Get a Job, Work at Home

It May Not Be "Easy Money," But There Are Ways to Make a Living by Working From Home

Medical Transcriptionist - this work is focused on translating a doctor's report to an electronic record of a person's medical history, diagnosis and treatment. As the health care industry moves toward electronic health records as the standard - allowing easier storage and accessibility of an individual's history by physicians anywhere — there is an increased demand for medical transcriptionists.

There are about 100,000 registered MTs in the United States now - the majority of them work from home. Technology is paving the way for more people to pursue this line of work from anywhere in the country. I talked to a dozen companies that hire home-based agents, and they're all eager for new hires — both part-time and full-time employees as well as independent contractors. Some of the biggest employers in this field are Focus Infomatics, MedQuist and Spheris.

Training: In addition to needing high-speed Internet access and a PC, training is required, which can take up to a year — either through online distance learning or at just about any community college in the country. The cost ranges from about $1,000 to $3,500. Keep in mind that learning medical terminology is like learning a foreign language. It takes diligence and motivation. Accuracy and speed are essential, which means the people best suited for this job are well-coordinated and disciplined and have an exceptional ear. Before selecting a school, ask about its job placement record and research the employers they claim to work with.

Money: Medical transcriptionists are paid by the line, so it's a field where productivity drives compensation. Expect to earn between $30,000 and $40,000 annually once you're well-trained.

Medical Coding - Coders translate the verbal names for diseases, ailments and treatments into numerical codes. Changing government regulations and the growth of managed care have increased the amount of paperwork involved in filing insurance claims, all of which are based on these codes. No codes, no payment!

Training: You still have to know general medical terminology and pharmacology to do medical coding, but codebooks and software support your efforts. Again, you can learn this online or at a community college or technical school. A top school can assist with job placement upon completion of coursework. Expect to work in an office for a period of time before being able to work from home full-time.

Coders can earn an average of $30,000 to $35,000 annually.

The American Association for Medical Transcription and the American Health Information Management Association can be good sources of information to assist your efforts in identifying schools and employers for becoming either a transcriptionist or coder.

Source: http://mtindia.info/news/latest/get-a-job-work-at-home.html