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For medical billers and coders, professional certifications can prove to employers that you have invested the time and energy required to become proficient in your field. While not always required, these certifications can offer a higher earning potential and boost your resume.
If you are planning to earn certifications in the medical billing and coding field, you should first understand their requirements. This article explores common requirements for medical billing and coding certifications.
What Are Medical Billing and Coding Certifications?
Medical billing and coding certifications are credentials earned by passing exams to demonstrate you have mastered a set of skills specific to the medical billing and coding field.
Although these certifications are often voluntary, they are sometimes required or highly recommended when applying for jobs. To prepare for your certification exam of choice, consider a medical billing and coding certification online training program.
Below we list a few popular medical billing and coding certifications and the requirements for each.
Medical Billing and Coding Certification Requirements
Certified Coding Associate (CCA)®
Cost: This test costs $199 for American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) members and $299 for nonmembers.
Time to Completion: You have two hours to complete the certification exam. The exam contains 115 questions.
Requirements for Certification: A high school diploma or the equivalent is required. It is also recommended that candidates have at least six months of medical coding experience or complete an AHIMA coding program (or another equivalent program).
Test-takers are required to bring their ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS and CPT® code books to the exam. AHIMA lists the approved versions of these code books on its website.
Applicable Jobs: This certification can help you get a job at a hospital or doctor’s office. The CCA is an excellent entry-level certification for those in the early stages of their medical billing and coding careers.
Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)®
Cost: This exam costs $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for nonmembers.
Time to Completion: This exam takes up to four hours to complete and includes between 115 and 140 questions.
Requirements for Certification: AHIMA recommends that you have several years of experience in coding, a CCA or equivalent certification and at least a year of coding experience before taking this exam.
It is also recommended to have completed courses in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, reimbursement methodology and pathophysiology.
Applicable Jobs: This certification is more specialized than the CCA credential. Therefore, it is a natural next step for those who are already experienced in the medical coding and billing field. However, it may help you in hospital jobs that specifically look at coding data used to get reimbursement from insurance companies and government-funded programs.
Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-Based (CCS-P)®
Cost: This exam costs $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for nonmembers.
Time to Completion: This exam takes up to four hours to complete and contains 97 to 121 questions.
Requirements for Certification: While there are no formal requirements for this exam, AHIMA recommends that test-takers complete specific education before pursuing CCS-P certification.
AHIMA recommends courses in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, reimbursement methodology and pathophysiology, plus at least a year of coding experience. Alternatively, candidates may complete two years of coding experience or a CCA certification plus one year of direct coding experience. CCS certification is another option.
Applicable Jobs: The CCS-P is specific to physician care. Therefore, this credential can help you find work in a doctor’s office or specialty clinic or center.
Certified Professional Coder (CPC)®
Cost: This exam costs $349 for one attempt or $449 for two attempts.
Time to Completion: This test takes up to four hours and features 100 multiple-choice questions.
Requirements for Certification: To take the CPC test, you must have an American Academy of Professional Coders (AACP) membership.
In addition, it is required that you understand anatomy, pathophysiology and medical terminology. You can learn this material by taking courses or gaining experience in the medical or medical coding field.
You must answer 70% of exam questions correctly to pass. When you pass the CPC exam, you will be awarded a CPC-A credential, which indicates apprenticeship. You must then complete two years of experience on the job or take an online practicode course before being awarded full CPC certification.
Applicable Jobs: The CPC is a highly sought-after certification and can help your chances at most relevant positions. Because the CPC is one of the most acknowledged credentials in the medical billing and coding field, it can be helpful in most career applications, whether at a hospital or a private practice.
Certified Outpatient Coder (COC)®
Cost: This exam costs $349 for one attempt or $449 for two attempts.
Time to Completion: This exam takes up to four hours, containing 100 multiple-choice questions.
Requirements for Certification: The COC requires you to have AACP membership, have two years of experience coding and complete 36 continuing education units (CEUs) every two years. Similarly to the CPC, passing the COC exam awards you with a COC-A credential until you can prove two years of experience on the job.
Applicable Jobs: Relevant work environments for this certification include hospital emergency departments, outpatient clinics and centers, radiology departments and ambulatory surgery centers.
Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC)®
Cost: This exam costs $349 for one attempt or $449 for two attempts.
Time to Completion: This exam takes up to 4 hours, and there are 47 questions: 40 multiple-choice questions and seven fill-in-the-blank questions.
Requirements for Certification: AACP membership is required to take the CIC certification exam. In addition, test-takers should be educated in inpatient coding, reimbursement fundamentals and anatomy and medical terminology.
CICs must complete 36 CEUs every two years to maintain certification.
Applicable Jobs: The CIC credential applies to jobs centered around hospital and facility inpatient coding. Potential work environments for CICs include general hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, critical access hospitals and inpatient rehab facilities.
Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC)®
Cost: This exam costs $349 for one attempt or $449 for two attempts.
Time to Completion: This proctored exam takes up to four hours, and there are 100 multiple-choice questions.
Requirements for Certification: The CRC exam requires an AACP membership. AACP advises that CRC candidates have prior experience and understanding of CRC training. CRCs must complete 36 CEUs every two years to maintain certification.
Applicable Jobs: This credential validates your skills writing precise risk scores for patients with high-risk diseases, demonstrating a deep knowledge of clinical documentation and reporting of diagnoses.
Certified Medical Coder (CMC)®
Cost: The exam and its accompanying medical billing and coding online course costs $1,250.
Time to Completion: This proctored exam takes up to six hours.
Requirements for Certification: You should have at least a year of experience as an outpatient medical coder before taking the CMC exam. If you have yet to complete this experience, taking a Principles of Coding course is highly recommended.
You must also have up-to-date editions of the CPT, HCPCS and ICD-10-CM code books and a medical dictionary throughout the course and on the day you take the exam.
Applicable Jobs: This certification applies to outpatient claims work, especially in working with claim submissions and accurate payments.
Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
Cost: The cost of this exam is $109.
Time to Completion: This exam takes up to three hours and has 100 scored questions.
Requirements for Certification: The exam requires you to have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Test-takers must have completed medical billing and coding training or education within the last five years or have worked within the field for at least a year (within the previous three years). They are also required to have the code books CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS for the CBCS exam.
Applicable Jobs: This certification can help you get jobs at hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.
Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS)®
Cost: The cost of this exam is $325.
Time to Completion: You will have 45 days to access the exam to complete it. It is an open-book examination that includes 710 questions.
Requirements for Certification: To take this exam, you must be an American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) member. You are also required to have a high school diploma or the educational equivalent.
AMBA recommends that test-takers have current editions of the HCPCS, CPT and ICD-10 code books. It is also recommended that candidates have experience and knowledge in the medical billing field.
Applicable Jobs: Because this examination is the longest-standing and most detailed for medical billers, it is one of the most prestigious credentials you can earn as a medical records specialist. This credential demonstrates knowledge and skills in handling the claims payment process in the medical field.
