How Many CPC CEUs Do I Need Every Year To Stay Certified?

First of all, congratulations on being a certified coder! This not only means you display the aptitude for mastering the length, in-depth material but also made a commitment to preparing yourself. As you likely expected, learning coding material once isn’t sufficient if you expect to maintain positive employment. That same spirit of preparing for examination must continue throughout your career if you desire steady employment and chances to advance.

You Have To Keep Learning With CEUs

This is because medical coding is a constantly changing environment, as new codes are added and old codes are scrapped constantly. Technological advancements increase the amount of medical research existing, so coders need to be just as adaptable by the time that ripples of change reach them.

Thus, CEUs were born. CEU stands for “continuing education unit,” and it is a practical means through which coders demonstrate determination to stay afloat regarding new coding information. You can obtain CEUs through attending events approved by the AAPC as enriching, instructing at a post-secondary school (with pre-approval), or completing post-secondary course work. In short you need to complete continuing education for every medical coder's certification you hold.

The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) strives to make CEUs as simple as possible for its certified coders, providing several online tools to help its coders establish CEU approval and track their units. The purpose of CEUs works well alongside the AAPC’s mission to create a community of coders; the organization promotes workshops, presentations, and other events that help coders stay current while meeting one another and developing long-lasting rapport.

You have to earn a certain number of CEUs semi-annually to maintain your certification, and the number depends on how many certifications you hold. If you hold one certification, you require 36 CEUs every two years. Two certifications require 48 CEUs, three certifications require 60 CEUs, four certifications require 72 CEUs, and five or more require 80 CEUs.

Rather than looking at these requirements as a burden, approach them as an opportunity to retain that youthful studiousness that landed you these certifications in the first place... and if you only hold one single certification you may want to consider getting a second advanced certification. The CPC-H for instance is a good way to improve your resume and possibly increase your earning power as a medical coder.

The Difference Between A CPC And A CCS Credential

If you’re looking to get into the field of medical coding and find yourself pondering the distinction between a CPC and CCS, you’re in the right field. After all, medical coding is all about critical thinking and meticulous attention to detail, so good job!

Both CPCs and CCSs are types of coding certification you can acquire through official educational programs. Beginners in the coding field are universally encouraged to seek either certification because both are generalized and thorough in coding, anatomy, terminology, and policies. Both certifications are recognized throughout the world and stand firmly in the job market.

However, they differ in many respects, and these differences will help you choose which is right for you:

• A CPC is recognized by the AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) as a “Certified Professional Coder.” A CCS is recognized by the AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) as a Certified Coding Specialist.
• CPC certification primarily focuses on coding in outpatient contexts (typically when a patient is discharged within 24 hours, as in a doctor’s office), whereas CCS certification focuses on inpatient contexts (typically when a patient stays at a medical facility until recovery).
• CPC certification is the standard expectation of professional coders and has a higher pass rate. CCS certification, on the other hand, is equally as popular among coders but less expected and more difficult to obtain.

It makes sense that a CPC is more popular, given that a majority of medical visits are not lengthy stays in a hospital; instead, a great number of visits are check-ups, vaccinations, dental cleanings, and other one-time stops. It also makes sense that a CCS is more difficult to obtain because an inpatient case generates lengthier reports, increasing the amount of information a coder must work through to codify and bill a patient’s insurance provider.

One alternative is to go for a CPC-H which is the AAPC certification for hospital work. Much like the CSS is focused primarily on inpatient situations a CPC-H can also offer a more focused approach and can sometimes help you land better paying jobs in a hospital or large practice.

What Is A Medical CPT Code

Since it first appeared in seventeenth century London, early forms of medical coding dealt primarily with mortality and everything associated with it: diseases, death rates, and recognized symptoms of diseases or ailments. Considering that codifying medical conditions arose from the era of bubonic plague in Europe, it is easy to see why early “coders” were so preoccupied with death and all its causes.

It was not until four hundred years later that medical coding fully advanced into its current form. The 1960s marked the birth of CPT codes, which stands for “Current Procedural Terminology.” These codes were developed and presented by the American Medical Association (AMA) to represent medical services.

These codes contain five digits and describe a variety of medical attention forms. For instance there is a code for everything ranging from routine check-ups to vaccinations. The comprehensive set of codes is released and regularly amended by the AMA to ensure that it retains its accuracy and effectiveness, regularly re-releasing the official publication.

CPT codes are critical to any medical facility in the United States. Without CPT codes, a medical coder and biller would be unable to accurately bill an insurer or patient. A coder must have access to accurate and thorough codes describing medical conditions and treatment. Linking the diagnosis code to the code of the treatment rendered makes billing a high-efficiency machine, cutting payment delays and securing customer satisfaction.

CPT codes are not accessible to the general public for free because the AMA publishes these codes itself and therefore exercises considerable control over their release. Medical coders or those aspiring to break into the field, however, can purchase code books and corresponding computer software through the Internet or programs from the AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) or AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association).

How Medical Coding Originated

How did medical coding originate? Well, once upon a time, a mommy and a daddy loved each other very much and decided to take that love and turn it into a quantified system of medical coding. Okay, that’s not quite how it went.

Although medical coding is currently employed alongside the use of advanced medical and computing technology, the practice is much older than one might initially guess. In fact, the earliest noted form of medical coding is cited in the 1660s – before computers, type writers, and digital thermometers. See this post for more of what medical coding is today.

How did something so advanced date back so far in history? Out of necessity. Any high school student who has had a history or social studies class can tell you that the seventeenth century was rough on London, with plague decimating populations of people. The bubonic plague outbreak was so devastating that doctors decided to record the circumstances of the deaths it caused for some hope of beating it.

The next big round of early medical coding was late nineteenth century France. A physician named Jacques Bertillion developed the Classification of Causes of Death, which became standardized within a decade.

