American Nurses Association

The 1989-founded National Healthcareer Association (NHA) offers training and certification for a variety of healthcare vocations. For the purpose of submitting a claim for payment, the Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam focuses on translating a medical treatment and diagnosis into precise codes of a dental billing company. The NHA states that while certification is not required for the medical billing field, it "may entail additional work prospects, greater compensation, and increased job security." 4 American Academy of Professional Coders has more details about the CBCS exam offered by the NHA.

Over 90,000 healthcare professionals across the US possess AAPC certificates, according to the American Academy of Professional Coders. Medical coding, auditing, compliance, and practice management certifications are available through the AAPC. The prerequisites for the coding and billing certificates will be reviewed.

Professional Coder Certified (CPC)

The primary coding certification offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders, with a focus on diagnostic and procedural codes for outpatient services, is called Certified Professional Coder (CPC). The CPC's skills go beyond only knowing the codes; they also entail an understanding of coding guidelines, including compliance and reimbursement.

It takes two years of coding experience to earn a full CPC credential. However, passing this course counts as having had a year of coding experience! Nearly halfway there you are.

Certified Professional Coder—Outpatient Hospital (CPC-H)

The Certified Professional Coder-Hospital Outpatient is a different credential made available by the AAPC (CPC-H). This certification focuses on outpatient facilities including hospital outpatient coding and billing departments or ambulatory surgery clinics. This examination concentrates on reimbursement procedures, such as fee updates and how to complete the UB-04, in addition to coding the diagnosis and procedures for outpatient settings.

A CPC-H needs to have at least two years of coding expertise, just like the ordinary CPC credential. This course's successful completion counts as having had a year of coding experience.

Professional Coder-Payer Certified (CPC-P)

A coder's aptitude, ability, and knowledge of coding standards and reimbursement techniques for all sorts of services from the payer's, or insurance company's, perspective are demonstrated by the Certified Professional Coder-Payer (CPC-P) designation. The CPC-P credential can help staff members in the areas of billing service, provider relations, utilization management, auditing, benefits administration, and customer service.

The CPC-P certification exam attests to the successful candidate's knowledge and abilities to successfully decide provider claims. Examiners are asked to demonstrate their understanding of the fundamental differences between payer activities linked to coding and provider coding. We'll look closely at how code and payment operations relate to one another.

The CPC-P exam is divided into two sections that examine reimbursement procedures and coding accuracy. The medical terminology, anatomy, and diagnostic and procedural coding concepts knowledge of the examinee are tested in the medical coding concepts portion. Physician payment, inpatient payment systems, outpatient payment systems, health insurance ideas, and HIPAA are all covered in the section on reimbursement methodologies. 5 Apprentice Certifications from the AAPC

Many new coders lack the necessary experience but do have the education and fundamental understanding to pass the medical coding certification exams. Coders at the entry level frequently do this. The AAPC has an apprentice position in order to assist these persons.

The apprentice status, denoted by a "A" on the certificate, will be granted to you if you pass the medical coding certification exam but don't have the necessary two years of medical coding experience. You will have to complete Continuing Education Units, just like other certificates (CEUs). Your credentials are upgraded to the full CPC, CPC-H, or CPC-P once you have finished the necessary work experience and submitted proof for that work!

Professional Biller Certification (CPB)

Those who manage all facets of the revenue cycle can take the Certified Professional Biller (CPB) exam, which is offered by the AAPC. Knowledge of medical coding standards is required, as is a thorough awareness of the various insurance plans, their laws and regulations, and the billing procedure.

The Certified Coding Associate (CCA), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), and Certified Coding Specialist—Physician-based tests are offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) (CCS-P).

Associate Coding Professional (CCA)

An entry-level coding credential is the Certified Coding Associate (CCA). If you are a novice programmer with little experience, obtaining the CCA will let you show that you are proficient in fundamental programming concepts of medical coding services. Having a CCA proves your dedication to coding. It serves as a solid foundation for coding qualifications.

You need a high school graduation from the United States or an equivalent educational background to sit for the CCA certification exam. You should have finished a formal coding training course like the one you're taking, at the very least. You should have knowledge of medical coding for ambulatory treatment as well as hospital inpatient care, while it is not necessary. According to past exam results, candidates with three or more years of coding experience are more likely to pass the test, according to AHIMA.