There are 3 types of coding credentials you can earn through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA. ) 1. (CCA) Certified Coding Associate. This certification shows knowledge across all medical settings including hospital and physician settings. CCA has been a nationally accepted standard of achievement in Health Information Management since 2002. 2. (CCS) Certified Coding Specialist. CCS’s are at mastery-levels, skilled in classification of medical data. Medical data such as patient records (usually hospital.)
Knowledgeable in CPT, ICD-9_CM, medical terminology, disease processes, and pharmacology. 3. (CCS-P) Certified Coding Specialist – Physician Based. Mastery-level coding practitioner with expert skills in physician-based settings such as physician offices, group practices, multi-specialty clinics, or specialty centers. In depth knowledge with CPT, ICD-9-CM, and HCPCS Level II coding systems. CCS-P is also skilled in health information documentation data integrity, and quality.
Current cost for examination is $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members. Test lasts 4 hours with no breaks. If you want to take the exam you must have your high school diploma or an equivalent (GED. ) AHIMA recommends, but doesn’t require, a minimum of 3 years experience in a hospital setting, coding for several types of inpatient/outpatient services. You can request a refund for you exam application within the 14-day (business days) deadline prior to scheduled exam date.
Fax your request to (312) 233-1500 with your name, AHIMA ID (if have one), and the exam type you applied for. In addition, there is a $75 processing fee for all exam cancellations. To cancel an exam there are consequences for certain actions. If it’s 15 days before scheduled date, there is no charge for a reschedule. If it’s 14 days – 24 hours prior to scheduled date, there will be a $30 reschedule charge. If you do a no-show, you forfeit your entire application fee. Sources * http://www. ahima. org/certification/refund. aspx.