Denver, ColoradoNadeen – Brooklyn, New YorkRebecca – Ottawa, IllinoisSandra – Hockley, TexasSheila – Fayetteville, North CarolinaSheryl – Blackstock, South CarolinaValerie – Cameron, North CarolinaVera – Gates Mills, OhioFrom Student to Graduate:IThe road map to your success!t’s hard to plan a road trip without amap and without a route in mind, andit’s hard to enjoy a trip without somesites to see along the way and some places to stop for food and gas. Especially ifthe trip is a long one, it’s difficult to reachyour destination without those essentialstops along the way and resources tohelp you out. Graduation and findingemployment as a coder might seem likea destination that is still far away whileyou’re a student, so Career Step offers anumber of tools and resources availableto help keep you on track and reach yourdestination successfully.Orientation ConsultationThis group consultation is offered tostudents who have just enrolled in themedical coding training program. Itreviews items discussed in the ProgramOrientation—specifically the Tips for Success section. Featured discussion itemsinclude the best way to complete thecourse, resources and tools available, andthings to keep in mind as you’re workingthrough your coursework. This consultation is held bimonthly on Thursdays at9:30 a.m. MST, and it is conducted by oneof our Coding Support advisors througha toll-free number.Career Step’s Medical Coding StudentForumThe CS Student forum exists for studentsof Career Step’s medical coding programto research, ask questions, share information and tips for success, and find2 Spring 2010 MEDICAL CODING BULLETIN(or provide) encouragement and support. The forums are private—only CSstudents, graduates, staff members, andindustry professionals allowed—so it’svery safe, searchable, and helpful. If youprefer not to interact you don’t have to—you are welcome to just read and benefitfrom the information already there. If youare short on time you don’t have to readthrough everything—simply use the Findfeature to locate the conversations andinformation in which you are interested.Almost every question you will ever haveduring the course has been discussedon the forums, and often in great detail!Course announcements and scheduledchat schedules are also found here. If youhaven’t discovered the forums you couldbe missing out on a lot!Continued on pg. 4
Continued from pg 1AHIMA (CCA)AAPC (CPC)Membership PriceExam Price 165 120 standard, 70 student 205 (for AHIMA members), 260 (fornon-members) 300 * includes one free retake of theexamBenefits of MA conventions, seminars, and webbased training, private Coding & Billingforums/Communities of PracticeLocal Chapter seminars and meetings,National/Regional Conferences, privateCoding & Billing online forumsContinuing EducationMember magazines, industry newsletters, online quizzes, national eventsMember magazines, industry newsletters, workshops, local/national eventsEmployment HelpAHIMA’s job postings, Career Assist, volunteer opportunities, etc.AAPC’s job board, resume postings, joblistings, Project Extern, etcDiscounts and SavingsDiscounts on exams, seminars/events,coding and billing products and servicesCoding and billing related products andservices, discounted insurance, etcAbout ExamFormat: 2-hour exam, 100 multiplechoice questions. Exam is taken in-person, on a computer at a designated localtesting center. To locate an exam site:Format: 5 1/2 hour exam, 150 multiplechoice questions. Exam is taken in hardcopy-in-person at a designated localtesting center. To locate an exam site:http://prometric.com/AHIMA/default.htmExam results are provided to you immediately after you finish/submit yourexam.So what’s the answer? Which one shouldyou take? That decision, like the othersyou have already made, is up to you.Both the CCA and the CPC are nationallyrecognized certification exams thatwill help you in your efforts to findemploymentas a coder,and studentshave beensuccessful afterjoining eitherorganizationand takingeither of thetwo exams. Wewant to help and assist you as much aspossible in making an informed decisionas to which exam is right for ation.aspxExam results are provided to you in 7-10days following the exam date.We are happy to help you make adecision and provide information andresources to help you choose an exam,register, and prepare for it. We wouldsuggest logging onto the forum andchatting with past graduates to see whattheir preferences have been, and gettingin touch with graduate support here atCareer Step. Feel free to email me withany questions you have!jenae.walker@careerstep.com- Jenae WalkerCS Graduate SupportCoding Bulletin ChallengeHere are a few tips to get you started:*Research the benefits of membership ineach organization*Consider the differences in price, format,and exam availability* Consider your future goals and talk topotential employers in your areaMEDICAL CODING BULLETIN Spring 20103
