Did you realize that if you have one of the AHIMA certifications such as your CCS-P then you can take any AAPC speciality exam without being CPC??

This is wonderful for you, when I look at the ads for coders often I see that very often they want a coder who has experience in a speciality area.  Let's face it no coder can know all there is to know about coding but many coders have an area of interest.  And if you really look at those speakers and the Coding professionals who have written the many coding resources we have most of them are CPC or CCS and CCS-P, they have an area of coding that really interests them.  So I encourage you to look at the speciality Credentials that the AAPC offers and persue one. Here is a list:

• Ambulatory Surgical Center---CASCC
• Anesthesia---CANC
• Cardiology---CCC
• Cardiovascular and Thoracic---CCVTC
• Dermatology---CDERC
• Emergency Department---CEDC
• E/M Auditor---CEMC
• Family Practice Medicine---CFPC
• Gastroenterology---CGIC
• General Surgery---CGSC
• Internal Medicine---CIMC
• Obstetrics/Gynecology---COBGC
• Orthopaedics---CENTC
• Otolaryngology---CENTC
• Pediatrics---CPEDC
• Plastics and Reconstructive---CPRC
• Rheumatology---CRHC
• Urology---CUC

The benefits of these Specialty Credentials are much more than better pay, you will be of a real value to any office as you will have the expertise to increase the reimbursement with your knowledge of the specialty and the guidelines. 

AHIMA CERTIFICATIONS

Certifications Available:

Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)

Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)

Certified Coding Specialist—Physician-based (CCS-P)

Certified Coding Associate (CCA

AAPC

Certifications Available:

Certified Professional Coder (CPC)

Certified Professional Coder-Hospital (CPC-H)

CPC- A  Apprentice

CPC-H Apprentice

Specialty Credential Examinations

The American Academy of Professional Coders offers specialty credentialing for:

Evaluation and Management Specialist (EMS)

General Surgery Specialist (GSS)

Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist (OGS)

Orthopedics Specialist (OS)

Emergency Medicine Specialist (EDS)

Cardiology Specialist (CS

Radiology Certified Coders 

The purpose of the RCCB® credentialing program is to:

Establish the body of knowledge for radiology coders

Assess the level of knowledge demonstrated by radiology coders in a valid and reliable manner

Encourage professional growth in the field of radiology coding

Formally recognize individuals who meet the requirements set by RCCB®

Serve the public and the medical community by encouraging quality radiology coding services

AACCA Clinical Coder and Auditor Certifications

AACCA Certification Categories

 Certified RN-Coder®/Clinical Coder

Certified Medical Coder (CMC)® - Technical Coders (non-clinical)

Association of Registered Medical Professionals

Registered Medical Coder - Associate

Registered Medical Coder

Registered Medical Manager

National Association of Healthcare Consultants

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

 New Business Referrals, through the web site and by referral from specialist colleagues.

  Networking Resources where you can get answers to questions from colleagues and experts online.

  Discounted Educational Programs on practical topics you can use every day in your practice.

  Annual Conference Meetings where you can meet the authors of the books and journals in your library

  Discounts on a wide array of Member Programs, including: Practice Software Packages, Newsletters, Communication Services, Easy-qualifying Loans for Clients to $200K, Discounts on Books and Reports from major publishers, and other products and services.

  Update and Hot Topics Newsletters

  Homepage with "Members Only" Networking and Referral Sections

  Discount Liability Insurance for consultants

  Discounts on HIPAA kits

  Discounts on Employee Background Checking service

  Free member-donated Forms, Checklists, Records, Sample Documents, Planners, and more that you can use to improve or expand your consulting practice with your clients

PHIA-Professional Healthcare Institute of America

They are:

CCP (Certified Coding Professional)

CCP-AS (Certified Coding Professional-Audit Specialist)

CCP-H (Certified Coding Professional-Hospital Based)

CMBS (Certified Medical Billing Specialist)

CMPM (Certified Medical Practice Manager)

CCO (Certified Compliance Officer)