SUMMER SPECIALS
Until the end of September, all our programs are offering bonus packages that range from $300 to $500 in value to students who pay in full upon enrollment. Act today to take advantage of this great offer.

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION FROM HOME: 3 REQUIRED SKILLS FOR THIS WORK-FROM-HOME OPPORTUNITY
It can be hard to find work-from-home opportunities, but they do exist and can be found if you know what to look for. This article will discuss doing medical transcription from home as an option and the 3 required skills you need to do this type of work from home.

1. Proficient and Fast Typist: Transcription can be very difficult work: you should not only be quick on your feet and fast at typing, but you’ll want to be an excellent listener as well. Notes are read to you rapidly through headphones and even though you can pause and repeat certain parts, you won’t want to have to do this a lot since it will take ten times as long to complete a job if you have to go back too often.

2. Have a Command of Grammar and Medical Jargon: It is extremely important that you have a very good understanding of English grammar and medical jargon if you want to succeed in this business. This is why training is required in order to even get started in a job of this nature. Knowledge of medical terms is also a must and a basic understanding of hospital procedures doesn’t hurt.

3. Ability to Work Independently: Because you will be working from home, having good time management skills and the ability to keep yourself on track and complete tasks are a must. After you have found some work and have begun to build a relationship with local medical offices, it is wise to develop a good reputation so you will be able to secure future work from the same offices.

In this article, we discussed 3 necessary skills you will need if you want to succeed doing medical transcription from home. If you are a fast and proficient typist, have a good command of the English language as well as an understanding of medical jargon, and can work well independently, this could be a very good opportunity for you.

It’s true that training is required in order to do this job, but even so this business can be a great opportunity for many looking for work to do from home. It may not be easy in the beginning, and having some help can be just what you need to get started.

The 3 skills mentioned above are only the beginning…

Do you want to learn more? About the Author: Claire Mercer, an Internet marketing mentor, has successfully built a home business using the power of the Internet. Her Web site, OnlineStayAtHomeJobs.com, has more information about medical transcriptions from home as well as stay-at-home jobs online. You can start using little to no money of your own. Some people are making $1,758 a day working from home. Visit this Web site: http://www.Work-From-Home-123.com.

10 STUDY TIPS FOR MEDITEC STUDENTS
By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Instructor/Manager of Student Services
1. Set aside a particular time every day to study.
2. Study segments of ½-2 hours are optimal.
3. Make notes as you study. Type your notes and reread them.
4. Turn off telephones, TVs, etc. during your study time.
5. Do not try to study when you are extremely tired or hungry. Take care of those needs first.
6. If you miss a scheduled study time, don’t beat yourself up. Simply plan to work a little longer during your next few study sessions.
7. If you are passing your quizzes with at least 80%, then you are probably doing very well in your course of study.
8. Do e-mail your instructor if you have questions.
9. Create flash cards of important facts or procedures and quiz yourself on your cards every day.
10. Give yourself small rewards for staying on track, passing quizzes, and doing your best.

WORDS OF THE MONTH
In both the Medical and Legal fields, it is important to expand our knowledge of terminology. This section of our newsletter is dedicated to presenting a few medical and legal terms. Students or new graduates are encouraged to keep a list of unfamiliar terms in a tabbed notebook for review.

Medical Terms
1. Epistaxis – Nosebleed.
2. Pertussis – Contagious bacterial infection of the pharynx, larynx, and trachea caused by Bordetella pertussis. Also known as whooping cough.

Legal Terms
1. Coroner’s jury – A jury summoned by a coroner to investigate a death.
2. Shadow jury – A group of mock jurors paid to observe a trial and report their reactions to a jury consultant hired by one of the litigants.

INTERESTING WEB SITES
Medical transcriptionists, medical coders, medical billers, and paralegals all use the Internet at times for research. When we find an interesting Web site, we will list it here. It is suggested that Meditec students and new graduates keep an organized list of reference links in an MS Word document or Excel file for easy and quick access.

Free Grammar Tutorial
Free MS Word Tutorial

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Crazy Patients

A doctor of psychology was doing his normal morning rounds when he entered a patient’s room.

He found Patient #1 sitting on the floor, pretending to saw a piece of wood in half.

Patient #2 was hanging from the ceiling, by his feet.

The doctor asked Patient #1 what he was doing.

The patient replied, “Can’t you see I’m sawing this piece of wood in half?”

The doctor inquired of Patient #1 what Patient #2 was doing.

Patient #1 replied, “Oh. He’s my friend, but he’s a little crazy. He thinks he’s a lightbulb.”

The doctor looks up and notices Patient #2’s face is going all red.

The doctor asks Patient #1, “If he’s your friend, you should get him down from there before he hurts himself.”

Patient #1 replies, “What? And work in the dark?”

Source: http://www.coolfunnyjokes.com/Funny-Jokes/Medical-Jokes/Crazy-Patients.html

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR AUGUST
How to Make Positive Changes
By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Instructor/Manager of Student Services
In the Tony Robbins Personal Power II program, he discusses how many people are unhappy with their lives and want to make positive changes. He talks about how changing your life requires action on your part. If you do the same things you’ve always done, then your results will probably be the same. In the 12-Step program, there is a saying that states the following: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

To change your life, you must do something new and different. Also, whenever one wants to make a change in their life, they must consider the pros and cons of such a change, and decide if taking action toward the change is more beneficial to them than not doing anything. For example, making a change may require effort, time, and energy. It may mean that instead of watching TV every evening, one implements steps and takes action toward the change they wish to see in their life. To make positive changes in your life, you must decide exactly what you wish to change, and then map out a plan to make it happen. For example, if you have always wanted to train for another career, a plan may be to talk to an enrollment advisor at several schools that interest you and request information. Then, go over the information and figure out how you might pay for the training you wish to receive. Positive change starts with one tiny step, and then momentum builds for the next step and the next. You are the author of your life, if you are unhappy with the present state of things, make a plan to change it. You can do it.

This month’s affirmation: My point of power is in the present moment!

The new learning management system is designed to be used with greater efficiency and has enhanced Flash-based interactivities. It will enable users to track and monitor their progress, download learning materials in PDF format, and update their name, address, and password by themselves.

In addition, the innovative learning platform is capable of remembering where the student last left off in a course, which means they will be able to go back exactly where they last were once they log back in. Students can likewise immediately find out their score on the final exam given at the end of the course because the platform automatically scores their test once it has been submitted.

Meditec is committed to revolutionizing online learning by developing high-quality courses that are comprehensive and fun at the same time. With its self-paced online courses, today’s busy professionals have the flexibility of taking charge of their own study hours. All that’s needed is a computer with an Internet connection, and one can begin and stop their training whenever and wherever they want.

Learn more about Meditec and its course offerings by visiting www.meditec.com.

About Meditec

Meditec offers customers a wide library of dynamic, interactive self-study courses designed to meet the training and certification needs of healthcare and legal professionals. The training solutions provide a cost-effective means to enhance skills and find well paying jobs. Meditec’s e-Learning computer-based courses incorporate proven training methods to ensure the highest rate of information retention. Online mentoring, comprehensive text and practice exams provide the basic theories needed for training and certification. In addition, our self-study courses include hands-on simulations to provide valuable working experience and ensure the highest skill retention possible. For more information, visit Meditec.com.

