You probably know the two types of resume formats – chronological and functional.  The question is, which format will work hardest to get you a job as a medical biller and coder

In most cases, it depends on where you are in your career.

• A chronological format could work best if you have already started your career as a medical biller and coder, because it highlights the jobs that you have held in the past.

• A functional format could be your best choice if you are seeking your first job, because it emphasizes the skills you have learned in school, not your past job experience.

There are other resume formats too. If your background includes both previous jobs and skills you learned in school, you may need to create a mixed-format resume that presents both effectively.

How do you decide which format is best for you? Here are some excellent online sources of advice that can help you make the best choice:

• MSN Careers offers an extensive library of free articles about writing resumes, including one that helps you format a resume if you have held a number of short-term jobs.

• HowToWriteaResume.net gives advice on choosing the format that is best for you, along with templates you can use to build your resume online. Note: Some services on this site require payment.

• ResumeResource.com lets you review about 200 sample resumes in different formats, including one designed for people who are changing careers.

And if you’re procrastinating about writing your resume . . .

“Five Tips for Better Resume Writing,” an article Dummies.Com, offers an upbeat overview of the process that can help you jumpstart your writing and get started today.

You’ve asked professors and professional contacts to write letters of recommendation for you. But how can you be sure that those letters are doing all they can to help you land jobs?

You’ll find some great advice on this topic in the article “How to Obtain and Use References and Recommendation Letters” by Maureen Crawford Hentz, writing on the QuintCareers.com Website.

Here are just three nuggets of Hentz’s wisdom:

-     Ask indirectly. Hentz recommends emailing your possible referrers to ask for references, not speaking with them directly. The reason? An email allows them to gracefully turn you down if they want. Getting a “no, thank you” is preferable to getting a lukewarm recommendation from someone who didn’t really want to write it for you.

-     Don’t ask for references at the last minute. Instead, collect letters of reference over time, from people who have good things to say about you. When you build a portfolio of references this way, you can later pick and choose the best of them.

-     Supply documentation. If you are asking for a reference for a specific job, give your referrer your resume and a description of the position you are applying for. Also point out how your abilities match the job. That allows your referrer to write a letter that spells out why you are a great fit for the job.

For more good advice on getting references . . .

Watch “Tips for Collecting Job References,” a video from consultant Tine Buechler on YouTube.

Which office chairs provide the back support you need during long workdays at your desk? Here are some must-have features that are recommended by Chiropractor Dr. Rodney K. Lefler on Spine-Health.com:

• The seat height should adjust easily, allowing you to sit with your feet flat on the floor and your arms even with the desk surface.

• The seat should tilt, and should be deep enough to let you sit with your back against the backrest.

• There should be a lumbar support that adjusts for both height and depth, so you can find a setting that supports the inward curve of your lower back.

• The backrest should be adjustable for both angle and height.

• The fabric should be breathable, and padding should be thick enough to provide comfort during long periods of use.

• Armrests should be adjustable up and down, so your arms can rest comfortably on them while your shoulders are relaxed.

• Swiveling should be easy, so you can turn easily to reach different articles in your work area.

For more information on picking the desk chair that is best for your back, watch Watch Your Back, a video from Spine-Health.com.

Those are the basics. But which chairs fill the bill? You’ll find reviews of popular models online at ConsumerSearch.com and at Galt Home.

Buying a good chair for a great price . . .

Consider buying a used desk chair. Due to the current wave of company downsizings, lots of used office furniture is currently available – some at liquidation prices. To find a company that sells used office equipment in your area, visit the Yellow Pages online or search online for “used office equipment.”

After hours of working on your computer do you find that your wrists are sore and tired? If you are planning on entering a career in medical billing and coding, wrist fatigue could be a huge factor in preventing you from working efficiently. Medical Billing and Coding Blog has outlined the key medical problem associated with wrist fatigue, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndome?

According to WebMD, Carpal tunnel syndrome “occurs when the median nerve becomes pinched due to swelling of the nerve or tendons or both. The median nerve provides sensation to the palm side of the thumb, index, middle fingers, as well as the inside half of the ring finger and muscle power to the thumb. When this nerve becomes pinched, numbness, tingling and sometimes pain of the affected fingers and hand may occur and radiate into the forearm.”

What causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and what are its symptoms?

While there are several possible causes of the disorder, normally it springs from repeated movement of the arms, wrists or hands, often times by typing at a computer for long hours. If you work long days on a computer and your hands and/or fingers feel tingly or numb at night, or if you experience a burning or shooting pain up your forearm, you could have a case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

According to WebMD, to prevent this wrist fatigue disorder you can:

• Sleep with your wrists straight or use a splint.
• Keep your wrists straight when using tools but try not to use splints.
• Avoid flexing and extending your wrists repeatedly.
• Perform conditioning and stretching exercises.

How Can I Cure Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Read the rest of this entry »

In this field we talk a lot about HIPAA, and many call it “the privacy act” or “security rule”.  Its true intention is the portability of the insurance coverage in order to provide continuity of coverage for workers and their families when they lose or change jobs.

The law covers several items related to safety and security of a patient’s information – things like responsibilities, verification, validation and training, amongst others.

One area that is worth  mentioning is Safeguards; this is the ensuring that confidential information remains secure.

All entities must have in place appropriate safeguards to ensure the protection of a person’s confidential information.  These security measures as described by HIPAA include administrative, technical and physical safeguards.  And many times we assume these are taking place. But do we really focus and protect our patient’s information on a continual basis?

Administrative safeguards require us to verify a patient and or their due representative.  Do we have signatures on file? Do we verify these every time we’re asked to provide information to persons other than the patient?  A good idea would be to include in the patient’s record a photocopy of their identification; this ID should be state issued. Read the rest of this entry »

“Hot Jobs: Medical Coders Are in Great Demand,” an article by Scott Andron in The Miami Herald, reports encouraging news about the growing need for medical billers and coders in Florida.  “Health information management might be for you, and a job as a medical coder might be the place to start,” Andron writes.

The Miami Herald is not the only publication that is optimistic about opportunities for medical billers and coders in Florida. According to Orlandojobs.com’s Employment Outlook for Central Florida report, healthcare jobs are among the fastest growing employment opportunities in Florida. The report points to fast-growing opportunities for physical therapists, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical coders and medical billers.

What’s driving this growth? One significant force is the construction of new medical facilities in the state. One of the more promising could be the planned “medical city” in Orlando’s Lake Nona area. According to a recent article in The Orlando Business Journal, the development of this medical and research park has the potential to create 30,000 high-paying jobs in just a decade.

So, is Florida a good place to start and grow your career as a medical biller and coder? It certainly seems to be. We’ll be watching the trends in Florida and other states in the coming months and reporting on them here.

Are you currently working or planning to work from home? Are you concerned about the huge amounts of data that are piling up on your home computer? Billing and Coding Blog has outlined some of the best data backup systems, and their benefits for home-workers.

Carbonite – This online data backup system installs a small application on your computer that automatically backs up data on your computer for only $54.95 per year. This price remains the same regardless of how much data you need to back up! Carbonite goes to sleep when you are active on your computer, and the software only works while your computer is idle; this ensures that you never lose any speed or functionality while you work! Click here for more information and to start your free trial.

Other online storage services to consider: VaultLogix, Data Deposit Box

External Hard-Drives – These serve as extensions of your computer’s hard drive and are available in a variety of sizes and prices, depending on how much data you need to backup. Depending on the speed of your computer, and the size of your hard drive, backing up your data could be a time consuming process. Also, if you lose the hard drive – which can be as small as a wallet – all your data will be gone.

Click here to read PC World’s list of the Top 10 External Hard Drives

CD/DVD – This is the cheapest available option, and since most PCs are now equipped with CD burners, there are few obstacles in getting started. Since this is the cheapest option, however, there are some concerns; it can take considerable time and discs to backup large drives, and CDs can be easily scratched and ruined without proper caution. If you only need to backup a little bit of crucial data, and are confident in your care for the discs, then CD/DVD may be your best option for data backup.

Do you have any advice on the best data backup options? Please leave us a comment and let us know what has worked for you!

