[Marshellette]

In the past the only jobs I've been able to hold are working for temporary staffing agencies. This is because they are not every day but every other week or so that you get jobs that last about a week. So you're meeting different people and they don't get to know you long which is what I liked. And you are lost in a large bureaucratic system where your boss is not always on hand to monitor your work. So it's pretty much OK if you are there and you show up on time. That is how I was able to work for a temp agency for one year, my longest working experience since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I tried several times to do every day full time jobs since being diagnosed in 2010 and couldn't do them. I was fired from six of them. I am on disability and working for a temp agency right now but I am wondering if there is more to life than the $9.00/an hour occasional work I am doing. My bipolar disorder means that I RARELY sleep. I have to take, strong, STUPIFYING medications to sleep. So my choices are to work and take medications that make me stupid or not work and be smart. But I am wondering if I couldn't do medical billing and coding because it is an at home job. I know I could finish the online classes (at my own pace) the problem is with medical billing and coding you have to work EVERY DAY, even if you are working from home. And as I said, I have to take stupifying medications to sleep every day so that I can work? Do you think I can do it? I'm 27, no children, not married and bipolar manic and often sleepless.

[Fresia]

Without discussing medical history, I would contact organizations (schools and employers) that do do medical billing and coding (or for any job change for that matter) to do "information interviewing" to find out exactly what the demands are, even with working from home. Let them know you are interested in changing careers and wanted to know more about the field before making the jump. Most are happy to help.

Find out what the requirements including certification, demands on their time, quotas, advantages, disadvantages, expectations, technology required (as some places provide this, some times you are required to provide it), ask what they wish they had known before going into the field, what do they like and dislike about about what they do, etc.

This should help you to make a better decision based on those that are actually in the field than based on what you think it might be like. I know this made a huge difference for me when I wanted to change careers and started asking questions as my ideas of a position were necessarily in line with what was actually happening in the field.

I wish you the best in whatever you decide. Good luck!!

[healingme4me]

Would you be satisfied, staying inside the confines, of your home, that much, is the main concern, I'd have about working from home.

Sounds, less about disclosure, to employers, but more taking a reality approach, to what you feel you can and cannot handle? It's tough, when your illness, is debilitating, in this manner.

I like Fresia's advice.

[Perna]

I don't know if medical billing would be a good idea. It is very "boring" and exacting. I cannot keep at data entry like that for very long at once, it's not very satisfying or rewarding, can't be personalized and has no "I did this" pride aspects (nothing to "show" for your work). If I had to do it alone, without much outside stimulation (at-home, nothing to look at/see, no one to talk to, etc.) I would be truly crazy in under a day

I am in the middle of a data entry portion of a project I am doing for myself that I truly want to do and having a rough go of it and it is truly "mine" and words/about people not just some random codes on a form! I would do as Fresia suggests and find other medical billers and talk to them, where they work, how they like it, etc.

I think it is heavily advertised because the schooling makes money for the schools and organizations/associations but few who take the courses finish or become billers or get jobs or stay in the field. It's kind of like wanting to become a writer; lots and lots of people take courses and go to conventions, etc. but they never actually become a writer, they just like the idea of it but not putting in the time and doing the dirty work to actually become one. Look at how much it is advertised; if everyone could make good money by taking a course or two like that and work at home, etc. who would be working at Walmart? How many ads have you seen this week about becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc.? There has to be a catch in there somewhere?

If I had to do something from home, I would become an indexer: http://www.indexers.org.uk/index.php?id=164

[(JD)]

Hopefully you will have the answer by the time you finish the education? It really depends upon how functioning you are by yourself in such a situation. Can you discipline yourself to complete tasks now, even with the sleep and cognitive issues? If not, then I'd say this is probably not the job for you right now.

BTW, I know a very well functioning medical doctor who suffers with bipolar disorder. She has safeguards in place according to her needs.

[Auntie2014]

Originally Posted by Perna

I don't know if medical billing would be a good idea. It is very "boring" and exacting. I cannot keep at data entry like that for very long at once, it's not very satisfying or rewarding, can't be personalized and has no "I did this" pride aspects (nothing to "show" for your work). If I had to do it alone, without much outside stimulation (at-home, nothing to look at/see, no one to talk to, etc.) I would be truly crazy in under a day

I am in the middle of a data entry portion of a project I am doing for myself that I truly want to do and having a rough go of it and it is truly "mine" and words/about people not just some random codes on a form! I would do as Fresia suggests and find other medical billers and talk to them, where they work, how they like it, etc.

I think it is heavily advertised because the schooling makes money for the schools and organizations/associations but few who take the courses finish or become billers or get jobs or stay in the field. It's kind of like wanting to become a writer; lots and lots of people take courses and go to conventions, etc. but they never actually become a writer, they just like the idea of it but not putting in the time and doing the dirty work to actually become one. Look at how much it is advertised; if everyone could make good money by taking a course or two like that and work at home, etc. who would be working at Walmart? How many ads have you seen this week about becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc.? There has to be a catch in there somewhere?

If I had to do something from home, I would become an indexer: A career in indexing :: The Society of Indexers

I Agree! I did look into it and many of the online schools. Wih my background in the medical insurance field I thought this would be a good fit for me. What I found out is that most claim to offer a degree that is acceptable when you start applying for a job. According to the places I contacted the the online degree was not worth anything.
Also The places that do hire people to work from their home are few and far between. Most beginning workers' work is done by employees in an office location. The work at home jobs go to employees with seniority.

About the only way to start out from home is to form your own business. Along with that comes the responsibility of record keeping, taxes, collecting from your clients and finding some one that will hire your business to do their work.

All things to think about before you sign up for a school. If I were going to take the course I recommend going through an accredited junior college.

[Marshellette]

Originally Posted by (JD)

Hopefully you will have the answer by the time you finish the education? It really depends upon how functioning you are by yourself in such a situation. Can you discipline yourself to complete tasks now, even with the sleep and cognitive issues? If not, then I'd say this is probably not the job for you right now.

BTW, I know a very well functioning medical doctor who suffers with bipolar disorder. She has safeguards in place according to her needs.

Safeguards?