Work from Home Medical Coder

I have worked from home as a medical coder since 2007. 

I got a job doing accounts payable at an orthopedic doctors office. Long story short, I became interested in medical coding.  

The office paid for me to go to the local community college and get a certificate in Medical Coding. Then they paid for me to get certified as a Certified Professional Coder (CPC). On top of being very nervous, I was five months pregnant. Not a great exam experience, but I passed!

Unfortunately they didn’t need a full time medical coder. I was very lucky that one of the instructors at the community college also worked as a medical coder at the local hospital. She put in a good word for me.  

When my son was four months old, I got a medical coding job at the local hospital. Then the summer before my son started Kindergarten, all the medical coders got to work from home.

While I was excited to work from home, it was a big adjustment. I set up our spare bedroom as an office. I had to buy a desk, computer and any office supplies I needed. At first they paid for our internet service, but due to budget cuts that only lasted a couple of years.  

As a medical coder I have to meet production, which means coding a certain number of charts each day. There is no time for distractions. When my son was younger he had to play outside or watch TV after school, so mom could work.  

My employer was kind enough to let us flex our time. I took my son to school, then went home to work for a few hours. Then clocked out and picked him up from school. Then back home to work for a couple more hours. I ended up literally working all day. It was very nice when my son got his driver’s license and I could work a normal day without interruptions.

I enjoy being a medical coder, but there is a lot to learn. Codes are updated yearly, so the learning never stops. It helps if you have a little medical knowledge, like Anatomy and Medical Terminology. I had barely any coding experience when I got on at the hospital, but I had a recommendation, a Medical Coding certificate and my CPC. In 2011 the hospital paid for me to get certified as a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS). 

I have two certifications to maintain. Which requires me to earn a number of continuing education credits each year. I also pay a yearly membership fee to AHIMA and AAPC.

If you are interested in medical coding a good place to start is AHIMA.org and AAPC.com. Both of these websites have good information about medical coding and offer certification.

Not all hospitals allow their medical coders to work from home, but don’t let that deter you. If you really want to become a medical coder, you can work for a hospital in another city or even another state. You may need to buy a computer or they may supply you with one.

The hospital I work for was bought by a much bigger hospital. The new hospital supplied us with a computer, monitors, keyboard, mouse and headset. This created another big adjustment, learning how their system worked. I am still hanging in there through all the changes, because I like being a medical coder.

You may also consider medical transcription or medical billing, if you want to work at home in the medical field. I don’t have any personal experience with either of these positions.