Are Medical Coding Online Jobs a Scam?

The tremendous growth of the medical coding industry and need for trained coders has unfortunately led to some medical coding online scams. In addition to fraudulent coding schools that act like “diploma mills,” online coding job scams are prevalent as well. Individuals who wish to find online medical coding jobs should do research and educate themselves for typical fraudulent behavior.

The lure for most people is the opportunity to work from home. Who would not jump at a listing for a medical coding job that offers plentiful work with flexible hours in the comfort of their own home? The truth is that while work-at-home jobs for medical coders do exist, they are not as plentiful as the many websites out there would like you to believe. Moreover, it takes medical coding course work and several years of experience in the field to be able to do medical coding at home properly and efficiently.

Signs of Fraud

Many freelance, work-at-home websites on the Internet may look legitimate but have the potential to include fraudulent job offers. Look for tell-tale signs of fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers. These can include:

1. a request for money for fees or supplies,
2. no phone number for assistance,
3. overly gushing “testimonials” from “clients,”
4. promise of lots of money with little effort or only a few hours a week,
5. requirement that you recruit other people for the job,
6. use of terms like “at home” or “work from home” when describing the job, rather than the more sophisticated terms “remote” and “telecommute,”
7. no requirement for CPC or CCS certification.

Any job offer that asks the prospective EMPLOYEE for money is a red flag. Scams may ask for money for what they euphemistically call a signing fee, referral fee, credit check or background check. Usually, after the individual has paid the money, the job never materializes. Legitimate temporary work agencies or job placement companies will do such things as a reference check or background check for free.

Another ploy to get money from job seekers is to ask them to buy such things as a company policy booklet, training manual or list of medical companies you can call to ask if they have medical coding jobs available.

Phishing – “Phishing” is a term used by shady figures whose only purpose with their ad or offer is to get your personal information for identity theft. Be wary of giving out such information as:

1. credit card number,
2. social security number,
3. address and email,
4. bank account number (“so we can set you up for direct deposit”),
5. PIN number or passwords.

Start-Your-Own-Business Scam

Education – These shady offers may tell you that you do not need a lot of education to be a medical coder and can BUY (a bad sign) medical coding classes and course work from them. Unfortunately, the certification they provide is not accredited, worthless and not recognized by any legitimate employer. In reality, it takes many classes over a year or more to study for medical coding jobs and to become certified by an accredited institution.

Starter kit – Start-your-own-business scams also typically ask for a lot of money upfront for such things as:

1. a starter kit for opening your business,
2. a list of potential clients,
3. expensive computer software, or
4. a partnership/investment in your business.

Typically, the starter kit has bogus advice for starting a business and the clients are nonexistent.

Reputable Medical Coding Jobs

Associations – Associations are a good place to find reputable offers for medical coding jobs. These organizations consolidate information about their business, offer training and networking and maintain a good reputation with their clients and members. On their job sites, legitimate employers can post jobs for their open positions, and job seekers can look for jobs with the qualifications and skills that they have.

Try searching the websites of the American Health Information Management Association, American Academy of Professional Coders, and American Medical Billing Association.

Schools – Another place to find reputable medical coding jobs is online medical coding schools. Their websites usually offer career opportunities, networking resources for people to communicate with each other and listings of job openings.

Reputable Medical Coding Employers

Reputable employers should be easy to spot by their commonly accepted business practices. Generally they:

1. are communicative,
2. ask questions about your qualifications,
3. take time to do a background check or verify information on your resume,
4. provide references,
5. offer you a written contract explaining duties and standard coding rates of pay,
6. work with you in setting you up as a proper employee,
7. provide the materials you need for at-home work, such as software, work charts and books, and
8. only ask for direct deposit or personal information at the very end of negotiations.