Dear Cari.Dear Cari,Dear Frustrated,I assigned code V58.67 on a record for a patient who is diabeticand using daily insulin injections.When I checked my answers Iwas marked wrong. Don’t the coding guidelines say I need to reportthis code for diabetic patientswho are using insulin?The use of code V58.67 to indicate longterm current use of insulin is only usedwith patient’s who are type II diabetic.Some type II diabetics require insulin useto control their blood sugars and othersdo not. If a type II diabetic is using insulinit is important to report that with a Vcode because the use of this medicationwill affect the physician’s management ofthe patient.Thanks so much,Frustrated in FresnoContinued from pg. 2Bi-Monthly Coding ChatsCoding chats allow you to ask questionsand receive answers in real-time. The second and fourth Wednesdays are days tokeep marked on your calendar as members of the support team and membersof the CS medical coding community willgather to attend, exchanging valuable information that can be extremely helpfulto students and graduates alike. All chatsare logged in the Career Step Resourcesforums, and are very helpful to read ifyou are unable to attend every chat, orwant to catch up on some informationthat was discussed in a previous chat.Daily Blitz ChatsThe newest feature of the Career Stepprogram allows students access to thesupport team weekdays from 12:00 to12:15 MST for answers to any questionsyou might have about any CS program.Even though it’s a quick 15 minutes,there is a lot of valuable informationavailable for Career Step students.Students can also access an ongoingtranscript of the blitz chats for neededinformation or for later review.3MAs an industry leader, and one of themost common coding software databases used on-site at hospitals and medicalfacilities, 3M is an exciting resource weType I diabetics require the use of insulinto live. The use of insulin is implied in thediagnosis of Type I diabetes itself. Sincethis is the case, it is not necessary tooffer to our students enrolled in ourInpatient Outpatient Medical Coding andBilling Program. With access to medicaldictionaries, manuals, desk references,diagrams and tables coders need on adaily basis, 3M is an incredible resourcethat is important to become familiar withearly on in program. Students enrolled inthe Outpatient Medical Coding and Billing Course will still be sent hard copiesof the references they need, and do notreceive with 3M.Coding ConsultationStudent Support offers coding consultations every Tuesday at 4:00pm MST andThursday at 10:30am to all students whohave begun the coding portion of thecourse, or who are currently workinganywhere in the coding modules. Thetransition from the first half of the courseto the coding coursework can be difficult,and this consultation works to facilitatethat transition and provide you with tipsfor coding success. During this consultation advisors will discuss using the threecode books, specifically best practicesfor consulting ICD-9-CM guidelines andCPT guidelines, paying close attention todocumentation, and how to accuratelyuse the Index and Tabular List. Studentsare strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to maximizetheir training and to help them becomeproficient and productive medical cod-4 Spring 2010 MEDICAL CODING BULLETINreport a V code for long-term insulin usebecause it would be understood that thispatient would be using insulin.The coding guideline from chapter 3 thatyou referred to specifies the use of codeV58.67 where it says, “ For type II patientswho routinely use insulin, code V58.67,Long term (current) use of insulin, shouldalso be assigned to indicate that thepatient uses insulin.”Happy Coding!!Cari- Cari Greenwood, CCS, CPCCS Student Support Teamers. Please feel free to contact us at codingsupport@careerstep.com to schedulea date and time.Pre-Practicum ConsultationCoding Student Support also offerspre-practicum consultations. Just beforejumping into approximately 150 hoursof practicum coding authentic medicalrecords, we want to make sure you havethe resources you need to succeed during that portion of the program. Discussion topics include advice on pacingyourself through the reports, using yourcode books appropriately, and preparation for the final and certification examafter graduation. These consultationsare held Mondays at 4:00pm MST and onWednesdays at 10:30 am MST.Tech Support TeamIsn’t technology grand—until your system decides to crash, then you wonderwhy we invented computers at all. Haveno fear! Our Technical Support Teamcan help you with numerous issuesthat would impede you from doing thecourse. They can help you with sound fileplayers, course page bugs, and basic 3Msupport. If there’s something they can’tfix, they will work with you or direct youto where you can find a solution.- Jenae WalkerCS Coding Graduate Support
