Certified ENT Coder (CENTC™) Credential
The Certified ENT Coder exam was developed by a team of leading ENT coders in conjunction with the American Academy Otolaryngology - Head
and Neck Surgery and the Association of Otolaryngology Administrators (AOA).
Those coders with sufficient experience and expertise in ENT coding are encouraged to sit for the CENTC™ exam.
The CENTC™ 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 otolaryngologists such as laryngoscopies, nasopharyngoscopies, sinus surgeries, etc.
- Medical terminology
- Anatomy and physiology
Locate/Schedule an Exam
Prepare for Exam
Specialty Exams
- 150 multiple choice questions (proctored)
- 5 hours and 40 minutes to finish the exam
- 1 free retake to be used within one year of first attempt
- $245.00
- Open code book (manuals)
Reviewed by a Otolaryngology Steering Committee:
- Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CENTC, CHCC
- Candice Ruffing, CPC, CENTC
- Jean Acevedo, LHRM, CPC, CHC, CENTC
- Linda Kidd, CPC, CENTC
- Maryann C. Palmeter, CPC, CENTC
- Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPC-I, CENTC, CGSC, COBGC, CPEDC, CPMA
- Danielle DeMaio-DeAngelis, CPC, CENTC
- Stephanie Jones, CPC, CEMC
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
Recognition
Examinees that pass a Specialty certification examination will receive recognition in the Cutting Edge within three months of their examination date and will receive
a diploma suitable for framing.
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:
Optional References:
- One reference of your choice
Note:
Electronic devices with an on/off switch (cell phones, smart phones, tablets, etc.) are not allowed into the examination room. Failure to comply with this policy may result in
disqualification of your exam.
Any officially published errata for these manuals may also be used. No other manuals are allowed. Each code set is updated annually; it is
essential that examinees use the current calendar year's coding manuals when taking the certification 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