Penn Foster - Healthcare Reviews

"Penn Foster is an affordable accredited option for working adults who may have missed out on college opportunities earlier in life. I have completed two career diploma programs through this school and both have launched successful career paths for me. (Pharmacy technician in 2010 and Medical Billing and Coding in 2022) I have nothing but great things to say about this school. SO much so that I am currently talking with student services on getting credits from my previous programs transferred to count towards their Health Care Management Associate's Degree. I am perplexed as to why there are so many negative reviews on here for this school, but from reading through them, it appears they were all mostly written by the same angry individual. Do your research for yourself and talk to a student services rep at pennfoster.edu.Read Less"

"I have nothing good to say about Penn Foster. What they di prey on people who are trying to do something with their own lives. I have a Double Degree. I wanted to update my credentials in medical coding and billing. It has been 10 since I last did this and ICD 10 is new to me. Penn Foster assurred me that I would receive coding information to get my certficate in coding and billing. Nothing was ever sent to me but a bill. They promised to send course materials. Information was never received i also made multiple calls and left messages and no one ever called back but to ask me for money. Penn Foster is a jokeRead Less"

"I definitely would not recommend this program. After working in the medical insurance business as a claims examiner for 14 years with extensive knowledge of CPT, HCPC and ICD codes, going through the program itself was pretty easy. What they don't tell you is that even after passing the AAPC test for a CPC certificate, if you don't have 2 years of actual coding experience on the job, nobody will give you the time of day. All of the prior claims experience meant absolutely nothing. The certification did not mean a thing. Without the prior work experience I could not get a single interview after numerous applications. Due to this, I absolutely WOULD NOT take this program.Read Less"

"Waste of money. No help whatsoever. Their online format is all over the place and not user friendly. I've called there and get attitude on the phone. Theres no teacher to get ahold of. I'm not learning anything and just wasted $700. I dont know the first thing about MB&C and theres no way I can get a job with this crap of education. I shouldve gone with Ashworth."

"I started my Medical Billing and Coding studied with Penn Foster in January 2017. I finished in the beginning of September 2017. I applied for a Medical Claims Rep position in January 2018 and I got the job. My education was very beneficial from Penn Foster. I enjoyed going to school from the comfort of my home. I learned a lot and loved the hands on studies with Coding and electronic health records. Penn Foster will prepare you for the job you are looking for."

"At first, I wasn't going to submit a report on the school. But finding out they are now charging me money without sending my information off to the VA Is ridiculous. Do not attend this school. The work was really simple not really pertaining specifically to my field of practice. They are now charging me 500 dollars. If they would have sent my enrollment off to the Va I would of had money to send them. Financial aid and their va department sucks."

"Completed the certificate in Health information management. Excellent. Now doing medical billing and coding diploma. The student services are excellent and the education you receive is very comprehensive. I possess a BS degree and over 25 years in health care field so I can say I have been pleased."

"So, as I stated in my review of the Medical Billing and Coding Program for Ashworth College (I am still enrolled in that one), I was looking primarily for an inexpensive online CPC certification course that I would include medical terminology and anatomy. I got that with this program! Advisory for prospective enrollees: You have to know what you're getting into before you sign up and start the coursework. This is a for-profit school so while they are affording you with a low-up front cost and flexibility, you may feel you've lost out on the guidance and direction of a professor and that the program is not as thorough as you would like. Remember this is an online program designed to help you pass a test, not make you a proficient biller, coder or healthcare professional. Just with any other course you take, they can only teach you so much, you'll learn the rest in the real world. On to my review: The course material is presented in a way that's user-friendly and interactive! I wish I had signed up for this course BEFORE starting the Ashworth course but, nonetheless, it's awesome. The material is easily digested as it is broken down into colorful slides and grouped together in sections. Each lesson starts with a projection for the course of the lesson with an overview and review! I love my coursework and I feel I have learned more from my time at Penn Foster than I will with Ashworth. There is very little staff presence but, really, the program is set-up in a way that you shouldn't really need any in depth help. If you see yourself needing serious assistance perhaps you would benefit better from an instructor led virtual program or a classroom setting. (I have a list if you want it.) This course sets up a timeline for you and you can change it (they have an app that allows you make a graduation plan)! So it'll give you projected exam dates and lesson completion dates so that you can see by when you will have completed your program. BUT IF YOU EXPECT THAT YOU WILL FINISH THE PROGRAM BEFORE YOU HAVE MADE THE NECESSARY PAYMENTS YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE NECESSARY PAYMENTS BEFORE THEY WILL CONSIDER YOUR PROGRAM COMPLETED. It is self-paced but that is something to think about. You can pay $100 for extensions but if you need more than 17 months to complete this program, you may want to try a classroom. Also, I found that if you are in this program, the Ashworth program is a good aide and vice-versa. Being in the Ashworth program alone was not working. They presented too much info at one time but this one is spaced out so perfectly that you can supplement with lessons from a more intense program like Ashworth that isn't going to give you the WHY or HOW. Penn Fosters delivers good info in a way that makes it fun, almost lol. Now, the cons: So far, I don't see any except that maybe the exams do not cover as much information as I would like. Given we have about 8 sections in a lesson, and each section is about 15 slides, you would think they'd want to cover more material. I am happy that this course prepares you to sit for the AHIMA, NHA, or AAPC exam instead of just the NHA exam that Ashworth leads to. HOWEVER THIS COURSE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE EXAM FEE. You do receive a year membership into AAPC but your exam fee is an out of pocket expense. At the end of both courses I will have CBCS, CPC-A behind my name! And that is really what this is all for!Read Less"

"This is the worst school I have ever attended. The "teachers" are graders, they don't actually design the coursework. There is a lot of filler, work that is similar for many of the degrees, that has nothing to do with the content you want; ie, if I wanted to learn how to write or learn MS Office, I would have taken the course for them. The material is not that up-to-date. They encourage you to use tutoring because it is cheaper for them. "Teachers" simply grade and give no guidance at all. I was so frustrated, I wrote a passage in the PF community, and no one bothered to answer it until a month later. I started another course but cancelled it because of the same concerns. I had thought, how bad could it be? Well, I got my answer, worse than I anticipated. If you can afford it, but anywhere but PF. There are many free courses on the Internet that are better. I tried to call administration to air my concerns, but Corinne, who you are supposed to call, is conveniently never in her office. I can't wait until I get the h*** out of there.Read Less"