Through the DoD’s expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program, military spouses who are approved for the program can get comprehensive online training in the medical and legal fields from Meditec at no cost to themselves. The MyCAA program offers up to $6,000 for training to military spouses and activated Guard and Reserve Service members who wish to pursue in-demand and highly portable careers.

Meditec works closely with the MyCAA program to open doors for military spouses to find lucrative and portable careers. Since healthcare and legal support jobs are on the rise, it makes sense for military spouses to take advantage of Meditec’s offerings. Meditec prides itself for its reputation of delivering quality educational materials that have been developed by top authoritative subject matter experts.

Moreover, Meditec courses offer great flexibility. Students only need a computer and an Internet connection in order to finish their training anytime, anywhere, at their own pace. These courses are ideal for those who need to relocate frequently.

Interested parties need to check their eligibility for MyCAA by visiting https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/. Once eligibility status is confirmed, the student can then register their chosen Meditec course by contacting the company’s MyCAA Specialist at mycaa@meditec.com.

About Meditec

Meditec offers customers a wide library of dynamic, interactive self-study courses designed to meet the training and certification needs of healthcare and legal professionals. The training solutions provide a cost-effective means to enhance skills and find well paying jobs. Meditec’s e-Learning computer-based courses incorporate proven training methods to ensure the highest rate of information retention. Online mentoring, comprehensive text and practice exams provide the basic theories needed for training and certification. In addition, our self-study courses include hands-on simulations to provide valuable working experience and ensure the highest skill retention possible. For more information, visit Meditec.com.

Meditec, a leader in providing online career education, is happy to say “thank you” to students and graduates for referring their family and friends to our online, interactive, and fun career training programs. The referral program is easy and fun, and it’s a great way to make extra money. Additionally, students and graduates are welcome to sign up for the student forum, where you may leave a testimonial about your personal experience with our program. You may also leave your contact information so that interested people can contact you to find out more. Give people you chat with your student referral code (you will receive this after signing up for the program through the link above) and we’ll make sure that you are credited with the referral.

Why a Career in Medical Transcription?
By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Manager of Student Services/Instructor
There are many reasons why medical transcription is a great career choice. Many transcriptionists work at home and their hours are usually pretty flexible. This gives the work-at-home MTs many options when it comes to caring for their children and families, yet still being able to have a solid and exciting career. Medical transcriptionists that have about a year of experience make an average of $18 to $20 per hour. This is a pretty good income when you consider that you are not commuting to work, having to eat lunches out, and don’t have to pay for childcare. Being both a work-at-home MT and mom is NOT easy. Many MTs get up 2 hours before their children do in order to get some work done in the morning. They may work 2 hours in the afternoon when their children nap, and then again for 2 hours after their children go to bed. This makes for a very long day, but many feel the benefits are well worth it. The work itself is both challenging and interesting. Medical transcription offers the option of having both a great career and still having the benefits of being a stay-at-home mom or dad.

Legal Transcription Services
There is an increasing demand for legal transcription services these days. Legal transcription services are almost same to medical transcription services where audio files are translated and written down. Those offering legal transcription services have come into public notice recently because of their professional influence and well maintenance of legal records.

The need for legal transcription services started because lawyers handling criminal and civil cases require hard copies of case procedures at their offices. Legal transcription services are sometimes given special importance when cases are essentially vital in law courts. During such times, even one wrong spelling or one wrongly typed sentence may have serious effects on the proceedings of the court. Most transcription service providers offer quality services for various clients that include:
• Federal/State agencies
• Insurance companies
• Public prosecutors
• Legal departments
• Banking/financial firms and more

Legal Transcription – A Short Definition
Legal transcriptionists are those who take dictations from the legal professionals and write them down into official documents. They usually work as secretarial assistants in offices that allow them to have full access to information and files. They also work for private practice attorney or law firms that take different varieties of cases. Legal transcriptionists usually listen to pleadings, court hearings, interrogations, and testimonies.

Today, banks, insurance companies, governmental departments, and large corporations also need legal transcription services to maintain accurate legal records.

How Legal Transcriptionists Perform Dictation
These days, legal transcriptionists generally perform dictations digitally since the days of stenotype machines are no more. Legal transcription services can be performed through dictation devices, such as computer or laptop dictation, recording dictation, and Internet dictation. It is also possible to perform dictation in court meetings or through telephone.

Where to Approach for Legal Transcription Services
Legal transcription, a most lucrative job after business and medical transcription, is proving quite helpful for attorneys, non-profit organizations, and business firms. Many reputable companies are there in the market today that offers first-class legal transcription service. Some companies also have expert legal transcriptionists who have thorough knowledge in different types of legal areas. They supply services to many small businesses and companies all over the world. They use the most up-to-date technology to offer cost-effective legal transcription services to the vast client base.

The profession of legal transcription is becoming a promising career since the need for correct documentation is increasing more and more. Legal transcription services have now become an invaluable resource to many companies throughout the world.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com
About The Author: For more information related to Legal Transcription Services, visit www.dataentrysolution.com

WORDS OF THE MONTH
In both the Medical and Legal fields, it is important to expand our knowledge of terminology. This section of our newsletter is dedicated to presenting a few medical and legal terms. Students or new graduates are encouraged to keep a list of unfamiliar terms in a tabbed notebook for review.

Medical Term
1. barium beefsteak meal – During this test, the patient eats a meal containing barium, allowing the radiologist to watch the stomach as it digests the meal. The amount of time it takes for the barium meal to be digested and leave the stomach gives the physician an idea of how well the stomach is working and helps to detect emptying problems that may not show up on the liquid barium X-ray.

Legal Terms
1. tortfeasor – One who commits a tort; a wrongdoer
2. pro bono – Legal services performed free of charge for the public good

INTERESTING WEB SITES
Law Guru
Law Dictionary
US Legal Terms
Legal Research
MegaLaw
WashLaw
Federal Rules of Evidence
National Association of Workforce Boards Resource Center

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
My name is Suzanne R. For the last 12 years, I have been happily raising two beautiful girls and teaching piano and flute lessons on the side. I teach in the evenings after my husband comes home from work so that I could be with my girls during the day. As they’ve grown older, I’ve wanted a new skill that is marketable in the hopes of finding a new, challenging, and rewarding career, where I could work during the day when the rest of my family worked.

I heard from several people that medical billing/coding is a growing career field that could offer me just that. I chose to train through Meditec.com because they were recommended to me and were flexible with my current schedule. The course was set up well, easy to follow, and I felt like I learned a lot. I was excited to find out I graduated in the top 10 percentile and now have a certificate and letter of recommendation to take with me as I look for work in my new career. Thank you, Meditec.

Note from Instructor Dawn Moreno: Dear Suzanne R, you and your husband Jason both graduated from the medical coding and billing program with honors! The staff at Meditec wishes you every career success!

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
A judge, bored and frustrated by a lawyer’s tedious arguments, had made numerous rulings to speed the trial along. The attorney had bristled at the judge’s orders, and their tempers grew hot.

