Certified Professional Coder
Certified Professional Coder (CPC)[1] is a professional certificate[2][3]administered by AAPC, previously known by the full title of the American Academy of Professional Coders in the United States. Passing the exam results in license as a Medical Coder. To be eligible, an individual have an associate’s degree (recommended).[4][5][6][7] The Medical coders analyses clinical statements and assigns standard codes using classification systems (CPT, ICD-10, HCPCS). Certified professional coder ensure the codes are applied correctly during the medical billing process, which includes abstracting the information from documentation, assigning the appropriate codes, and creating a claim to be paid by insurance carriers.[8] The data produced are an integral part of health information management performed by private healthcare organizations, local and national governments, and international agencies for the purposes of medical billing, research, epidemiological studies, health resource allocation, case mix management, public health programming, and public education. CPC’s[9][10][11][12] can further their career advancement by completing Auditing, Compliance, Practice Management and specialty credentials.
Requirements for initial certification[edit]
For initial certification, an individual should meet 3 categories of requirements: education, examination, experience.
Education requirements[edit]
The candidate should have an associate’s degree (recommended).[13]
Examination[edit]
The CPC Certification Examination is an open code book (manuals), computer-based exam consisting of 150 multiple-choice questions that assess 17 areas of knowledge, broken into two sessions. Candidates have up to 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete each session. To pass exam requires candidate to correctly answer a minimum of 105 questions (70%).
Experience[edit]
Candidates who do not have two years of medical coding experience and pass the exam will be designated as CPC – Apprentice (CPC-A). The Apprentice designation will be removed once two letters of recommendation verifying two years of experience are received by the AAPC. One year of experience may be substituted with 80 contact hours of medical coding education.
Renewal of certification[edit]
To maintain certification, certification holders are required at least 36 AAPC-approved continuing education units (CEUs) on an ongoing basis in addition to paying a licensing fee every two years.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Smith, Rebecca (15 March 2019). "Interest in Medical Law? Here's How to Become a Certified Professional Coder". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Online Associate Degree in Health Care Administration". USnews.
- ↑ "How to Choose a Medical Coding Credentialing Organization". dummies.com.
- ↑ "Guide to Medical Coding Certification - CPC, CCS, CMC". MTS.
- ↑ "Certified Professional Coder Salary - CPC Salary". Salary.
- ↑ "Average Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Hourly Pay". PayScale.
- ↑ "Medical Coding Salary Survey". AAPC.
- ↑ "Assessing the Value of Professional Coders" (PDF). discover.dtic.mil.
- ↑ "The Demand for Medical Coders Is on the Rise". Yahoo.
- ↑ "A Guide Through a Medical Wilderness". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Avoiding denials: Six general tips to boost coding, billing compliance". MJH Life Sciences and Medical Economics.
- ↑ "Why Your Practice Needs a Certified Coder and How to Find One". HealthItAnswers.
- ↑ "Certified Professional Coder (CPC)". AAPC.
External links[edit]
- Certified Professional Coder Certified Professional Coder
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