10 Things You MUST Ask A Medical Transcription Company Before Taking The Job

Everything You Need To Know Is Right Here!

Whether you're fresh out of school or a long-time veteran in the industry, there are certain things you simply must know about a medical transcription company before you jump in and sign on the dotted line. I have found that, by and large, the transcription services are run by dedicated, hard-working folks who try their utmost to be fair and above board.

But. You still need to watch out for Number One, no matter how nice people seem. Here are some questions you should ask every potential transcription employer.


If I Were Interviewing a Medical Transcription Company This Is What I Would Ask 
Of course, there are so many questions that should come to mind when you are interviewing a new medical transcription company. And make no mistake, you are interviewing them every bit as much as they are interviewing you. Sort of like courting; is this worth a long-term relationship?

These "10" questions (really a lot more than ten in there) are the absolute minimum you should ask a company when you are talking about a job. My advice: if you don't get the answers you like or need, then move on!

What do they base compensation on? Hourly Rate? Character lines? If so, how many characters per line? What counts as a character? Do headers and footers count? What about signature lines and salutations? If gross lines, do they pay for headers footers, signature lines or other boilerplate text? If it is minutes, then what extra work beyond straight typing, such as formatting, extra correspondence and copying from one system to another would be required?.

Especially with regard to minutes, you can spend a LOT of time doing things that are not really earning you money, like cleaning up the format of the report, or typing letters that are not specifically dictated. Just be sure you know going in what you will be paid for, and what you will not.


Do they have a mandatory probation or QA period? If so, how long is it?

For Newbies, QA is a stressful period, and it's good to have a light at the end of the tunnel. Experienced pros probably don't need to worry about this too much.


What are the standards that must be met in order to advance out of QA?
You need to know what the standards are, absolutely.

Again, the experienced folks aren't too worried about this.


When can you expect to see a raise in your per line or per minute rate? Is it production-based, or time-based (as in longevity with the company)?


Is the employee or contractor expected to provide his or her own transcription equipment? What kind of technical support is available if there is a problem?

If you don't work at home, this isn't an issue, but if you do, you need to be assured that the company has a good IT staff to help you out when (not if) you have a problem. Some companies still ship computers and everything to the employee or contractor, and they expect you to use that for your work.


If this is a work-from-home position, does the company expect the employee or contractor to have broadband Internet service? If so, will the company reimburse for the expense?


What are the expected working hours? Does the company have a "third" shift (i.e., midnight to eight AM)? Do they pay an incentive bonus for working that shift if so?

Some companies just have an expected turnaround time, and others expect you to work set hours. What works for you? Working at midnight might be great if there is incentive pay involved and you can stand to be typing at 3AM...


Does the company provide health benefits for employees? Will they provide specifics on the plans they offer?


Does the company provide a 401(k) for employees? If so, do they match contributions, and how much?


How does time off work? Is there paid vacation for employees? How much and how does it accrue? How does time off work for contractors?

If you are working from home and you need to take a day off for some reason, how much notice do you need to give?

http://insidemedicaltranscription.com/index.html

Salary Survey 2012: Trends Show Growth and Diversification

September 20th, 2012

 

Five-year comparison indicates consistent progress in this health care sector.
By David Blackmer, BA, and Brad Ericson, MPC, CPC, COSC

Snapshots are instant slices of our lives. Compare them from year to year while placing them side by side and our lives become stories.

Every year, Coding Edge presents AAPC’s Salary Survey as an annual slice of data about our members’ welfare. This year, we decided to show you how the information trends through the years because it tells a very interesting story about our profession’s growth.

The 2012 AAPC Health Care Salary Survey, which was open to health care business professionals online this summer, confirms coders, billers, practice managers, auditors, and educators are in a dynamic environment. It is obvious the recession affected our industry, and for most members things are improving. But the unpredictable impact of market forces provides surprises.

A lot has happened since 2008, when our trend lines begin. A deep recession, beginning in December 2007, ended in 2009 with a slow recovery and rippling effect throughout the country. Changes to the mix of practice size and affiliation occurred. Major changes to the way federal and commercial payers could pay physicians evolved and were mandated. And, as AAPC grew from 60,000 members in 2008 to nearly 120,000 now, our professional roles, expertise, locations, and education diversified unimaginably.

A significant nod to the importance of our craft is that more than 25 percent of respondents said they have decision-making power in their work places, compared with less than 20 percent in previous years. This means AAPC members are gaining more credibility for knowledge and expertise.

