Not too many years ago, workers who needed an energy boost at work would reach for coffee, tea or maybe a can of cola. With the arrival of energy drinks, all that has changed. Now many workers with sagging energy are popping open cans of these new beverages.

How safe are these beverages? Opinions vary, but according to Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Mayo Clinic, overconsumption of caffeinated energy drinks can have negative effects. Here are some that he cites in a post on the Mayo Clinic’s Fitness blog:

-     Restlessness and irritability.

-     Headaches, tremors, nausea and insomnia.

-     Increased blood pressure.

-     Quickened heart rate, especially if the consumer also drinks alcoholic beverages.

-     Weight gain, especially if the energy drink contains sugar. (Some energy drinks boast that they contain very little sugar.)

Suppose you want to boost your energy using natural foods? According to nutritionist Jennifer Newell who writes on the HealthNews blog, there are ways to boost energy without relying on energy drinks. Ms. Newell writes . . .

“The most consistent energy booster is regular exercise, proper sleep, a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, and the consumption of a minimum of eight glasses of water per day. This type of regimen will allow for sufficient energy to face each day, and when that extra burst of energy is required, an all-natural fruit drink or glass of tea might be enough to do the job.”

If you really like energy drinks and intend to keep drinking them, how can you find out what’s in yours? Of course, you can read the contents that are listed on the label. But we also found a blog, Energy Drink Ratings, that you might want to check out. Some of its reviews cover low-calorie energy drinks that contain little more than vitamins, fruit juice and tea.

A whole blog that does nothing but rate drinks with names like Speed Stack and BooKoo Citrus Shot? Well, it’s a brave new world out there. And apparently, it’s an energized one too.

Medical Billing and Coding Blog is sponsored by Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA), a leading healthcare career school. UMA has campus locations in Tampa and Clearwater, Florida, as well as a national online program.  For more information about UMA please visit our website at www.ultimatemedical.edu

Is California a good place to build a career as a medical biller and coder?

If you have been following the news, you already know about the state’s budgetary problems, which have led to cutbacks in state funding for healthcare services, education, and a variety of essential services.

According to the Anderson Forecast, an independent trend-monitoring report issued by UCLA, here’s how things look for California’s overall employment picture in the coming year:

“Writing about California, UCLA Anderson Senior Economist Jerry Nickelsburg notes that despite the recession having officially ended, California’s unemployment rate continues to rise, while local governments continue to shed jobs. The outlook for the balance of 2010 is for little or no growth in the state, with the economy picking up speed slightly by the beginning of next year . . . The unemployment rate – currently at 12.5% – will fall slowly through the balance of this year and should average 11.8% for 2010. Though the state’s economy will be growing, it won’t be generating enough jobs to push the unemployment rate below double-digits until 2012.”

Double-digit unemployment is no laughing matter. Yet high unemployment does not necessarily translate to fewer jobs for medical billers and coders. Here are some factors to consider if you are thinking about working in the state:

• Hiring is happening. When we visited CareerBuilder.com a few days ago and searched for medical billing and coding jobs in California, we found a total of 445 jobs listed. Employers included Healthport, Hoag Memorial Hospital, La Clinica, Maxim Healthcare, Scan Healthplan, Sutter Health, and the UCI Medical Center.

• California has Medi-Cal, it’s own state-funded healthcare insurance program. Claims for medical service must be submitted not only to insurers and Medicare, but (if patients are participants) to Medi-Cal too. The process of billing claims to Medi-Cal can be complex, which can create a need in the state for medical billers and coders with applicable training.

• California is seeing an increase in the number of urgent care centers and other non-hospital healthcare service providers. One example: According to The Urgent Care Association of America, “the number of urgent care centers in the U.S. grew from approximately 8,000 in February 2009 to 8,700 in February 2010.” Urgent care centers are now dispersed widely through the state of California, as are California chiropractors and other healthcare providers that can hire medical billers and coders.

