Specialty Credentials

AAPC has developed specialty credentials to enable CPC®s, CPC-H®s, CPC-P®s, CCSs, CCS-Ps, RHIT and MDs to demonstrate superior levels of expertise in selected specialty disciplines. Whether a coder wishes to show expertise in a specialty they currently work in or wish to move to another specialty these credentials are designed to prove superior knowledge and skills.

AAPC’s specialty credential study guides are designed to prepare a coder for each examination; test writers and study guide authors have worked together to ensure their "fit."

Certified Procedural Coder – Payer (CPC-P®)

Take this exam, which concentrates on coding and billing after it’s been submitted to the payer, if you are in the following situations:

• Claims manager for a payer (private insurance, Medicare, Medicade, etc.)
• Auditor for a payer
• Utilization review
• Post-billing auditor for a physician group or facility
• Billing service
• If you are a consultant, educator, legal counsel, physician or other care-giver seeking credential to demonstrate your command of medical coding

Certified Procedural Coder – Hospital (CPC-H®)

Take this exam, which concentrates on outpatient facility services, if you are fulfilling the following roles in relationship to facilities medical coding. For credentials addressing inpatient medical coding and billing, contact the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) for their certification.

• Billing Ambulatory Patient Category groups (APCs) for facility outpatient services.
• Working in hospital outpatient billing and coding department
• Auditing facility outpatient service billing and coding
• Ambulatory Surgical Center
• Performing utilization review for outpatient services
• If you are a consultant, educator, legal counsel, physician or other care-giver seeking credential to demonstrate your command of medical coding

Certified Procedural Coder (CPC®)

Take this test, which addresses billing and coding for physician services, if you code in the following places or situations:

• Physician office or group
• Hospital-associated physician office or group
• Health system-associated physician office or group
• Home health agency
• Physician group at University and or in teaching setting
• Compliance auditor or forensic auditor of physician claims
• Physician Billing service
• Ambulatory surgery center (ASC)
• Outpatient hospital services not reimbursed by Ambulatory Patient Category (APCs) groups
• If you are a consultant, educator, legal counsel, physician or other care-giver seeking credential to demonstrate your command of physician based medical coding