Finally, frustrated with another repetition of arguments he had heard many times before, the judge pointed to his ear and said, “Counselor, you should be aware that at this point, what you are saying is just going in one ear and out the other.”

“Your honor,” replied the lawyer, “That goes without saying. What is there to prevent it?”

Source: http://www.lawlaughs.com/trials/inoneear.html

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR JULY
“A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Source: http://www.thinkexist.com

Watch this video to learn how you too can get one of the high paying jobs in the medical industry. Get the best resources for learning medical transcription, medical coding and billing, medical office management and pharmacy technician online.

How would you like to help a friend and earn $100 in the process and a discount for them?

With our unique referral program, the person you refer gets 10% off our training program and you receive $100 when they enroll. Refer as many people as you like; there is no limit on the reward dollars you can earn.

Simply fill out the form at http://www.meditec.com/student-referral-program/.

We’ll send a unique referral code back to you (or directly to the person you refer if you provide us with their e-mail address). That person has up to 3 months to enroll and provide the code to us. We’ll give them a 10% discount and send you a check for $100. It really is that easy.

WORD EXPANDER/TYPING ABBREVIATION SYSTEM
Intro By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Manager of Student Services/Instructor and ABCZ content by Jon Knowles

Medical transcriptionists use productivity tools to boost their typing speed so they can increase the amount of work they produce and make more money. There are many abbreviation software expanders available. Three of the most exceptional ones are Shorthand (http://www65.pair.com/lim/shorthand/), Instant Text (http://www.fitaly.com/), and Abbreviate! (http://www.words-plus.com/website/products/comsoft.htm). Having any of these programs installed on your computer allows you to type a few characters, hit the space bar or enter key, and the entire word or phrase expands into your document. For example, instead of typing esophagogastroduodenoscopy a hundred times a day, one could create an abbreviation such as esoy and have it expanded into the full word. In MS Word, there is the Auto Correct feature that works in a similar way. Some MTs start out using Auto Correct as their expander program. However, it cannot hold a lot of abbreviations, so a commercial expander program is preferable.

Once you have obtained a commercial expander program, you will want to develop a system for creating abbreviations. Outlined below is the ABCZ system created by Jon Knowles. Also, please note that one can purchase pre-made lists of words that include the ABCZ abbreviations and import them into your Shorthand or Instant Text expander programs. Information will follow at the end of this article as to where these types of lists can be purchased.

ABCZ Typing Abbreviation System

The main rule is indicated in the name of the system: ABCZ

This is a short, simple yet powerful rule that makes many words easy to type. English being what it is, other rules are, of course, necessary.

UNSPOKEN RULE: No abbreviation should form a common English word or proper noun. However, a word like ox or ay, for example, is considered rare enough to be used as an abbreviation in business or medical transcription.

NOTATION: For simplicity, when describing a rule, we will let a, b, and c stand for the first three letters of a word and y and z for the last two.

ABBREVIATION RULES FOR WORDS:

LONGER WORDS:

1a. For words of six or more letters, the basic rule is abcz.

That is, absolutely = absy radicular = radr

Does this mean you have to count letters as you type? In practice, one’s fingers pretty quickly come to “know” when an abbreviation is called for.

1b. In cases of conflicting abbreviations for the same word, use the form abcyz.

That is, infn = infection infon = inflammation

ADDENDUM: More expanders now (2002) have visual advisories (Instant Text, Shorthand for Windows, Smartype) and you can use a method such as:

abcz isnfn = infection
abczb infnb = inflammation
abczc infnc = information
abczd infnd = infarction

SHORTER WORDS:

2. In the “spirit of the main rule,” use az for 4-letter words and abz for 5-letter words as much as possible.

Short forms for some of the 150 most common words and 150 common subject-verb combinations can be included (and are in the commercial versions of ABCZ).

ABRREVIATION RULES FOR PHRASES:

3a. PHRASE of 2 WORDS: the rule is abab.

That is, the first 2 letters of each word.

osab = osseous abnormality anan = antinuclear antibody

3b. If there is a conflict, the form is ababc (first two letters of first word, first three of second word).

meme = medial meniscus memen = medial meniscectomy

ADDENDUM: Again, more expanders now (2002) have visual advisories (Instant Text, Shorthand for Windows, Smartype) and you can use this more powerful method:

meme = medial meniscus
memeb = membrane
memec = memorize
memed = methyl methacrylate
memee = medial meniscectomy

Note that words and phrases can be interspersed and still easily differentiated with brief short forms as they are here.

3c. For the plural of a 2-word phrase, use ababs.

That is, osabs = osseous abnormalities

4. PHRASE OF 3 OR MORE WORDS: the rule is aaa or aaaa

Four such letters is the standard length for phrases of 4 or more words (even if the phrase has 5, 6, or more words). Add a fifth letter if you need it to differentiate two phrases:

hoo = hospitalizations or operations
tyvm = thank you very much
tyvmf = thank you very much for the opportunity of allowing me to see
iicb = if I can be of further assistance to you in this matter

RULE FOR PREFIXES:

5. The rule for abbreviating a prefix is: a

a = anti, c = com, con, d = dis, f = for, h = hyper, hypo, i = inter, intr, intra
n = neuro, s = sub, super, sup, t = trans

Then construct the word according to the usual rules:

construction = cstrn (a abcz)
discussing = dcusg (a abcz)

ENDINGS:

6. In many cases, the z of abcz already includes the ending. However, since some words (e.g. verbs) take varied endings, it is often convenient to omit the last letter (z) which we would ordinarily put there:

construct = cstr (rather than cstrt) dissolve = dsol

Then add endings as you desire: cstrs = constructs

cstrd = constructed cstrg = constructing

This method can also be used with nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.:

cstrn or cstrj or cstrz = construction
larr = larger lart = largest
trey or trel = tremendously

SPECIAL CATEGORIES:

Additional suggestions for forming abbreviation for different categories of words. (Note: Some expanders do not allow beginning a short form with a number.)

7a. Abbreviations containing periods. Begin with a number such as 6.

For example: 6rn = R.N. 6bid= b.i.d.

7b. Addresses: Begin addresses with a number such as 7. One form of address is this form using the abab rule:

7abab = 7 ab (of last name) ab (of first name)

e.g. 7thhe gives:
Henry Thorne, M.D.
2000 Summit Street, Suite 200
Oakland, California 94609

Note: The ab from the last name is placed first so the list in the lexicon will be alphabetical by last name for easy reference.

7c. Medications: Begin with a number such as 8, e.g. 8code = Codeine

7d. Signs and maneuvers: Begin with a number such as 9, e.g. 9treg = Trendelenburg

SPECIAL FEATURES:

8a. Expansion of abbreviations: use x
e.g. Magnetic Resonance Imaging = mrix

8b. Written out numbers: cj8 = eight, cj21 = twenty-one
oj1= first, oj2= second, oj22= twenty-second

Where c stands for cardinal, o for ordinal, and j is a null. Mainly useful for longer numbers.

8c. Geographical names: For place names of one word, use the form abx. For place names of two words, aax.