“I love my kids and they deserve my time,” says Toni K, a woman who is studying online to become a medical biller and coder. “But I feel like I never get any uninterrupted time to sit down and concentrate on my lessons. The kids are always banging on my door, and then I feel guilty if I get irritated at them. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?”

We posed this question to Dr. Kenneth Ruge, a therapist who has written several books, including Where Do I Go from Here?

“Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem,” Ruge states. “Overall, I would say that it is best to get out of the house, if you can. Get to Starbucks, for example. However, when kids reach age seven or eight, they might enjoy doing their own homework while a parent is studying – it can become a family study period that kids will actually enjoy. And kids can feel good if they know they are helping a parent reach important goals.”

Here are more ideas we gathered from people who have learned how to juggle studying with parenting duties:

Make sure your technology is not limiting you. If your only computer is a desktop at home, maybe a laptop would let you study over lunch hours at work. And laptops can now be bought for $400 or even less. Another solution? Print out your online lessons and carry them with you. Remember, paper is portable. Read the rest of this entry »

With so many distractions and the comfort of your home as major obstacles, working or studying from home can be a difficult course to pursue. That is why Medical Billing and Coding blog has developed a list of time management tips for remote learners, to help you work efficiently from home. Remote learning is not for everyone, but if you follow these simple tips, it is possible for anyone.

Set clear goals – Each day you should have a list of tasks/assignments that you will complete. If you set a clear list of deliverables for each work day, you will have an easier time working to reach those goals. The biggest mistake you can make is to procrastinate, and push work off for another day; all this will do is slow you down, let your work load pile up, and make you far less efficient.

Limit Distractions – In any work environment, distractions can limit productivity. This is magnified when you are working or studying from home; you might have to worry about walking your dog, or picking up your mail, or answering to your kids, among other potential disruptions. To avoid these diversions you should isolate yourself in your home, in a designated “work” area. While you are working, make it clear to your children that you are busy, and ignore all phone calls, doorbells, and enticing TV programming.  Don’t attempt to multitask; your designated work time is for working only, and nothing else.

Establish Specific Work Hours – If you are working from home it is easy to procrastinate and say “I will get to this later”; this is a bad habit! Create a specific time frame each day dedicated to work. Whether it be 9 AM – 5 PM, 12 PM – 8 PM, or 6 PM – 3 AM, establishing specific work hours is crucial to remaining productive and getting your work done in a timely fashion. Your friends and family should be familiar with your work hours, to ensure you are not bothered when you should be working.

Dress for the Job – Rather than sitting around in your favorite pair of sweatpants, you should dress like you are in a classroom or workplace. Your mindset is the most important aspect of time management; if you are dressed to work, then you will most likely work. If you are dressed to relax, then you will most likely relax

Here’s a question for medical billers and coders . . .

Exactly when did your career start?

If you stop to think about it, you will probably realize that your career didn’t begin when you got your first job.  It actually started on the day when you walked into a classroom and began your training.

It only makes sense that great students tend to have an easier time starting their careers.  Their strong grades often give them an edge over other job-seekers. They tend to get better recommendations from their former instructors too.

So how can you be a training standout?  Here’s some advice:

Dress one step ahead. If you dress like a working professional, people will see you in that role – and will think of you first when professional opportunities arise.

Project a positive attitude – even in early-morning classes. Stand tall when you walk into the classroom. Greet the instructor. Smile, sit up, and maintain eye contact as you listen to what your instructor has to say. Then thank the instructor when class is over.

Keep your textbooks and course materials organized, protected and clean. It shows that you are taking your training seriously. Also: Never forget your course materials. But if you do, avoid calling attention to the problem.

Be a great colleague in shared activities and projects. If you show that you are a good team member, people will notice and remember you.

Show strong interest in everything you learn. One good way? Ask questions that dig for information that was not covered in class.

Don’t disappear when your coursework is over. Come back to visit your former instructors. Explain how you are applying the skills you learned in class, and talk about your new achievements. Remember, students who keep in touch come to mind first when instructors hear about new opportunities.

Do you have more training strategies to recommend? Why not take a moment to share them here with other members of the billing and coding community?