Today, medical coders work with ICD-9 codes (or ICD-10 for those who’ve already converted to the most current codes), which stand for International Classification of Diseases, ninth (or tenth) revision. Like its predecessors, the ICD code system is death-driven, primarily codifying conditions that result in fatality.

Differing in this respect, CPT (Common Procedural Terminology) codes that developed in the 1960s in the United States offer a standard set of codes to describe medical procedures ranging from diagnoses to various treatments. This set of codes is the last major development to the system of medical coding.

When you look at its place in the grand scheme, however, it’s not so much a dead-end for coding but the jaw-dropping final chapter if we think about coding as a film franchise.

See this post on the future of medical coding.

How Much Does It Cost To Maintain AAPC Certification?

There are many questions a medical coder, current or aspiring, must ask his or herself. “Am I capable in the field?” “Does it interest me?” “What will it require of me, and am I prepared to do those things?”

Any job comes with its share of expectations, but many pale in comparison to those of medical coders. Although coders typically enjoy a steady work environment with normal weekday hours, medicine (and healthcare at large) is a constantly changing landscape; progressive scientific research and adapting policies create a necessity for all its workers to keep current with these changes.

A certified medical coder spends months preparing for the examination that certifies him or her, but the expectation of learning continues. This is where CEUs come in, also known as “continuing education units.” CEUs are the AAPC’s (American Academy of Professional Coders) way of gauging whether a coder is staying current. The more certifications a coder holds, the more units he or she is required to acquire on a two-year basis.

A major concern of obtaining CEUs regularly to stay certified is the cost. Workshops and conferences – regarded as the best ways to earn CEUs – can become rather expensive and reach into hundreds of dollars. But fear not! All is not lost, as there are several recognized ways to earn CEUs without spending too much money. Because the number of units required depends on number of certifications and the cost depends on what you choose, we’ll simply provide some options as food for thought:

• AAPC official 3-hour workshop (6 CEUs): $149 for members, $189 for non-members
• AAPC audio conference (2 CEUs): $149 for members, $189 for non-members
• AAPC national/regional conferences (up to 20 CEUs): anywhere between $300 and $600

Here are some free methods:

• Local chapter meetings (I CEU/hour)
• Complete self-test in monthly Coding Edge magazine and newsletter EdgeBlast (up to 12 CEUs/year)

The Main Differences Between The CPC Exam And The CPC-H Exam

If you are looking into taking either the CPC exam or the CPC-H exam, chances are that you have chosen to seek certification from the AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) for a reason. Becoming a certified professional coder through the AAPC puts you at a significant advantage, as the organization reports a 20% higher earning potential than those without certification.

Employers are also more likely to opt for a certified coder because the AAPC has a standing reputation of turning out efficient and effective workers. But you probably know this, so let’s address something a little less obvious: the CPC exam versus the CPC-H exam.

Both exams contain 150 multiple choice questions, for which you have 5 hours and 40 minutes to complete. Both exams are open book and give you a single chance to re-take the exam for free. (Even though you can re-take it, study thoroughly the first time to avoid having to sit for another five hours!) AAPC students can take either exam at a $40 discount, paying $260 instead of $300.

Both exams test knowledge in procedural terminology and medical equipment in addition to the standard background in anatomy and physiology. However, the CPC exam prepares the taker for work in a physician’s office, where as the CPC-H exam prepares the taker for work in hospital groups.

According to the AAPC, the following are content areas found on the CPC exam:

• Anesthesia, Radiology, Medicine, Nervous, Endocrine, Digestive, Urinary, Musculoskeletal, Evaluation and Management, Anatomy and Physiology, Mediastinum & Diaphragm, Practice Management, Male/Female Genital, Hemic & Lymphatic, Maternity & Delivery, Eye & Ocular Adnexa, Pathology, Integumentary, Respiratory, Laboratory

The following are content areas found on the CPC-H exam:

• Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Coding Guidelines, Payment Methodologies, Surgery and Modifiers, Code Assignment ICD-9-CM Vols 1 & 2, Compliance

Need help deciding which exam to take. This post outlines the differences between the CPC and CPC-H credential.

Are All Medical Coding Vendor's Approved With The AAPC?

As if studying for medical coding certification wasn’t tough enough, a coder who passes not only faces the job market – which, although favorable for coders, is still in a bit of a dip – but also faces the requirements to maintain certification. Depending on how many certifications a coder possesses, he or she is required to complete a certain amount of continued education units (CEUs) every two years to stay certified.

Here’s a quick idea of the CEU requirements per the AAPC:

• One certification = 36 CEUs every two years
• Two certifications = 48 CEUs every two years
• Three certifications = 60 CEUs every two years
• Four certifications = 72 CEUs every two years
• Five certifications or more = 80 CEUs every two years

There are dozens of possibilities for obtaining CEUs, such as conferences, webinars, and teaching (or completing) post-secondary course work. Any organization providing these CEUs is considered a vendor, and one fact is absolutely essential to earning CEUs: not all vendors are approved by the AAPC.

(Below is a link to the AAPC’s official website and its page addressing approved vendors. This page features a tool that allows the user to browse approved CEU vendors or search a vendor or event to see if it is currently approved.)

http://www.aapc.com/medical-coding-education/vendors/index.aspx

Any conferences, workshops, or webinars hosted by the AAPC (naturally) approved means of earning CEUs. Anything else, for the sake of the coder, should be verified as approved. Visiting the above link is one method, and another is consulting and networking with fellow coders and addressing vendors directly for proof of AAPC approval.

For the anxious coder, a quick browse through the approved list online will show that there are countless numbers of activities and vendors he or she can approach for CEUs. After all, it shouldn’t be a limiting burden but a boundless opportunity!