• The need for healthcare services in California remains strong. Even though the California Hospital Association points to a reduction in state funding for hospitals, there are many positive signs. One is that Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s leading not-for-profit healthcare plan providers, has just announced plans to equip 15 California hospitals with 15 megawatts of solar-generated electrical power by the summer of 2011. That’s a significant investment in the state’s hospital infrastructure.

So, is there a future for you in California? It could well be. To keep aware of hiring in the state, we’d recommend visiting CareerBuilder.com’s page of California job listings for medical billers and coders. It’s a convenient way to monitor some of the available jobs in the state.

Is New York State a good place to build a career as a medical biller and coder?

If you have been following the news from New York, things do not look too rosy at first glance. On January 19, New York Governor David Paterson released his proposal for a budget that will attempt to close a projected $7.4 billion deficit for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

According to the Greater New York Hospital Association, that budget “contains major cuts and taxes for health care providers” that will put construction of new hospitals on hold. But the issue is more complex than that, for several reasons:

-     First, Governor Paterson is also trying to pass a new bill that will raise $650 million through new taxes on the sale of cigarettes and sugared beverages. If that bill passes, those funds will be earmarked for improving public health – and that spending could spur job growth for medical information processors.

-     Second, Governor Paterson recently announced that he will not seek re-election. That might not impact the passage of the new bill mentioned just above, but it does throw the long-term prospects for healthcare funding into uncertainty.

A Little Perspective

The 2009 Federal Issues Book: New York Hospital and Health System Priorities, a downloadable report from the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), helps put these recent events in context. According to HANYS, New York State’s 300+ hospitals have continued to offer many opportunities for healthcare professionals.

-     New York hospitals employed 357,780 full-time workers in 2009.

-     New York hospitals also created an additional 671,730 support jobs throughout the state in 2009.

-     New York hospitals paid $26.8 billion in direct wages and fringe benefits to employees in 2009.

-     Every year, New York hospitals provide 2.6 million inpatient hospital stays, 44 million outpatient visits (including 7.9 million emergency room visits), and deliver more than 250,000 babies.

Other trends are at work too. As billers and coders, we know that hospital cutbacks do not always correlate directly to job losses for members of our profession. When hospitals downsize their staffs, for example, they can outsource billing and other functions to outside firms. And as hospitals cut back on services, the result can be an increase in the number of urgent care centers and other non-hospital care providers that employ medical billers and coders. One example: According to The Urgent Care Association of America, the number of urgent care centers in the U.S. grew from approximately 8,000 in February 2009 to 8,700 in February 2010.

And here’s one more piece of data that supports the view that New York is a good state for medical billers and coders:

-     According to 2008 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (the most recent data available), 9,200 people in the state of New York were employed as Medical Information Technologists, earning an average of $37,100 a year. According to those same statistics, the national average income for Medical Information Technologists was far lower – $32,960.

So is New York State a good place to build a career in medical billing and coding? We all need to stay alert for news about whether Governor Paterson’s soft drink/cigarette tax bill passes. But as the statistics above show, New York needs us. We’re all hoping that once the recession is over, a boom will occur – both in New York State and nationwide.

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.”

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!

What is the best way to keep your eyes and your vision in tip-top shape, despite long hours at the computer?  Here’s some advice from Dr. Suzanne Offen, an optometric physician and founder of Offen Eye Associates . . .

Remember, your reading glasses might not be right for computer use. “When people are reading, they typically hold books or magazines about 16 inches away from their eyes,” Dr. Offen explains. “Compare that to 24 inches, which is the typical distance from a computer screen.” Her advice: You might need a separate prescription for the glasses you will use at your computer.

Turn down your office illumination. Dr. Offen states that if you are using a computer, you should keep your office illumination only one-half as bright as you would keep it for other office duties. “This is one of the biggest mistakes that computer-users make,” she states. “And it can really contribute to eye strain and fatigue.”