How Much We Make
The 2012 average salary is $47,870, based on responses. This includes credentialed and non-credentialed members; but, when broken down by credential, the averages this year look like this:

• Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) – $47,796 (up nearly $900 from 2011)
• Certified Professional Coder – Hospital Outpatient (CPC-H®) – $56,466 (up nearly $1,800 from last year)
• Certified Professional Coder – Payer (CPC-P®) – $55,255 (up nearly $3,800 from last year)
• Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA®) – $59,365 (up more than $3,200 over last year)
• Specialty credentials – $54,145
• All AAPC credentials, avg. – $48,033

Taking all of the credentialed respondents’ salaries and averaging them, we see that in the last two years salaries are slowly growing.

Salary by Workplace

Average salary by workplace has increased from last year by 9.7 percent or more for those in smaller groups or practices. Those working in facilities made more, but received less in raises comparatively, averaging between 4 and 5 percent. For example, as shown in the Salary by Workplace table, the average salary at a solo practice was $40,290 in 2010, $41,301 in 2011, and $45,312 in 2012 compared to the average salary in an outpatient hospital: $43,685 in 2010, $43,751 in 2011, and $45,399 in 2012.

Salary by Job Responsibility

As you can see in this next table, Salary by Job Responsibility, salaries are indeed affected by job responsibility, and educators are making the most money.

Credentials, Education, and Benefits
Credentials and education impact our salaries. How much education and what certifications we hold factor in to where we sit financially.

Credential Required

While slow, there is a definite trend toward employers requiring credentials. As you can see in the  

Credential Required table, 54 percent of employers require certification today, compared to 47 percent in 2008.

Salary by Experience

We know now that the average years of experience of credentialed members are significant. In our survey, CPCs® have 12; CPMAs® and CPC-Hs® have 14; and Certified Professional Coder—Instructors (CPC-Is®) have 19 average years of experience. As shown in the Salary by Experience table, salary reflects experience over the years, and salary increases follow suit.
It is discouraging to note that beginning coders’ salaries have not changed much in five years, while those with significant experience are seeing larger increases.

Education

Our education is less predictable from year to year. For example, salaries are larger depending on how much education a member has, but higher levels of education did not always see an increase in average salary in past years. Fortunately, as shown in the Education table, this year showed improvement for everyone, especially for those with a master’s degree or higher.
Those with an associate degree or some college make 9 percent more on average than those who have not attended college. Those who have a bachelor’s degree make 21 percent more on average than those with an associate degree or some college experience. Those who have a master’s degree or greater make 46 percent more on average than those who have a bachelor’s degree. Clearly education pays.

Education Breakdown

We are an educated group, according to the breakdown of respondents’ education level in 2012, as shown in the Education Breakdown table.

Unemployment

We’ve seen growth in members with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. We believe that much of this gain is based on an increasing number of providers becoming certified and members who are choosing this field as a second or third career. This led us to look at unemployment rates. As shown in the Unemployment table, the unemployment rate is up for CPCs® and those with AHIMA credentials, but still well below the national average of 8 percent. For apprentices (CPC-As®, CPC-H-As®, and CPC-P-As®) who are breaking into the field, employment has improved, but remains difficult, with rates close to 25 percent.

Workplace

We are seeing an upward trend towards facility employment, as shown in the Workplace table. This may be a reflection of many providers’ decision to sell their practices to facilities.

Benefits

What sort of benefits we receive fluctuates from year to year, as does the number of hours we work per week. More than half of respondents work an average of 31 to 40 hours a week. Around 40 percent work more than 40 hours per week. As shown in the Benefits table, employer-sponsored perks appear to be little changed over the past four years.

Where Do We Go from Here?
Interestingly, most of us are alright staying exactly where we are. The highest percentage of respondents (44 percent) indicate coding/billing was their long-term career goal. Auditing and practice management were the next top choices (about 16 percent each), with compliance and health information technology (HIT) trailing behind at 7 and 6 percent respectively.

Salary by Region
One of the most interesting year-to-year comparisons is of average salary by region. It is easy to see how the recession has moved through regions and when. Most heartening, though, is that for respondents in 2012 in all regions, salaries are up. Only 19 percent of us work in a rural area, while 37 percent work in a suburban location, and 44 percent work in an urban setting.