Student in theSpotlight Mark KrebsIguess that you could say that I am atransplanted east coastian. I moved toSioux Falls, SD from Virginia in Decemberof 2001. I have a 5-year-old son, and Iam currently engaged with a tentativewedding date of sometime next summer.I live at home with my son, fiancé and hermother as well as an orange cat namedFrankie.What led me to Career Step wasactually a program through my localunemployment office. I had been out ofwork for about two months and duringa job search program, I was told aboutthe Workforce Investment Act. So I wentthrough the application process andfound out what I needed to do. I decidedon medical billing and coding because Ihave always been involved in health carein some way, shape or form. I have beenan EMT-Basic, a health care managementGraduate in theSpotlight Aimee BlockHello. My name is Aimee Block. I live ona ranch in western South Dakota withmy husband and three kids. The ranchhas been in our family for 100 years, andwe raise commercial Limousin cattle. Wealso raise a few horses, which is a favoritepastime of mine.I graduated from Career Step’s MedicalCoding course in September of 2009after two years of studying. It took mea little longer to complete the coursebecause of the demands of family andlife in general, but it was well worththe hard work it took to finish. I tookthe American Academy of Professionalstudent and now a billing and codingstudent.One of the best things I have foundabout the Career Step program is theease of being able to ask questions ofeither staff members or other students.The forum has been an invaluableresource for not only being able to askquestions of others, but also to postinformation which I feel may be ofsome value to the other students in theprogram. Yes, this is a difficult program,but it is also fun at times. There are manydifferent things that I never would havelearned had I pursued another career inhealth care.I know that it may get frustrating attimes, but probably the best piece ofadvice that I can give to students andgraduates alike is to keep your head up. Ifyou are confused about something, don’thesitate to ask. There are many times thatI have started looking at something, andthen gotten stuck to the point where Iwas frustrated. In these times, I took astep back and looked at the problem orquestion from another angle. I used myCoders national certification exam inNovember and began working as aCertified Medical Coder-Apprentice inDecember.I feel very fortunate to have found a jobso quickly. Now that I am working in thefield, I am so thankful for the educationI received through Career Step. The wayCareer Step breaks the course downand keeps reiterating the importantparts of this course are vital parts to thegraduate’s success.The job that I took is with a professionaloutsourcing office which contracts withhealthcare facilities to do their medicalcoding, billing and accounts receivable.I am currently working in the office fulltime, but will soon be able to transitionto working from home as a remote coder.other references, which I have gatheredalong the way through the course and,eventually, I was able to complete theproblem with ease.As of right now, I am 30% of the waythrough the second block of medicalprocedures coding. I have set a goal formyself to be finished with everythingon or before March 31. From there, Iplan on seeking certification from boththe AHIMA and the AAPC. I feel that byholding credentials from both of theseorganizations, along with the wonderfulreputation of Career Step, I should havevery little trouble finding a job aftergraduation. Until then, I am going tokeep working on understanding the vastamounts of information and learningto use my resources as effectively aspossible.I want to wish everyone in the programthe best of luck. Keep your heads up.Always remember, “There’s no crying incoding”. Happy coding!- Mark KrebsThe reason I went into the medicalcoding profession was to be able to workfrom home and have the flexibility tomanage a full-time job that pays well andtime with my family.Finding a job after course completioncan be a grueling task, but I wasinstructed to make sure the job is a rightfit for you and your family. Career Stepwas also so helpful
certification exam I take. Career Step Graduates are prepared to take either the CCA exam through AHIMA or the CPC exam through AAPC. Many coders after obtaining their CCA and CPC and gaining a few years of experience on-the-job go on to earn a specialty certification or mastery-level certification (CPC-P, CPC-H, CCS, CCS-P, etc.)