That is, Emeryville = emx, San Francisco = sfx

8d. Special characters: You may prefer to use a trigger letter (k and f in these examples) for commonly typed words by category:

Category: family: Form: f* e.g. fb = brother fs = sister
Category: anatomy: Form: abk e.g. fok = forearm brk = brachioradialis

9. When you use a word or phrase very frequently, the regular abbreviation can be shortened:

approximately = appy = ay
subsequently = sseqy = sqy
consultation = csuln = cn
however = howr = ho

Please see Jon Knowles’ Web site for further information about the ABCZ system: http://jonknowles.net/index.htm

An Introduction to the Exciting Thought of a Medical Billing Career

Many have found the medical billing career to be an excellent choice for them. This particular position in the industry of health care is a very important one. The professionals that serve on the medical billing panel work to ensure that the medical professionals receive the proper compensation for the services they provide. This allows the professional medical doctors and their assistants the funding that is necessary to continue in their practices. Here, you will receive a glimpse into this exciting profession. If you have always wanted to take part in the industry that is directly responsible for optimizing the health of individuals around the world but never found an area where you feel you would fit, this may just be it!

There are many areas of billing in the medical profession. If you have ever had a medical procedure done or visited a local emergency room, you have probably received an itemized bill that details what it is that you are expected to pay when it came to the many services that you were provided during your visit. Billers that work in the medical profession focus on ensuring that each area of service is accounted for, and compensation is received for each of these services. Some examples of the areas of billing that you will work on as a biller in the health care industry include physician billing, outpatient services, inpatient services, medical equipment, pharmaceutical, home health care, emergency & rescue, and specialized departments, just to name a few.

Here is how it works: let’s say that a patient came in on an ambulance to a local emergency room with a broken leg. When handling the billing process for this particular individual as a biller, you would be required to itemize at least some of the following services. For example, emergency & rescue (the price of the ambulance and services provided in the ambulance), pharmaceutical (the cost of any and all medication that was required in the ambulance as well as in the emergency room), emergency room (the base fee of the emergency room visit, as well as any and all fees required to compensate the medical professionals).

Then, you will also need to bill for medical supplies (the cast and any other medical supplies required to mend the leg) and specialized services (such as X-rays to help confirm the break). Once you have itemized the services that the patient received on their visit, it is then your job to determine the prices for those services and bill either the patient directly or the insurance that the patient has.

Those in the medical billing career have to know and completely understand some basic items as they relate to the many medical services provided, as well as the methods of payments that most use. It is ideal that the candidate to this career understands the different types of billing in their state, as well as how medical insurance companies work when it comes to ensuring payment for medical services. State and Federal procedures regarding items of interest such as medical payments, direct payment methods, copayment, and similar terms must also be understood. Coinsurance and “copayments” must also be included in the spectrum of knowledge for the individual in medical related billing.

If you have always wanted to go into a profession in the medical career but could never find an area where you felt you would be proficient, billing may be an option. This is an exciting look into this exciting career. If you are ready to jump start your future, the medical billing career may be right for you!

About the Author: Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on medical billing and medical billing service at http://www.medicalbillingindex.com. From http://www.articlesbase.com/

WORDS OF THE MONTH

Medical Word
zwitter hypothesis: That an amphoteric molecule (e.g., an amino acid) has, at its isoelectric point, equal numbers of positive and negative charges, thus becoming a zwitterion (dipolar ion).

Legal Word
lucid interval: A brief period during which an insane person regains sanity sufficient to have the legal capacity to contract and act on his or her own behalf.
 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Congratulations to our new graduate Sherri C:

Hi, my name is Sherri C, and I just finished the medical coding course. I was based in Las Vegas, NV for 30 years, but now I’m living in the hill country near San Antonio, TX.

I have been in the medical field as a C.N.A, medical assistant, and medical transcriptionist—all prior to taking the coding course. I also owned my own business selling durable medical equipment and doing in home oxygen for 12 years.

A number of things interest me, from green living to vegetarian cooking. My hobbies include writing articles for animal magazines on topics of stopping animal abuse, as well as writing about primates. I enjoy vegetarian cooking, good music, and spending lots of quality time with family and friends.

Currently, I work for a local medical transcription company, but hope to start a career in medical coding since passing my exam. I also plan to get my coding certification.

I decided on Meditec due to Jari being so personable and helping me get started in transcribing through the jumpstart program, which is an awesome program, since starting a transcription career is hard without 2 years experience. I found that after completion of my transcription course at a different school it was not easy to get someone to give me that first break and Jari helped make that happen with an internship. I felt that Meditec offered more than most with helping their students to obtain work in their new field, once graduated. That is a very important thing to consider when choosing a school because the education is nothing without the opportunity to use your new skills. All in all, the staff and instructors at Meditec were very helpful with everything involving the medical coding course. The only thing that could have made the course better would have been an internship for coding also. Now I am on to making this a career. Wish me luck! Special thanks to Dawn, my instructor, Gary, the enrollment manager, and of course, Jari!

Note from Instructor Dawn Moreno: Congratulations Sherri C! You worked really hard in the coding program and it has paid off big for you. A coding internship is a great idea, and we’ll look into the possibilities of that in the future.

What you should know about a Medical Billing Specialist

by: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

Whether you are a person thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry, and I will walk you through them so you will have the background information to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs. We will first take a look at what it takes to become a medical billing specialist, and then we will explore the alternatives to hiring a medical billing specialist.

What is a Medical Billing Specialist?

A medical billing specialist is someone who works with a medical office and is in charge of the company’s medical billing. If you desire to be a medical billing specialist, then accuracy and attention to detail are a must because you will most likely be dealing with claims processing, charge entry, and billing and collections. However, most medical offices will hire someone to do more than just handling medical collections. They will want someone to be more of a medical assistant as well. Job duties will then expand to include things like:

• Accounts payable, payroll, and banking tasks
• Prepare and maintain patient charts
• Schedule appointments
• Receive and make phone calls
• Perform insurance verification and referral duties

How do I become a Medical Billing Specialist?

Most businesses will require you to either have several years of experience working as a medical assistant or some kind of advanced certification as a medical assistant. There are several programs out there to help train and educate you to become a medical billing specialist. By doing a Google search for “medical billing specialist,” you should be presented with a lot of options to guide you in becoming a certified medical billing specialist. There are programs that you can complete online and at your own pace. Others require you to attend some classes for a couple of semesters. In my search I found many of the programs to cost around $1000, but some were as much as $6500.

Is it worth it to become a Medical Billing Specialist?

The medical industry is experiencing a tremendous demand for individuals knowledgeable in medical office operations. Medical billing specialists are one of the fastest growing professions and are currently a very high demand job. According to the American Medical Association, there are over 1.2 million medical specialists in the United States. If you are interested in this kind of profession, it would be to your advantage to learn more about it.

What about outsourcing?

Because of the time and meticulous accuracy that medical billing requires, there are some companies that only specialize in being a medical billing specialist. Medical offices outsource all of their medical billing practices to these companies rather than hire an in-house specialist to manage their medical billing needs.

Is there software that can do everything a Medical Billing Specialist can do?