Salary by Region

Overall, since the advent of the recession of 2008, members have slowly grown their compensation and continue to do so.

David Blackmer, BA, is a marketing specialist at AAPC; Brad Ericson, MPC, CPC, COSC, is director of Publishing and Warehouse at AAPC.

http://news.aapc.com/index.php/2012/09/salary-survey-2012-trends-show-growth-and-diversification/

How to Start a Medical Transcription Business

Medical transcriptionists take recorded medical notes and turn them into documents that can be added to a patients medical record. If you are a transcriptionist and would like to start your own business or if you want to become a medical transcriptionist, this article will show you how to start a medical transcription business.

Instructions

• If you are not currently licensed as a medical transcriptionist, that's the first thing that you'll have to do. In order to get your license, you'll have to participate in a certified training program for medical transcriptionists. They are available both on some college campuses and online. Certification is not required, but is highly recommended for transcriptionists.
  
• Before you start your medical transcription business, you may want to work in a hospital or doctor's office setting for some time to gain experience.
  
• Once you have the required education and certification, you are ready to get started on opening the doors to your medical transcription business. You are going to need to have an office in which to work, space for your reference books, an extra phone line, a filing cabinet, accounting software, line counting software, a fax machine, a laser printer, etc.
  
• You'll also want to consider setting up an LLC to protect your personal assets from any business debt, and you'll want to consider getting professional liability insurance. Some hospitals require providers have "errors and omissions insurance" so this is good to have if you will be soliciting clients that may require insurance
  
• Once you have everything else done, you are ready to start marketing your new business. Find out what the going rate is in your area, have business cards and other marketing materials created so you look and feel like a professional business. You'll need a plan of attack to contact different physician offices and medical providers. To be successful, you are going to have to be a salesperson before you get to be a transcriptionist.
  
• Once you have successfully landed your first client, you are technically in business. Continue to look for additional clients, but be careful not to take on more work that what you can handle! Don't be tempted to take on many new clients at once - it's better to get adjusted to one new client before beginning to work with another.
  
• As your business starts to grow, you will need to decide if you want to take on subcontractors to handle part of your workload. Do this with care, as you will then need to switch part of your role to managing as opposed to transcribing. You'll also want to be very careful who you hire to assist you as everything they do with forever be associated with your business and reputation!

Read more: How to Start a Medical Transcription Business | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4706987_start-medical-transcription-business.html#ixzz2IodDFvlh

Got a 1099? Tax Return Preparation Tips

As a freelancer, tax return preparation can be quite overwhelming. Because you are considered a "sole proprietor," you're responsible for paying all your taxes and keeping up with all your income. As a business owner, you will also be required to make estimated tax payments every quarter, to assist with filing at the end of the year.

What is a 1099?

You will receive a 1099 form from your clients at the end of the year, with all of the income you've earned from them. The 1099 form works like the W-2, because it reports the income you've earned to the IRS. You'll need to report income from all of your 1099's, and income you do not receive a 1099 for, to avoid audit.

How to Handle 1099 Tax Forms
Treat these forms as you would a regular W-2. The easiest way to deal with them is to separate your business income from your personal income, so you can easily see all the income you need to report to the IRS. If your 1099's add up to less income than your business income, you run the risk of getting an audit notice.

Keep Track of Expenses 

Throughout the year, you will want to keep track of all your business related expenses. These expenses will serve to help you find the greatest number of tax deductions. This will reduce the taxable income you have, and therefore the amount of taxes you have to pay. Good record keeping is key for freelance tax preparation.

Expenses to consider:

Advertising: Any expenses related to advertising your business.

Insurance: Any insurance you use to operate or protect your business. Health insurance premiums are included for those who also pay for their own coverage.

Legal Services: Any fees you pay for legal assistance related to your business.

Rent: Even though you won't have the expense of traditional office space, you can deduct a portion of your rent or mortgage based on the area of your home you use for your business. You can figure this out based on the square footage you use or as a comparison to the total number of rooms in the home.

Supplies: Anything you need to purchase to conduct your business, such as pens, paper, printers, ink, labels, etc. can be deducted from your income.

Travel: Any business related travel expenses, including meals, entertainment (such as taking a client to see a show), and lodging are deductible.

Utilities: As with rent, a portion of your power and water may also be deducted. Businesses operating on the web may also deducting Internet provider expenses.

Interest: Any loan interest may also be deducted.

Other: Any business related expenses such as organizational dues or web design.

