I am in my early 60s and am considering enrolling in a 6 month training program with the health care industry specifically in billing and coding.

8 Comments

1. Deb HornerAugust 18,2022 at 7:52PM UTC

   It's a great work from home career. The fact that you know the language from working in a support position gives you a leg up. Never stop learning, and you will never be bored.

2. AnonymousAugust 18,2022 at 8:09PM UTC

   Hard to know what the job market will do, but I’d take the billing and coding course and put myself out there. Billing and coding skills are in demand.

   These jobs are administrative in nature, so your previous experience will be fine. I had a friend in billing and coding who had a background similar to yours and advanced steadily.

   To avoid age discrimination, keep all dates on your resume within the past 10 years, if possible.

   **Interestingly, another friend of mine — in his 60s, 30+ years of experience — recently got a new job after *removing all dates* from his resume. He reported that *removing all dates* got him more interviews, too.

3. AnonymousAugust 18,2022 at 8:09PM UTC

   It's certainly worth a try.

4. AnonymousAugust 18,2022 at 9:25PM UTC

   Please consider the cost of such a program. Cost in both money, time and energy.

   Please don't get into debt for something that is not a sure thing. Good luck!

5. AnonymousAugust 18,2022 at 11:07PM UTC

   You should try to get a job in a health insurance agency. Don't pay out of pocket for training if it squeezes your wallet. You can easily get a job in customer service or try to apply for a job in claims processing. Let the insurance carrier cover the cost of your training. Just because you pay for training out of pocket will not guarantee you a job soon thereafter. So try to focus on getting a job in an insurance agency first and from there put in for a bid in the dept you want.

6. Becca A.August 19,2022 at 1:30PM UTC

   Why not apply for medical receptionist roles instead? As you would be learning to do both while on the job. If you have previous clerical and administrative skills you would be a good candidate for this

7. AnonymousAugust 19,2022 at 2:12PM UTC

   I earned a 2-year certificate degree as a Medical Office Admin Assistant which included billing/coding. Have applied for numerous admin positions in the medical field. They all seem to require "previous experience in the medical field" despite my degree. Kind of like not being able to get a credit card because you have no credit history :( Just my experience. Good luck

8. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistAugust 19,2022 at 7:35PM UTC

   I haven't recruited specifically in that space, but I do notice a ton of those positions posted. So it seems like there's open positions out there.

   I would suggest you go on several job boards - and there should be some specialty healthcare ones out there - and run a search for billing and coding jobs. See if there is more than one certification - which one are they most looking for? See if you can find out if the pay differs between certifications (if there's different certs). What are the options? I believe a lot of those roles can be done remotely which would expand your potential job pool.

   You might want to even reach out to some folks who either do hiring or are managers at the billing/coding companies - find out what they look for and what the pay ranges might be.

   Also, compare the potential training programs and their costs - and check to see if community colleges offer any of these programs. If it's an online program, it doesn't need to be a local CC.

   Please let me know if you have any questions. GOOD LUCK!