There is yet another solution to managing your medical billing needs. Companies such as AdvancedMD provide a software solution to be your medical billing specialist. An advantage for a medical office to go this route might be that it will be cheaper in the long run to have software to manage all of its billing needs. Also, the electronic medical billing specialist will be less prone to errors unless they are due to a human entry error.

As you can see, there are many solutions to help you better manage your medical office. There are advantages in every category; it just depends on what will best fit your office. If you are thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist, I feel that it is worth looking into as it is a very high demand job. However, you should be aware that with alternatives out there, like outsourcing and medical billing software, you might have a little competition.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com /ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Mike Nielsen is a client account specialist with 10xmarketing – More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information, about medical billing specialist, visit www.AdvancedMD.com

Now is the Time to Become a Paralegal

by: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

Are you interested in legal work but not law school? You might want to consider a paralegal degree.  Attorneys are ultimately responsible for the legal services they provide their clients; paralegals – also known as legal assistants – help attorneys in almost every aspect of their work. Being one of the fastest growing careers nationwide, those with paralegal training will be able to find jobs in any part of the country.

The American Bar Association (ABA) defines the role of a paralegal or legal assistant as an individual who is capable by education, training, or work experience, employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity, to perform specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.

Paralegals provide valuable assistance to attorneys by helping them prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. Paralegals also assist attorneys at trials and in estate planning, as well as in drafting contracts and agreements.  The valuable employees also maintain office financial records and coordinate the activities of law office employees.  Their duties can also include researching legal documents, finding witnesses, getting affidavits, and tracking case files.  Depending on where you choose to work, your paralegal duties can vary widely.

The most common paralegal programs are associate’s degree programs offered at community colleges or specialized schools.  These are generally 2-year programs.   There are also certificate programs and online paralegal programs. Certificate programs are an equally popular paralegal training option. Most certificate programs are intended for students who have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.  Some certificate programs only call for a high school diploma or GED for admission. Certificate programs are generally completed in several months. There are also a small number of schools that offer 4-year bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in paralegal studies.

Paralegal degree and certificate programs usually include courses that introduce students to law and legal research methods.  Some students might choose to study a specialized legal area, such as probate or real estate. Paralegals in small- to medium-sized law firms typically carry out duties that require general law comprehension.  Paralegals employed by large law firms, government agencies, and corporations are generally likely to be specialized.  The legal assistant/paralegal occupation is expected to grow by 33% during the first 10 years of 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  With projections of growth, now is a good time to earn your paralegal credential.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com/ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Steele is a featured writer for EducationGuys.com. She offers exceptional insight into the college degree & distance learning process.

WORDS OF THE MONTH

In both the Medical and Legal fields, it is important to expand our knowledge of terminology. This section of our newsletter is dedicated to presenting a few medical and legal terms. Students or new graduates are encouraged to keep a list of unfamiliar terms in a tabbed notebook for review.

Medical Terms

1. rocker-bottom cast boot shoe: A shoe designed to help with normal gait when the foot or leg is in a cast.

2. rongeur: A strongly-constructed instrument with a sharp-edged, scoop-shaped tip, used for gouging out bone.

Legal Terms

1. Voir dire: The process of questioning potential jurors for biases.

2. Stare Decisis: The practice of deciding new cases against past decisions.

INTERESTING WEB SITES

Medical transcriptionists, medical coders, medical billers, and paralegals all use the Internet at times for research.  When we find an interesting Web site, we will list it here. It is suggested that Meditec students and new graduates keep an organized list of reference links in an MS Word document or Excel file for easy and quick access.

Law Guru
Law Dictionary
US Legal Terms

http://www.m-e-dical.com/english/acat.htm -Surgical Instruments

Surgical911.com ~ Surgical Instruments- Surgical instruments

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Featuring Barb Glasgow. Barb is a recent Meditec graduate who has entered into our Jump Start Internship program. Barb graduated from the University of Cincinnati 33 years ago and started work as a secretary.  She hated it except for one thing—she likes to type.  Barb was perfectly happy to quit altogether and raise a family, 2 girls, now grown (She is a grandma!).  After they left home, she decided to go back to her first love: animal care.  She’s been working for a veterinarian for 6 years and loves it, but she realizes that she’ll never make much money working for a veterinarian.

Barb says, “I can type, and I type well. Also, I now have experience in the medical field.  I’ve decided to combine the two and take medical transcription (my sister recommended Meditec.com.  She took the course a few years ago).” Barb’s plan is to work part time at transcription and part time at the clinic, eventually also taking the medical coding course through Meditec. Then, when her boss at the veterinary clinic retires, she wants to work full time at transcription and coding.

Barb’s hobbies include: sewing, needlework, caring for her animals—2 cats, 2 goats, and 1 chicken.

Note from Barb’s Instructor: Barb, we are so glad that you chose Meditec for your medical transcription and medical coding training.  We are also glad to have had the opportunity to train your sister.  We wish you all the best in your new career!

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

You May Need A New Lawyer If:

• Your lawyer tells you that his last good case was of Budweiser.
• When the prosecutors see your lawyer, they high-five each other.
• Your lawyer picks the jury by playing “duck-duck-goose.”
• Your lawyer tells you that he has never told a lie.
• A prison guard is shaving your head.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH

*Your Point of Power is in the Present Moment.

* People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

by: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

I read an article in BC Advantage magazine this month about an online billing school owner that enrolled numerous students, took their money, and then disappeared. Thinking about scams of this nature reminds one that diligence must be used before turning your hard-earned money over to any school.

Some tips to assist in avoiding the scams include:

1) Make sure the school you wish to attend is licensed by the state they operate in. In many cases, licensed schools must post a bond in order to become licensed and this gives students some safety and recourse if the school goes under or doesn’t follow through on their promises.

2) Check the Better Business Bureau for excessive complaints against the school.

3) Talk to current students and former graduates. Are their graduates employed and are current students happy?

4) Choose a school that has been in business many years and has stood the test of time.

In this time of recession, when people are out of work and looking for new career paths, the problem of school scams is growing. Be a wise consumer. Meditec has been in business over 40 years, is licensed by the state, and has a stellar BBB rating. Additionally, we are one of the few schools that offers an MT internship program to assist our students, and even graduates of other programs, to get working quickly.

Do your research, and choose well.

Medical Billing Service as a Home-Based Business-Is it Lucrative?

Medical billing service as a home-based business may sound like a great business idea but it is not that simple. If you are assuming that you are going to make big money from this venture, you are likely to be disappointed unless you are realistic about your expectations.

It is very important not to fall into the trap of different ads that have been posted on various sites as many of these are scams. Make sure your eyes are wide open before you decide to jump into this field of business.

Below are five keys to success:

1. Do your research. In order to make this business successful, it is important that you find out all the requirements and gain complete knowledge about this field. It is also very important to know medical terms and medical billing terminology, how to conduct transactions on the Internet, correct coding procedures and diagnosis in order to avoid any denials etc.

2. Build some experience first. Billing is very tough if you have no experience or if you haven’t worked elsewhere in this field before. So before starting your own home-based business it is advisable to gain some work experience, as the people who have successfully started their business and are doing extremely well have had traditional work experience in the field of medical billing.