With your expenses in hand, you will be able to compare your business income to your business investment, and therefore determine if you have a gain or loss for tax purposes. More often than not, freelancers experience a business loss. You'll pay self employment taxes at a rate of 13.5% based on the business profit.

http://www.wahm.com/articles/got-a-1099-tax-return-preparation-tips.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=

How to Find Online Trainscription Jobs Without Experience

Read more: How to Find Online Transcription Jobs Without Experience | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4533729_online-transcription-jobs-experience.html#ixzz2Ie6eBJV3

Finding medical, legal or other transcription jobs online can be tough if you have no experience. In fact finding a transcription job anywhere can be tough without the right training and experience. So how do you get the experience without leaving your home or paying for training and still get paid? Learn how to find online transcription jobs without experience.

Instructions
1. First and foremost while you may not have to have transcription experience you must have control over the English language, more then a basic knowledge of office software, and a high speed typing ability. Applications are commonly separated by testing that involves typing and basic computer application skills.


2. Accutran Global is a medical, legal and financial transcribing company that hires contractors. Contractors are not required to have a transcription background, but must have computer and average typing skills. Applicants must fill out a questionnaire and take a computer skill test. Application is long, thus you should allow your self plenty of time to work through the paperwork. Resumes are not required.
http://www.accutranglobal.com/jobs.html


3. Tigerfish is also a company that does not require previous transcription experience. The most successful applicant's through Tigerfish is said to be very fast precise typists. Applications are reviewed upon positions opening. All applicant are required to complete testing on computer skills and a typing test. Expect application and testing to take at least an hour. http://www.tigerfish.com/employment.html

 

Most employers are also willing to waive experience requirements from students that graduate from Career Step. The practicum in the Career Step course is composed of doctor dictations provided by several of Career Step's employer partners. Here are some companies that hire their graduates:M Modal, Accentus, Alpha Transcription, Amphion, Etransplus, Stentel, Presynct, 360 Transcription, Lemar, Superior Global, EMTS, Transcend, Assistmed, Nuance, Intermountain Transcription Solutions, Trastech Medical Solutions, TRX, Northeast transcription, MediType, MX secure and ProbityMT

 

ICD-10 – A Guide to Understanding the Upcoming Medical Coding Language

Since its implementation in 1979, ICD-9-CM has been the most important code set in the world of medical billing and coding. On October 1, 2013, all of that will change. This date represents the implementation of ICD-10 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). With a new code set comes radically new ways of coding health care procedures and diagnoses, and if you plan to work as a medical biller or coder after that date, it is best that you prepare for the change.

Fortunately, organizations such as the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) have already started to roll out online and in-person ICD-10 implementation training programs, and a wealth of free information regarding this daunting development in medical billing and coding is now available. By informing yourself now, you can be completely prepared for ICD-10 when it comes. This knowledge will also greatly enhance your appeal to employers, and can help you to keep your current position if you’re already working as a medical biller or coder.

ICD-10 vs. ICD-10-CM vs. ICD-10-PCS

As you browse the Internet looking for resources devoted to ICD-10, you’ll probably come across a few different names for this code set – ICD-10, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS – and wonder whether they’re all referring to the same thing. In the U.S., and within this guide, the term "ICD-10" actually refers to ICD-10-CM. This is ICD-10′s "clinical modification," and it’s what most U.S. websites are referring to when they simply state "ICD-10."

ICD-10-PCS is a separate designation, meaning "procedural coding system." ICD-10-PCS effectively replaces the third volume of ICD-9-CM and contains 71,000 codes of its own, separate from the 69,000 included in ICD-10-CM. It was developed by 3M Health Information Management (HIM) in cooperation with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, ICD-10-CM was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), an entity that’s entirely separate from 3M HIM.

ICD-10-CM refers to outpatient services, such as diagnoses provided in physicians’ offices, while ICD-10-PCS refers to inpatient services, such as hospital stays, beds, nursing services, and surgical procedures.

In short, and from here on out in this guide:
ICD-10 = ICD-10-CM = Outpatient
ICD-10-PCS = Inpatient

ICD-10 at a Glance
ICD-10, when expanded, means the 10th Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
ICD-10 includes codes for diseases, complaints, abnormal findings, signs, and symptoms, external causes of diseases and injuries, and social circumstances, all of which are classified by WHO, or the World Health Organization.
ICD-10 comprises over 69,000 codes (or 140,000 codes, when including those found in ICD-10-PCS), whereas ICD-9-CM only contains 13,600 codes.
ICD-10 offers codes for new diagnoses developed since the implementation of ICD-9.

