A Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC™) has proven by rigorous examination and experience that they know how to read a medical chart and assign the correct diagnosis (ICD-10-CM) codes for a wide variety of clinical cases and services for risk adjustment models (e.g., hierarchical condition categories (HCCs), Chronic Illness & Disability Payment System (CDPS), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) risk adjustment).
The greater the disease burden of the patient, the higher the patient’s risk adjustment score; if the patient is healthy, the risk adjustment score is lower. A patient’s health status reflects the costs of their healthcare needs. CRCs must ensure provider documentation is up-to-par for HCC coding and that disease processes are coded accurately to follow risk adjustment models.
Invest in your future with the CRC credential — certified coders earn 40 percent more than non-credentialed coders.
Because HCC coding for risk adjustment requires medical coders to help providers document thoroughly all chronic disease processes and manifestations in the patient's medical record, CRCs must have a clear understanding of guidelines, regulations, diagnosis coding, and risk adjustment. According to AAPC's 2018 Salary Survey, the average salary for the medical coding professional averages at $51,426. The CRC credential, however, makes $61,295 annually, so it's a great medical coding area to get into. Depending on where you live, your responsibilities, and the place of employment, a CRC's salary will vary. Click here to calculate the average CRC salary in your area.
The CRC examination consists of questions regarding the correct application of ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes used for risk adjustment coding
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 Questions on the CRC test do not require the use of any other outside material.
Individuals with a solid understanding of coding and reimbursement fundamentals, anatomy and terminology should be able to answer each examination question through application of the ICD-10-CM codebook or through careful reasoning and recall.
Approved Exam Manuals
Non-Approved Manuals for Use During Examination
Due to the advantages of additional information and/or ease of use, the following books cannot be used during the exam:
We strongly recommend that the candidate have at least two years of experience in risk adjustment coding or a risk adjustment coding course. Membership is required to be renewed annually and 36 Continuing Education Units (CEU's) must be submitted every two years for verification and authentication of expertise.
Each examination is separate and distinct from one another. To obtain all certifications, each examination must be taken separately and passed. An overall score of 70% or higher is required to pass an exam. For examinees who do not pass, only the areas of study/categories with a score of 65% or less are provided for examinees’ preparation. The areas of study reported reflect scores based on the number of questions in each category/section of the exam; each of the category/section may vary in the number of questions asked. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) submissions are required for all certifications. For CEU requirements please see our CEU Information page.
* Medical Coding Salary