Certified Hematology and Oncology Coder (CHONC™) Credential
The Certified Hematology and Oncology Coder exam was developed by a team of leading hematology and oncology coding professionals. Those coders with sufficient experience and expertise
in hematology and oncology coding are encouraged to sit for the CHONC™ exam.
The CHONC™ 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, Local Coverage Determinations (LCD), National
Coverage Determinations (NCD) and global surgery
- Coding of surgical procedures performed by hematologists and oncologists and auxiliary staff such as chemotherapy administration, hydration services, therapeutic, prophylactic and
diagnostic administration, bone marrow aspiration, bone marrow biopsies, venipuncture, vaccinations, therapeutic phlebotomy, 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 Hematology and Oncology Steering Committee:
- Kristi Bartkowiak, CPC, CHONC
- Cindy Sidoti, CPC, CPC-I, CHONC
- Robyn Christie, CPC, CHONC
- Annalynn Hall, CPC, CHONC
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