Why ICD-10?

ICD-9-CM is out of date. Since its implementation, new diseases and diagnoses have been discovered, and the current system of three-digit categories with no more than 10 subcategories each simply can’t cover all of the reasons why people seek medical treatment anymore.

The extra level of detail available with ICD-10 will streamline the process of submitting claims, and will make initial claims significantly easier to understand from the perspective of the one paying. The new system will also make it easier to track and analyze disease patterns and the outcomes of treatments, allowing for faster and bigger advancements in medical care.

Another reason for implementing ICD-10 is because the U.S. is behind. ICD-10 was first introduced by the WHO in 1993, and, according to MB-Guide.org, many countries, including France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, have been using ICD-10 for years. The U.S. will finally join them.

How is ICD-10 Different From ICD-9-CM?

You might be inclined to panic when you realize that ICD-10 contains approximately five times as many codes as ICD-9. However, there’s no need for alarm. The reason why ICD-10 contains so many additional codes is simple – specificity. ICD-10 allows you to use a single code to report both a disease and the current manifestation of that disease. This same system applies to injuries. For example, ICD-10 includes separate codes for an initial bone fracture, a follow-up appointment showing the fracture healing normally, a follow-up appointment showing the fracture in nonunion, and a follow-up appointment showing the later effects of the fracture.

The composition of the codes themselves are different as well. ICD-9 codes can be three to five digits long, and are mostly numeric, though V and E codes are alphanumeric. All ICD-10 codes will be alphanumeric. Each code will start with a letter, followed by a number, followed by a combination of letters and numbers. Codes may range in length from three to seven digits.

What Does ICD-10 Mean for Those with Current Certifications?

For now, and even when ICD-10 is implemented in the fall of 2013, ICD-10 will not affect the validity of current certifications. However, from one year before until one year after ICD-10′s implementation, those with credentials, such as CPC, CPC-H, and CPC-P, can take an online, open-book ICD-10 proficiency examination. The exam will consist of 75 questions, and coders will be allowed to attempt passing it twice for a fee of $60, according to the AACP.

How Will My Work Change After ICD-10 is Implemented?

The ways in which your job will change will largely depend on the type of setting in which you currently work. The most important changes are noted for each department commonly found in a healthcare facility:

If you’re in a coding department…
You’ll need to learn the new coding system, which includes roughly 55,000 codes with which you may not be familiar.
You’ll need to learn the new code books and styles, which are receiving complete overhauls.
You’ll need to use both ICD-10 and ICD-9 simultaneously for a period of roughly two years.
You’ll need to work with your office’s physician to go over the new documentation requirements.
You’ll need to have a thorough understanding of medical terminology and human anatomy, due to the increased specificity of ICD-10.

If you’re in a billing department…
You’ll need to be trained in a new set of policies and procedures, which could result in lowered productivity if your employer doesn’t start training soon enough, or worse, doesn’t provide any ICD-10 training at all.
You’ll need to learn the new policies regarding payment reimbursement.
You’ll need to understand the new electronic formatting procedures, in addition to the new ANSCI reporting methods.

Comparing ICD-9-CM Codes to ICD-10 Codes

Although ICD-9-CM codes can be messy and confusing, the codes included in ICD-10 have their complications as well. Let’s compare the two to break down the differences.

ICD-9-CM codes…
Contain three to five digits.
Start with either E, V, or a number.
Consist of only numbers with the possible exception of the first digit.
Begin with a category and end with a subcategory, anatomic area, and/or severity.

For ICD-10 codes…
Codes range in length from three to seven digits.
The first digit is always a letter.
The second digit is always a number.
The remaining digits can be any mix of letters and numbers.
In a seven-digit code, for example, the first three digits indicate the category, the second three digits indicate a subcategory, anatomic site, and/or severity, and the final digit represents an extension.

For example, an ICD-10 code might indicate the following:
First three digits: Category.
Fourth digit: Etiology.
Fifth digit: Location.
Sixth digit: Laterality.
Seventh digit: Extension.

Mapping ICD-9-CM Codes to ICD-10 Codes

Since both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 codes will be used concurrently in the immediate aftermath of ICD-10 implementation, you’ll need to have an understanding of how to map the old codes to the new ones. Some codes will map directly — although this doesn’t necessarily represent a detailed match — while others will require you to seek additional information in order to arrive at a solution.