3. Take the time to set up right. Setting up is a process which should be done carefully and each step has to be thoroughly analyzed before putting it into action. It is important to work in a quiet atmosphere without any interruptions. Any help you get is good. Always remember, one small mistake can cost you a big deal or even a client.

4. Expect to have to invest at first. When you initially set up this business, your expenditure will be high and you will have to attain all the required books and softwares. Don’t expect to generate high incomes right away, it will take time.

5. Don’t be shy about asking for business. Do not hesitate to go around asking health care professionals or doctors in your locality if they require your billing service. Make calls and send letters to tell them that you are ready to render your help and services. Have patience but at the same time be a little persistent and always maintain a polite attitude.

Be realistic and patient and you will see that you can turn your medical billing business dream into reality.

About the Author: Ms. Pinky is a mom of 3 school children. She is a Systems Engineer, a Technology Researcher and an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. She and her family is well-traveled all over the world. Her blogs and Web sites focus on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home or build home-based businesses. You can find her at Mommyisworkingathome.com. You may also want to visit her interesting site on Asian Travels and Destinations at GoingplacesinAsia.com. This article is adapted from Articlebase.com.

Is Learning Medical Coding Difficult?

by: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

Many prospective students who call us asking about a career in medical coding want to know if it is difficult to learn. Whereas everyone perceives levels of difficulty differently, comparably speaking learning medical coding is less difficult than learning medical transcription. Why?

Medical transcription is a wonderful work-at-home career choice but it is very skill-based. It takes a good period of time and persistence to tune your ear to the dictation. For some people this can take a few months’ time, but for others it can take up to a year. Additionally, learning to listen for the nuances in each dictator’s style takes much practice.

Conversely, medical coding is very procedural in nature. Once a student learns the basic procedures and rules concerning medical coding, then it just takes some practice to learn how to effectively put those skills to use.

Medical transcriptionists make excellent medical coders and pick up medical coding very easily because they already understand the patient medical record. MTs can easily pick out the diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used during each medical visit.

Meditec teaches medical coding using special coding reference materials that make learning to find the codes quick and easy. The typical training time to learn medical coding is about 3 months. Whereas, learning medical transcription typically takes 6 months to a year. Of course, there are variances in the “typical” training time based on how much of it is spent each week studying.

Another question that comes up frequently is this: Do I have to be good with numbers to be a medical coder? The answer to that question is emphatically NO! To be a good medical coder you need to enjoy reading the patient medical record, and understand how to apply proper coding procedure. Also, the software available, such as Alpha II, makes medical coding so much easier. In the Meditec course, the student has the option to purchase the Alpha II coding software and to use it while doing the course’s exercises. We do recommend that you do the first 100 exercises manually using only the ICD and CPT code books to get used to manually looking up the codes.

Medical coding is a great career choice. It pays well, and jobs are plentiful. The training time and expense is very reasonable as compared to other career fields. From training time to finding your first job as a medical coder could be as little as just a few months.

If you are interested in this career path, please email us at info@meditec.com and request your FREE career e-book Everything About Medical Coding & Billing.

How to Start a Home-Based Medical Transcription Business

First of all, what is the typical day in the life of a medical transcriptionist?

Basically, a medical transcriptionist listens to dictated recordings made by health care professionals such as physicians. Then, he or she transcribes them into medical reports and other correspondence. Part of the job involves editing materials and checking for inconsistencies. The transcriptionist then returns the transcribed items to the medical professional.

These transcription documents can include physical exam and operative reports, autopsies, discharge summaries, progress notes, consultations and other medical-related materials. Although fairly basic work, there are a variety of different types of documents, keeping the work interesting.

Why start a medical transcription home-based business?

The Internet has made transcription work easier and faster to complete at home. Many transcriptionists telecommute, which has sparked an interest with entrepreneurs who want to work for themselves in the comforts of their homes.

It is easy to understand why medical transcription is quickly becoming a popular home-based business. Although advanced education is not required to become a medical transcriptionist, completing a 2-year associates degree or 1-year certificate program is highly recommended. In addition, you can demonstrate a higher transcription skill level and qualification with a “designation”. You can earn the designation of a Registered Medical Transcriptionist or a Certified Medical Transcriptionist, both of which require ongoing education to pass re-certification every 3 years. This is a good selling point to clients, especially when you run your own business.

Speaking of clients, a good way to find medical transcription clients is through online medical transcription networking sites like MT Daily. You may also be able to land contract work through online job Web sites dedicated to medical transcriptionist careers such as MT Jobs.

But I am getting ahead of myself. When you start your medical transcription business, you will need transcription equipment. Initially, you will have to choose between the standard mini-cassette transcriber method and the newer digital dictation style using the Internet and your computer. This will determine the equipment you will need, such as a computer, high speed Internet connection, word-processing software, headphones, a foot pedal, copier, printer, a server and a data storage device.

Sometimes you can find great deals on eBay.com. Next, a medical dictionary is also a good item to have in your office. You can find several used dictionaries at bargain prices on Amazon.com. Lastly, as with any job where you sit and type a lot, invest in a comfortable chair and desk. You may also want to take a look at wrist support or an ergonomic keyboard. These will pay for themselves in the long run. Keep in mind that you can start small and then upgrade your equipment as your business grows. Your clients may also dictate (pardon the pun!) the type of equipment you use, depending on their needs and requests.

Addendum by Dawn Moreno: The Meditec medical transcription training course is equivalent in semester to 1 year of college time (33 semester hours). Our program is comprehensive, self-paced, and online with textbook back-up.

About the Author: Sue Barrett has been the Director of Business Solutions at Home Business Center, Inc. for over 10 years. Specializing in small and home business issues, she provides quality insight and reputable training, licensing, financing and tax resources for those wanting to start, manage and grow their own home-based medical transcription businesses. From Articlebase.com.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR MARCH

By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

As our economy is slowly recovering, many people are finding it still difficult to get by. When things get tough, it’s easy to lose our perspective and fall into a negative cycle of thinking. This nearly always keeps that negative cycle fueled with energy and ongoing.

Remembering to take a moment to align our thoughts with positivity, faith, hope, and compassion can help us weather life’s storms. we were never promised a rose garden in life, but we do not have to bask in thorns day in and day out. Seek to find your own inner joy!

Affirmations for March

• I embrace and accept change.
• I embrace and accept new opportunities.
• I am constantly attracting new and exciting opportunities.
• I give and receive love freely.
• I forgive myself and everyone else for past mistakes.
• I am open to giving and receiving love abundantly.

MEDICAL FUNNIES:

Doctor: Nurse, how is that little girl doing who swallowed ten quarters last night?

Nurse: No change yet.

From: http://www.1millionjokes.com/jokes/87.html

Referral Program

Do you know someone who is interested in career training? Refer them to Meditec and if they enroll in our one of our programs within the next 3 months we’ll send you $100 as a thank you gift. That’s $100 for every person who enrolls – and there’s no limit to how many referrals you can make.

All you need to do is email us at info@meditec.com with their first name, last name and what state they live in (so that we can keep track of your referrals).

Returning Student Discount

As a special thank you, all past Meditec students (those not currently studying with us) will receive 25% off for any training programs in which they enroll.

