Certified Cardiology Coder (CCC™) Credential
The Certified Cardiology Coder (CCC™) exam was developed by a team of leading cardiology coding professionals. Those coders with sufficient experience and expertise in cardiology coding are encouraged to sit for the CCC™ exam.
The CCC™ examinee will be tested on:
- Ability to read and abstract physician office notes and operative notes to apply correct ICD-9-CM, CPT®, HCPCS Level II and modifier coding assignments
- Evaluation and management (both the 1995 and 1997 Documentation Guidelines)
- Rules and regulations of Medicare billing including (but not limited to) incident to, teaching situations, shared visits, consultations and global surgery
- Coding of surgical procedures performed by cardiologists such as heart catheterization, coronary interventions, pacemakers, peripheral vascular procedures, etc.
- Medical terminology
- Anatomy and physiology
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Specialty Exams
- 150 multiple choice questions (proctored)
- 5 hours and 40 minutes to finish the exam
- 1 free retake
- $245.00
- Open code book (manuals)
Reviewed by a Cardiology Steering Committee:
- Jim Collins, CPC®, CCC, CHCC
- Carolyn McLaughlin, CPC®, CPC-H®, CCC
- Kimberley Floyd-Waldman, CPC®, CCC, CPC-H®
- Belinda Inabinet, CPC®, CCC
- Salet Handley, CPC®, CCC, CCVTC
- Anne C. Karl, CPC®, CCC, RHIA, CCS-P, ACS-CA
- Christina Neighbors, CPC®, CCC, MA, ACS-CA
Specialty exams aptly measure preparedness for “real-world” coding by being operative/patient-note based. In addition to questions regarding the correct application of ICD-9-CM, CPT®, HCPCS Level II and modifier coding assignments, examinees will also be tested on specialty-specific coding and regulations.
Requirements
- Must schedule examination four weeks in advance
- Must have current AAPC membership
- While there is no requirement, we strongly recommend that the candidate has at least two years of experience in the specialty. Please be aware that these are difficult, high-level examinations not meant for individuals with little, limited or no coding experience
Specialty Exam Preparation
Please be aware that each specialty exam is comprehensive of the facets of its specialty to ensure you are truly a master in your specialized field of coding. It is STRONGLY recommended that you complete the Online Specialty Exam Practicum, which will measure your readiness for the actual exam.
Recognition
Examinees that pass a Specialty certification examination will receive recognition in the Coding Edge within three months of their examination date and will receive a diploma suitable for framing.
Exam Preparation – CCC™ Online Practicum
(Highly Recommended)
The online practicum includes three hours of streaming audio lectures to discuss trade-specific issues affecting cardiology coding and three hours of coding simulation with 75 coding scenarios linked to actual patient notes (matching the format of the actual exam).
- One-hour online audio lecture on general E/M coding
- One-hour online audio lecture on procedure coding (CPT®)
- One-hour online audio lecture on diagnosis coding (ICD-9-CM)
- Downloadable E/M Audit Tool to help with leveling and approved for use during exam
- 75-question online practical exercise coding case studies from medical documentation (question format mimics those on actual exam)
Purchase the Online Practicum
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By purchasing any of these items, you agree to the terms stated within the Refund Policy.
Approved Manuals for Use During Examination
Required References:
- CPT® Books (AMA standard or professional edition ONLY). No other publisher is allowed
- Your choice of ICD-9-CM
- Your choice of HCPCS Level II
Highly Recommended References:
- Anatomical charts or pictures of the vascular tree
- E/M Audit Worksheet of your choice
- Both CMS DGs (1995 & 1997)
Optional References:
- One reference of your choice
Note:
Any officially published corrections or errata belonging to required references are also permitted. The AAPC uses only the current calendar year codes on all exams. Second attempt exams occurring in the next calendar year will not be permitted to take the previous year’s exam.
Non-Approved Manuals for Use During Examination
Due to the advantages of additional information and/or ease of use, the following references cannot be used during the exam:
- Current Procedural Coding Expert® - Ingenix
- Procedural Coding Professional - Contexo
- Procedural Coding Professional - AAPC
- Procedural Coding Expert - Contexo
- Procedural Coding Expert - AAPC
- CPT® Insider's View - AMA
- CPT® Plus! - PMIC
- Coders' Choice CPT® - PMIC
- ICD-9-CM Easy Coder - Unicor