I’m So Confused

Featured coffee – Dalgona Coffee

Earlier in the week, I saw a commercial on television advertising medical coding and billing.  Nothing new, right?

According to this commercial, you can train at home online in as little as four months (with a small down payment and monthly payments as low as $99.00). 

According to the commercial, no experience is required, and you can earn on average $60k a year.  The company also mentioned that the field “allows for mobility and working remotely.”

We, in the industry, scoff at these types of advertisements.  I know my colleagues, and I do because we know that false dreams are being sold.

Then I noticed the name and I was enraged!  How dare a company use a name and web page address so similar to one of the well established, reputable certifying bodies in the coding industry!

They dare to use a similar name and a cheap cartoonish version of the original logo.

The telephone number is not the same as the legitimate organization. Still, when I clicked on privacy policy at the bottom of the web page, I was taken to the legitimate organization! 

OMG!  What kind of phishing, fake website is this?

Why was I angry? 

There are many coding social groups where new coders voice frustration because they cannot find jobs without experience.  Occasionally, there are good news posts from coders hired without experience. Still, the majority are angry, frustrated, and disillusioned because they felt misled by the promises of obtaining medical billing and coding certifications, making 50k, and working from home.

Now, a company represents itself as one of the reputable credentialing organizations to take money from people with the false promise that they can work in the industry in as little as four months, work remotely, and earn an average of 60k.

There’s absolutely no way the legitimate certifying organization would cheapen their brand or cheapen the certification that has meant so much to so many coding professionals.

• No way this organization would reduce the hard work and dedication that we have put into becoming part of an elite group of respected coding professionals to a certification that can be obtained in as little as four months with absolutely no prior experience.
• No way this organization would promise anyone that they can work remotely.
• No way this organization would quote the average earnings of a newly certified billing or coding specialist as 60k.

Why would the legitimate organization create a commercial with a “similar” name, a cartoonish version of their logo, and direct viewers to a web page with a different telephone number but has links to the legitimate site?

None of it makes sense.

Then, to add to the confusion, I called the number on the web page (deliberately after hours).  The recording directed me to the legitimate organization’s website for more information.

I have too many thoughts to put into words, and I don’t want to get sued.