This Month’s Recipe

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:

1) 2 large washed eggplants, sliced in 1/4″ thick slices

2) Flour

3) 6 Eggs

4) Oil

5) 1 large jar Ragu Spaghetti sauce

6) Mozzarella cheese – shredded 4 cups

7) Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Scramble the 6 eggs. Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg mixture, and then in the flour to bread it and set aside. Do this with each piece of the sliced eggplant. Fry each slice of eggplant in a frying pan under tender, and set aside on a paper towel lined plate (to help absorb some of the oil). Once all the eggplant slices are fried, spoon some of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13×9×2 baking dish. Then add a layer of the fried eggplant, top with more sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Continue layering eggplant, sauce, and cheese until you run out of eggplant or space in the pan. Top with a layer of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in over preheated over at 350 degrees for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and it’s nice and hot all the way through. Take out of oven and let stand for 15 minutes or until slightly cooled before slicing. Serves great with garlic cheese bread or buttered french bread and a nice crunchy garden salad. Enjoy!

Variation:  

You don’t have to layer the eggplant like a lasagna. You can just put some of the spaghetti sauce in the pan, and then put all the eggplant in, then top with more sauce, and cheese.  Additionally, you do not have to slice the eggplant into slivers but can slice it thicker and then cut into quarters, and bread and fry it that way.

Many prospective medical transcription students and new MTs are asking the question, “How will speech recognition software affect medical transcriptionist jobs?” More and more electronic medical record programs are incorporating VR (voice/speech recognition) technology into their platform. Don’t worry. There is still plenty of work for MTs because the VR transcript needs a lot of editing. Words that voice recognition will confuse include their, there, they are, etc. Also VR tends to leave words out such as a, the, etc., and it frequently confuses words and medications. Punctuation always needs to be corrected in any VR report as well. To see VR in action there is an interesting webinar for free download here.

Basically how it works is that the MT listens to the audio file as usual, but instead of typing the report from scratch, an already unedited document of the file displays on their screen. The MT listens to the file while reading the unedited document and makes corrections along the way. Corrections include grammar, punctuation, missing words, incorrect formatting, and wrong words. Editing VR reports is faster, obviously, than typing them from scratch. Some MTs spend part of their day doing VR editing and the other part doing straight transcription. This adds variety to the workday.

Students sometimes worry that voice recognition will take over our jobs, but technology is not something to fear. At times technology will change the way we do our jobs, but an intelligent human brain is still needed somewhere in the process. For medical transcription, no amount of automation can replace the need for a thinking person on the other end of the software.

Twenty or so years ago, MTs were still doing MT on typewriters, then on word processors, then computers. Cassette tapes used to be the way dictation was received and played. Then, came the advent of the WAV pedal, which has made transcribing audio so much easier. Today, some doctors are using EMR (electronic medical record) systems with embedded VR technology, and many MTs are typing directly into EMR platforms or are editing VR transcripts in an EMR platform. So, will there be “less” need for MTs in the future? I really don’t think so, because as this technology is taking hold, we also have a generation of baby boomers entering middle age.

The question to ask is: Are doctors LESS busy nowadays? Anyone who has tried to make a medical appointment for a non-urgent situation will clearly agree that doctors are slammed with patients from the moment they enter their office until the moment they leave to go home.  As the population ages, there is no sign of any decrease in the need for quality medical care or the need for healthcare personnel. The health and legal fields are pretty recession proof. The Occupational Outlook Handbook feels that the field is stable and growing through 2018. Here is an exact excerpt:

Employment change. Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow by 11 percent from 2008 to 2018, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for medical transcription services will continue to be spurred by a growing and aging population. Older age groups receive proportionally greater numbers of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that require documentation. A high level of demand for transcription services also will be sustained by the continued need for electronic documentation that can be shared easily among providers, third-party payers, regulators, consumers, and health information systems. Growing numbers of medical transcriptionists will be needed to amend patients’ records, edit documents from speech recognition systems, and identify discrepancies in medical reports.

Contracting out transcription work overseas and advancements in speech recognition technology are not expected to significantly reduce the need for well-trained medical transcriptionists. Outsourcing transcription work abroad—to countries such as India, Pakistan, Philippines, Barbados, and Canada—has grown more popular as transmitting confidential health information over the Internet has become more secure; however, the demand for overseas transcription services is expected only to supplement the demand for well-trained domestic medical transcriptionists. In addition, reports transcribed by overseas medical transcription services usually require editing for accuracy by domestic medical transcriptionists before they meet U.S. quality standards.

Speech recognition technology allows physicians and other health professionals to dictate medical reports to a computer, which immediately creates an electronic document. In spite of the advances in this technology, the software has been slow to grasp and analyze the human voice, the English language, and the medical vernacular with all its diversity. As a result, there will continue to be a need for skilled medical transcriptionists to identify and appropriately edit the inevitable errors created by speech recognition systems and to create a final document.

Job prospects. Job opportunities will be good, especially for those who are certified. Hospitals will continue to employ a large percentage of medical transcriptionists, but job growth will be in other industries. An increasing demand for standardized records should result in rapid employment growth in physicians’ offices, especially in large group practices.

(Excerpted from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm#outlook)
What Do Medical Coders Do?
Many people are now interested in pursuing healthcare careers because they are virtually recession proof. Medical coding has become a hot career choice in the last few years but some people are unsure of what exactly does a medical coder do.

Medical coders work in doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and even sometimes at home. When a patient sees a doctor, he will dictate what happened during the visit. A medical transcriptionist takes that audio and transcribes it creating the legal document known as the patient medical record. The medical coder then takes that record and abstracts the information needed to send to the insurance company for payment.

The medical coder is looking for the diagnosis, procedures performed during the visit, and any supplies used. Insurance companies use alpha numeric codes to represent the diagnosis, procedures, and supplies. These “codes” are found in reference books such as the ICD 9 CM (contains diagnosis codes for diseases), and the CPT (which contains procedure codes for medical procedures). The medical coder is trained to use these reference materials and/or software to find the appropriate codes to represent the diagnosis, procedures, and supplies.

This sounds relatively easy, but there are other factors to consider such as was the problem caused by an accident, or was it a late effect (effect that happened after another problem). These and other criteria affect  how the coder goes about locating the proper codes. Granted, this explanation is rather brief and scaled down but basically outlines how medical coding is done.

Medical coders must have some training in medical terminology to understand how to abstract the information they need from the patient medical record quickly and accurately. They need a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the procedures involved in medical coding itself, and some understanding of health insurance and how it works.

The ideal candidate for a medical coding career is a person who enjoys working with the patient medical record, enjoys doing research, working in a medical setting, and who is detail oriented. It takes about 3-6 months to learn how to code accurately.  Jobs are available in local doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, and some coders now work at home.  Medical transcriptionists make GREAT medical coders.

