Member Bill of Rights

AAPC members enjoy many rights, benefits and responsibilities. This document outlines information about many of these rights and responsibilities. The AAPC reserves the right to amend these at any time and will communicate these changes to the membership. The purpose of the Member Bill of Rights is to provide the membership with a credible and effective mechanism to address its concerns. The intent is to reaffirm the importance of a strong relationship between the AAPC staff and its members. Members are entitled to certain rights and privileges while taking on certain responsibilities of their membership and credentials.

• Both members and employees of the AAPC must act according to the highest standards and visions of the AAPC, their profession and conscience;
• Members have the right to have the AAPC staff and the National Advisory Board (NAB) work for their interests;
• Members have the responsibility to constantly increase their level of professional competence, which at a minimum, includes meeting CEU requirements, if certified.

• Members have the right to receive timely responses to their telephone calls, emails and concerns to the AAPC national office;
• Members have the right to receive respectful responses to their concerns from the AAPC national office;
• The AAPC staff and its membership will not discriminate based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, citizenship and/or veteran status.

• Members have the right to a membership that reflects value to the health care billing and coding community;
• Members should encourage colleagues to embrace the ethical principals and standards of professional coding in the workplace and /or educational arena;
• Members should inspire others through their own sense of dedication and high purpose;
• Members must avoid even the appearance of any criminal offense or professional misconduct;
• Members have the right to effective and ethical decision making. The AAPC will create and maintain an Ethics Committee, comprised of three (3) NAB Members and the entire Legal Advisory Board to review and render a timely decision regarding any alleged wrong-doing by a staff member; non-credentialed coder or credentialed coder, Chapter Officer or educator. The Ethics Committee will be responsible to create policies and procedures to assure the due process rights of the individual;
  

  a) This Committee, which will have more AAPC members than AAPC staff, will provide safeguards against improper disciplinary actions;
  b) Members will have the right to defend themselves in front of the Ethics Committee if they feel wrongly accused;
  c) Actions to remove credentials, chapter officers or PMCC instructor status or to revoke membership can only happen with a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote by the Ethics Committee;
  d) Letters should be addressed to the Ethics Committee and mailed to the AAPC 2480 South 3850 West, Suite B, Salt Lake City, Utah 84120;
  e) The accused will receive a copy of the complaint by certified mail. They accused member will have two (2) weeks in which to respond to the complaint;
  f) The Ethics Committee will have two (2) weeks in which to convene and render a decision based on the information provided and fact-finding as appropriate. The decision will be in writing to the President of the AAPC. The President of the AAPC has the power to request another review of any decision to terminate membership, otherwise, the decision of the Ethics Committee is deemed final;
  g) If the accused has additional information that is pertinent to the case, the accused may file a written appeal to the Ethics Committee within thirty (30) days of the decision requesting an appeal.
  h) The Ethics Committee will review the appeal and a final decision will be rendered;

• Members should encourage colleagues to embrace the ethical principals and standards of the coding profession;
• Members should strive to improve their professional knowledge and skills in order to improve their performance, to better serve themselves and/or their employers;
• Members have the right to visit the AAPC website to view services, seminars and educational information – www.aapc.com.

• Members have the right to the effective operation of local chapters. The AAPC will create and maintain a Board of Directors to oversee the operations of the local chapters: Members are encouraged to attend local chapter meetings regularly;
• Chapter members should “Welcome” all new members and guests and encourage their attendance and participation;
• Chapter members should promote their chapter and seek opportunities to share and provide valuable industry information and insight;
• Chapter members have the right to express optional views at chapter meetings or on AAPC website forums without fear of retaliation;
• Chapter members should take their turn as local chapter officers;
• Chapter members have the right to semi-annually review local chapter financial information during regular meetings designated for this purpose.

• Members have a right to rules and regulations that have been developed with the help of industry experts serving on the AAPC National Advisory Board;
• National Advisory Board members will act as Ambassadors for the AAPC;
• National Advisory Board members should act as a liaison between the AAPC staff and membership;
• National Advisory Board members must hold themselves to a Higher Standard of professional knowledge, competence and ethics;
• National Advisory Board Members will be selected from nominees by the AAPC executive staff. They will serve a two-year term with the exception of officers who will serve two (2) years as members and then two (2) years as officers and the President-Elect who will serve six (6) years: two (2) years as an NAB member, two (2) years as President-Elect and two (2) years as President;
• National Advisory Board members may not speak on behalf of the AAPC or NAB or publish statements regarding issues or happenings related to the AAPC or National Advisory Board. Statements are reserved for the President/CEO of the AAPC and/or President of the NAB;
• National Advisory Board members may not be a member of a board of any other coding associations during their terms;
• National Advisory Board members may not use their position for personal financial gain through advertisement opportunities;
• National Advisory Board members may not answer questions on list serves utilizing their National Advisory Board title;
• National Advisory Board members acknowledge an obligation of confidentiality to the AAPC and agree that, during the term of service and subsequent thereto, shall treat as confidential all information that it shall receive from the AAPC unless specifically authorized to disclose certain information by the AAPC;
• Members of the National Advisory Board shall be safeguarded against improper disciplinary actions with respect to actions taken in furtherance of their responsibilities as members of the NAB. Members of the NAB accused of misusing their position as a member of the NAB, or misconduct will be subject to a hearing before the remaining members of the National Advisory Board to determine the validity of such allegations. A member will be dismissed from the NAB only by a finding of misconduct by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the remaining members of the National Advisory Board.