For example, code 649.51 is used in ICD-9-CM to indicate spotting that’s complicating a pregnancy. In this case, ICD-10 requires you to know and note the current duration of the woman’s pregnancy. The following examples show the proper codes in accordance with this information and illustrate how the increased specificity of ICD-10 doesn’t actually add much complexity to the responsibilities of a coder:
First Trimester – Spotting Complicating Pregnancy: O26.851
Second Trimester – Spotting Complicating Pregnancy: O26.852
Third Trimester – Spotting Complicating Pregnancy: O26.853

Of course, some mapping tasks are far more complex. Fortunately, the AAPC offers a conversion mapping reference sheet, complete with color coding and pneumonic tips, that should give you a head start toward understanding how to convert ICD-9-CM codes to ICD-10 ones.

For the complete article go to:
http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/understanding-the-upcoming-medical-coding-language/

As Obamacare moves forward, health care jobs to grow fast

As President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul mandate to obtain health insurance moves forward, a study found that Georgia will be one of two states with the fastest growth in healthcare job openings.

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul mandate to obtain health insurance. The Affordable Care Act would extend healthcare coverage to more than 30 million Americans with healthcare insurance. WellStar Health System appears to be positioned to handle the demands of the act.

WellStar CEO Reynolds Jennings called the Supreme Court's decision "a monumental ruling in American history."

"From the healthcare perspective, we believe this will result in hospitals and health systems increasing their range of services to meet the demands of the act," Jennings said. "In order to survive and prosper, it will be critical to have all the necessary acute and non-acute components for complete patient care. Fortunately, WellStar Health System is well positioned as it has been moving down this path for the past several years. We will be analyzing the new requirements once all of the mandate regulations are announced."

The study released Thursday by the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce found that job openings will grow father in healthcare than in all other industries in 46 out of 50 states and in the District of Columbia.The fastest growth will be in Georgia and Utah with both at 38 percent. Georgia is expected to have 153,220 job openings between 2010 and 2020. "

WellStar Health System continues to remain strong and is expanding to meet the needs of the growing communities of northwest Georgia," WellStar spokesman Keith Bowermaster said.

Examples of that growth include two new outpatient facilities, called Health Parks, to be located in Cobb County and expected to generate 475 to 625 jobs, according to Bowermaster. Additionally, the health system is currently building a replacement hospital for the aging WellStar Paulding Hospital. That project is expected to generate 300 new jobs, plus an additional 200 with the addition of a new medical office building.

"At WellStar Douglas Hospital, we have seen a steady growth of team members over the past year and expect that to continue over the next several years with the growth and expansion of the hospital, such as the new intensive care unit and emergency department," Bowermaster said. WellStar has maintained its reputation as a employer of choice - meaning individuals in the healthcare field choose to work at WellStar over other entities - because of our excellent benefits, pay and work-life balance."

The study also found that healthcare jobs with the highest educational requirements will be in professional and technical healthcare occupations, which will require postsecondary education for 90 percent or more of those openings in 44 states and in D.C. It referenced anxiety about whether the United States will be able to produce the number of trained healthcare workers needed to meet demand given cuts to education spending by states in recent years.

“Failure to prepare an adequately trained healthcare workforce will have serious consequences beyond the economy,” Anthony Carnevale, the report’s lead author, said in a new release. “Access to care, quality of care and patient safety are what’s at stake.”

Another finding of the study is that labor productivity in healthcare is among the worst in the economy. It shows healthcare being one of the few industries where productivity actually declined since 1990. It also found that healthcare has the largest number of foreign‐born and foreign‐trained workers in the United States.

Among healthcare workers 22 percent are foreign born, compared to 13 percent of all workers nationally. Most foreign‐born nurses come from the Philippines, India and China. Read more: Douglas County Sentinel - As Obamacare moves forward health care jobs to grow fast

by Amanda Thomas / Douglas County Sentinel 6 months ago 
http://douglascountysentinel.com/view/full_story/19157950/article-As-Obamacare-moves-forward--health-care-jobs-to-grow-fast

The Future of Medical Transcription

This informational video was created for the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (formerly the American Association for Medical Transcription) to educate the public about the important role medical transcriptionists play in healthcare documentation. For more information, visit: www.ahdionline.org