Every year the coding reference books are updated, and rules and regulations change frequently, so medical coders are expected to get continuing education through webinars, classes, professional publications, etc.  Additionally, there are several options available for coders to become certified.  Certification is not always necessary to work in a doctor’s office, but is nearly always required to do hospital coding. Certification is a goal that medical coding students should consider and work toward.  The training through Meditec is more than adequate for the student to sit for the AHIMA CCA credentialing exam, and some of our students have gone right into sitting for the CCS exam through AHIMA as well.  Meditec’s online medical coding program is comprehensive, interactive, and interesting.

For more information about a career in medical coding, send an email to info@meditec.com and request your free Ebook “Everything About Medical Coding.”

Words of the Month

In both the medical and legal fields, it is important to develop your vocabulary. Each month we will list a few medical and legal words to assist you in building your vocabulary. To make this more interesting for students, the words will be listed below, and the definitions at the bottom of the newsletter. See if you can find the definitions on your own first.  Also, it’s a good idea to create a “vocabulary” notebook that is tabbed alphabetically.  Good Luck!

Medical Terms:

Oncology Terms:

1. fungating
2. medullary

Legal Terms:

1. codicil
2. Collusion
Interesting Web Sites

Both medical and legal students and new graduates will find these sites interesting and fun.  Enjoy!

http://www.law.com – Interesting law site and has a legal dictionary

http://www.mthelpline.com – Has a medical dictionary and a lot of sample medical reports that you can review

Let’s Get Organized

Many adults are looking into online educational training that is self-paced. This type of training is extremely flexible in nature and allows the working adult to study and progress at their own pace. Many of Meditec’s students are working adults, or moms who are at home with children. The many demands in our daily lives can make balancing studying, work, and family very difficult. It can be done though, but it takes thought and organization to make it happen…. smoothly. This article will outline a few tips to assist in organizing your life in a way that will help you to accomplish your goals without sacrificing in other areas of your life.

Tip #1: Make a Schedule- When you have a busy life with many things to do, you can’t just “wing” it and expect everything to work out. Sit down and create a schedule for yourself. Start with when you get up and go through the hours of the day until bedtime. Allow time for household chores, other work you may be required to do, family time, meal times, etc. Then, assess your schedule and see what you can add, delete, and how much time each activity will take. Then, add in your “me” time to study. Some students are only able to schedule in 5 hours a week, but if that is a CONSISTENT 5 hours, it adds up, and brings you closer to your goal. An average amount of study time is approximately 10-15 hours per week. It’s great if you can do more, but don’t feel bad if you have so much going on in your life that 5 hours is all you can spare to reach your goals.

Tip #2:  Share Your Intentions- It’s important to share your schedule and intentions with your family and friends, and explain how important getting organized is to you so that you can meet your goals. Friends may need to understand that you are not available to chat on the phone as much as you once were, and maybe you need to make family members understand that you need their help in order to stay on task. For example, maybe family can help with cooking, cleaning, childcare, errands, etc that you used to do but now would like assistance with. Don’t be afraid to request help. Also, always remember to express gratitude for the help you do receive, and always schedule in time to just relax and have fun with your loved ones.

Tip #3: Time Saving Tips- Look for ways to cut down on the time it takes to do particular tasks. For example using a Crockpot to cook a nice family meal cuts down a lot on meal preparation time. If you have a larger home and cleaning is a problem, possibly hiring a neighborhood teenager to assist you would be worth the “spend.”

Tip #4: Don’t Get Discouraged- When first working with a schedule, the tendency is to schedule in too much activity and it’s easy to get sidetracked. Be flexible with your schedule and even try to schedule in some “free” time.

By organizing your time with a schedule, enlisting the help of family and friends, and being flexible, you can meet your personal and career goals without sacrificing the other important areas of your life.

Student Spotlight
Meet new Meditec Student, Jamie F.

“I am a Mom to two little boys. The oldest will be three in April and the younger is 10 months. They tend to keep me pretty busy. I am able to stay home with them and watch them grow. We love to take walks to the park, play outside, and just generally have fun spending time together and watching each other grow. We are getting excited about Spring because we love the outdoors. We are preparing to go camping, boating, and ATV riding. We also enjoy the Spring and Summer weather.

“I became interested in becoming an MT about 2 years ago when we were preparing to have another child. With the cost of daycare I was looking for alternative income. I have a friend who is an MT and she recommended I look into it. Well needless to say I did and I actually graduated from another MT school over a year ago. I have decided to gain more education and experience in the MT field and have chosen Meditec to help me gain this needed experience. One reason for choosing Meditec is the Jump Start internship program that is available. They are the only school that I have found which offers a program like this, and I believe this is much needed experience in this field. I have also found the staff to be wonderful to work with and very approachable.  I look forward to working with them in the near future and jumping into the Meditec program.”

Jamie, the staff of Meditec welcomes you. We are looking forward to working with you and assisting you in meeting your career goals.  Sincerely, Dawn

Every month we’d like to highlight a Meditec student or graduate of the month. If you are a current Meditec student or graduate and would like to be highlighted in our newsletter, please send a brief introduction about yourself, why you chose the career path that you did, and what made you decide to choose Meditec to DawnM@meditec.com.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR APRIL
Some people are having it a bit tough in this economy, and/or are facing tragic personal circumstances. It’s easy to fall into a negative cycle of thinking during hard times. Using positive affirmations, is a way to change your thoughts and your thinking and to attract better circumstances into your life. Enjoy!

Spring is the time for renewal and positive change, I am attracting great opportunities to myself.
Just like the April showers bring May flowers, I view hard times as only temporary states of being, and the flowers of life are just around the corner.

MEDICAL FUNNIES:
Medical Record Blunders
1. The skin was moist and dry.

2. Rectal exam revealed a normal size thyroid. (Long fingers?)

3. The patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

4. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life until 1989 when she got a divorce.

ANSWERS TO WORDS OF THE MONTH
Medical Terms:
Oncology Terms
1. fungating- Mushrooming pattern of growth in which tumor cells pile one on top of another and project from a tissue surface.
2. medullary- Pertaining to large, soft, fleshy tumors.

Legal Terms:
1. codicil- A supplement or addition to a will, not necessarily disposing of the entire estate but modifying, explaining, or otherwise qualifying the will in some way.
2. collusion- An agreement between two or more persons to defraud another or to obtain something forbidden by law.

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POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR FEBRUARY

By: Dawn Moreno, Meditec Program Manager/Instructor

As our economy is slowly recovering, many people are still finding it difficult to get by.  When things get tough, it’s easy to lose our perspective and fall into a negative cycle of thinking.  This nearly always keeps that negative cycle fueled with energy and ongoing.  Remembering to take a moment and align our thoughts with positivity, faith, hope, and compassion can help us weather life’s storms.  Whereas we were not promised a rose garden of life, but we do not have to bask in thorns day in and day out. Seek to find your own inner joy!

MEDICAL FUNNIES:

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This Month’s Recipes

TATER TOT CASSEROLE

Brown hamburger meat. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir together continuously.

Let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Place mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay tater tots neatly on top of the mixture.

Place in oven on 350′ and let the tater tots brown.

Sprinkle with cheese; melt it in the oven and ENJOY.

(Side note from Dawn M: You could add a little sour cream to the cream of mushroom soup for a bit more “zip” to this recipe).

Submitted by: Danielle Watson

Excerpted from COOKS.COM