Avoid using older computer monitors. “Most new flat-screen monitors already cut glare,” Dr. Offen states. “But if you have to use an older monitor, equip it with an anti-glare screen.” Also: To further reduce eye strain, don’t locate your computer near a bright window.

Review your prescription if you wear contact lenses. First, you might need a different prescription if you work at your computer for extended periods. But there’s another reason too. “Many computer users complain of eye dryness,” Dr. Offen states, “which happens because people generally blink less often when they are using a computer. If you wear contact lenses, this problem can often be helped by changing to a lens for users who complain of dry eyes.”

Take breaks. “I recommend that computer-users take one 20-minute break every two or three hours,” Dr. Offen says.

Dr. Suzanne Offen is a board certified optometric physician in New York and New Jersey. She received her Doctor of Optometry from the State University of New York and has been practicing optometry since 1983. She began her practice in 1987 in Westfield, New Jersey. In 1988 Dr. Offen became certified as a Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and became board certified in children’s vision.

“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.

Look for uninterrupted time. Many home learners report that it can be better to get up an hour earlier in the day – or stay up after kids have gone to bed – than to try to keep kids from interrupting during early evening hours. “It might not be easy to get up an hour before your kids on a weekday, but it can be worth it,” Ruge suggests.

Utilize small blocks of time. “Find a few minutes of free time here, and a few minutes of free time there,” suggests Barry Lenson, author of Good Stress, Bad Stress. The result can be up to an hour of “found” time that can depressurize evenings at home.

Have you found ways to keep your kids from ruining your study time? If so, please share your ideas here, by responding to this post.

Last Monday’s post covered some strategies for making the transition to working at home.  This week, let’s explore some of the same concepts in more depth, with an emphasis on staying focused when you are working and studying alone.

• Work in dedicated time blocks. Don’t check your email or send text messages during your working or studying period.  Work time should be work time.

• Explain to family members that you should not be interrupted.  A student who is also a mother explains, “I took me a week to train my kids not to interrupt me. I told them they could only knock on the door if somebody was dying.”

• Get away to a quiet place. Many students report that their concentration is best in a public library,  on a park bench,  or in a vacant conference room at work.  So try to get away from it all.

• Beware of “crash” foods. A cup of high-test coffee or a bowl of sugary cereal might start your day on an energy high, but you will probably crash afterwards.  Many students and home workers report that solid foods like almonds, granola bars, or fruit do a better job of sustaining energy. Try eating them in small quantities throughout your working and studying hours.

• Get rid of eye strain in your work area. One simple strategy is to place your computer so it is not between you and a bright window. In that position, you have to squint to see your screen, which causes fatigue. Better: Sit with your back to the window and your computer in front of you.
• Also: Turn off your computer and look at your computer screen.  If you see bright reflections on it from windows or lights, move your computer to eliminate them.  They are contributing to eyestrain and fatigue.

And then there’s the greatest fatigue-fighter of all . . .

Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sounds logical, right? But how much sleep is enough?  To find out, read Sleep, Performance and the Workplace, a report from the National Sleep Foundation.

Medical billing and coding professionals represent a small niche of a large medical community. Most healthcare professionals must possess great communication skills and have the ability to interact with all types of people. Medical billing and coders are unlike most healthcare professionals; they spend the majority of their days by themselves, often times never interacting with anything except their computer. Billing and coders excel in controlled settings where they can code all day without any interruption, and normally are content working by themselves for hours at a time. For these reasons, it is even possible for billing and coders to work from home. While they are unlike most medical professionals, billing and coders fill a necessary slot in the medical community.

A Certified Professional Coder (CPC) is the most basic and entry level of medical coders, and the first step that most  take when starting a career in medical billing and coding. A prospective CPC must pass the medical coding certification exam, which is sponsored by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). To prepare for the exam, and to gain relevant field experience, most candidates receive training at specialized career schools or junior colleges. It is imperative for prospective CPCs to have on-job experience as medical coders, and to also have relevant experience in a healthcare office environment arbitrating the medical coding of  services, operations and diagnoses.