AHIMA Advanced Coding Credentials
AHIMA
Advanced Coding
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
Advanced Coding
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