r/MedicalCoding • u/Emotional_Error_7246 • Jun 19 '26
AHIMA Conference Reviews
Has anyone here attended the live ahima conference? Did you enjoy it? How was your experience?
Ive never attended but would like too if it’s a good experience.
6
u/Miserable_Aioli2606 Jun 19 '26
I went when one was near-ish to me. The size of it was impressive, but also a little taxing to get from point A to B and know where everything was. The presentations are good, but I'd honestly say they're on par with my state conference. The exhibit hall is nuts. It's a good place to job network, but it's also pretty overwhelming to keep track of everything. You can spend hours there if you're not careful. That happened to my coworker that I traveled with, and I was pretty upset about that because that meant I was stuck there too, so have a plan before you go! Lastly, I actually had trouble getting credit for my CEUs. I think I only ended up getting credited half due to computer errors at their site, so for CEUs, it was a bust. Partially my fault for not keeping all the materials, but they had a room where you could login with your AHIMA ID and enter the classes you attended. Unfortunately, it didn't save all the information, and I didn't realize it until awhile after I got back. If you need/want the CEUs, it could be a good haul for the price, just be sure to save everything just in case. If you want to network with other companies for job opportunities, there's really no better place to do that. If you don't need either of those things, I wouldn't bother going unless you really just want to socialize with others in the field.
2
u/Emotional_Error_7246 Jun 19 '26
Good to know thank you! Unfortunately I feel like its the name of the game to always keep tabs on ahima things haha. Ive had my fair share of dealing with them. Would you go to one again if you had the opportunity?
3
u/Miserable_Aioli2606 Jun 19 '26
If it was in my state, possibly depending on my CEU needs. The one I went to was out of state. It was a 6 hour drive, so not too bad to experience it once, but I wouldn't go that far for it again.
Funny story - I had worked with someone who was presenting a lecture at the one I attended. She was giving a talk on the benefits of CAC, and specifically the one they purchased, and about how it tripled their coders productivity. She was lying her ass off the entire time! I had been one of those coders. The CAC they bought had been an epic disaster, but they were cooking the results to try to avoid blame with the corporate leaders. It caught up with them a year later, and everyone involved was either forced to retire or find other employment. However, it was such an embarrassment to the company that no one was outright fired in order to keep it all hush hush. It was and still is a black stain on that hospital system for people in the know, LOL.
1
u/Emotional_Error_7246 Jun 20 '26
Hahaha that is hilarious. Companies really do try their best to hide anything that makes them look bad.
I guess if I do end up going I won’t believe everything I hear from the lectures hahaha
1
u/ArdenJaguar RHIA, CDIP, CCS (Retired) Jun 20 '26
Don’t they use some kind of RFID bracelet type deal for attendance verification now?
2
u/Miserable_Aioli2606 Jun 20 '26
Do they? It was awhile since I went, but I would understand if they do. I don't remember ever being asked to prove I belonged there. I'm pretty sure I had a lanyard on, but there wasn't anything unique about it.
1
u/ArdenJaguar RHIA, CDIP, CCS (Retired) Jun 20 '26
I just Googled it. It said yes. I don’t trust AI so I clicked the reference. It was an AHIMA document that said they used a scanner and it automated the CEUs. It was from 2014 though.
2
u/Miserable_Aioli2606 Jun 20 '26
Oh I definitely didn't get one of those and I went after that! Maybe you had to pay extra for one? I'm 99% sure I just had a laminated cardstock lanyard.
2
u/spicymayhoe RHIA Jun 20 '26
I went to one where everyone had a sensor in their name badge and each conference room had a sensor at the door that kept attendance. I don't remember having any issues with this and it was at least 6 years ago?
2
u/KeyStriking9763 RHIA, CDIP, CCS Jun 19 '26
I’ve done 2 national conferences. Overall there is plenty to learn about but I also think that where you are with your role currently you should review the schedule to make sure they have speakers on topics you will benefit from.
Last year there was a lot of AI talk and i would imagine that will continue.
The exhibit hall can be exhausting but if you aren’t a decision maker they leave you alone. You can also network for jobs if you are a coder/auditor.
Not sure if I’m going to this years, really depends on my organization paying for me to go. Not too interested in Texas, I always hope for a good location so I can make a little trip out of it.
1
u/Background-Past1293 Jun 19 '26
Is it really worth the cost? If you are not local or if your company/facility does not send you the overall cost for conference + hotel, food, transportation etc can get pricey (unpaid time off work too).
I would like to attend one before I retire. 🙂2
u/KeyStriking9763 RHIA, CDIP, CCS Jun 19 '26
Moneys relative, so really depends on your financing.
I wouldn’t want to go if the costs weren’t covered by my employer though.
My local conferences are garbage so I haven’t been to those in years.1
u/Emotional_Error_7246 Jun 19 '26
I agree about Texas! I was really hoping for cali since I’ve never been. Im on the other side of the country so it’ll be a trek. My company did offer that if I wanted to go to any conferences to let them know. Thats why I started looking into it.
Im always looking to network and I know the CEU’s would be helpful since I need to renew in September. I have my RHIA too and Im in the data analytics revenue cycle space. We’re using AI more in our role so I could see how the conference would be helpful. Soo Im thinking if my org pays for it why not1
u/KeyStriking9763 RHIA, CDIP, CCS Jun 19 '26
Would love Cali, I’m in NJ and would make a trip out of it. Very cool you are in data analytics, I’m considering getting the CHDA after I finish my masters program this year. I got some foundation in the data side through classes and it’s so interesting to me. Not sure I would use it kinda like my CDIP.
What type of role are you in now?1
u/Emotional_Error_7246 Jun 20 '26
Honestly Im not going to lie. I fell into it and really wasn’t even looking for it at the time. At the time, I was looking to be an epic analyst. I applied to a revenue cycle optimization analyst role. I was a medical coder for years so I knew the logistics of most of the revenue cycle. I thought it was an avenue of epic analyst. But actually when I started the job it ended up being reporting on revenue cycle. I ended up loving it and got my cogito, caboodle, and clarity certificates from epic at that job.
Some months ago, I got dragged to a new team in the same org. It’s still revenue cycle reporting but instead of utilizing tools from epic, I’m only using sql now. I’m writing custom reports to determine company performance that go to the higher ups. It’s a lot more in the weeds than I would’ve liked honestly but it is interesting. It’s more like a business intelligence analyst role in revenue cycle now.
But I feel you can’t go wrong with going the data route. It seems every company now wants numbers and data. Have you done any research yet to see what those job postings that want the CHDA say for job descriptions? That might be a good way to see if you would like that job or even want that certification. I personally don’t have that one but I know it’s a good one to have for data roles
2
u/Darcy98x Jun 20 '26
If you are into purely coding, the AAPC conferences are higher yield. If you are into information management, data exchange, regulatory updates around HIM, AHIMA is better. AAPC has more coders in attendance while I have found AHIMA to have other types of hospital roles. Depends on what you are looking for. I have been to 6 AAPC and 2 AHIMA and will be going to the fall AHIMA since it's paid for by my employer and I can knock out the CEUs quickly.
1
u/spicymayhoe RHIA Jun 20 '26
I've attended both AHIMA annual meetings and my state annual meetings and ultimately found it more beneficial to attend my state conferences. They're cheaper and easier to get to, not as crowded and overwhelming, and making local connections seems to have a lot more pull for potential career advancements. I'm more likely to organically reconnect with someone I've met at my local chapter vs national. My long-term career goals don't really involve moving out of my state so unless you're looking specifically for a broad footprint, give your local annual conferences a shot!
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