Practice Management Alert

Reader Questions:

Figure Out Meanings of These Professional Certification Acronyms

Question: What do the various credentials surrounding billing/coding/ practice management stand for, anyway?

Iowa Subscriber

Answer: The following acronyms are certifications you may be familiar with but not know what they actually mean. These are all offered by AAPC:

  • CPC®: Certified Professional Coder®
  • COC™ (formerly CPC-H): Certified Outpatient Coder™
  • CIC: Certified Inpatient Coder
  • CPC-P®: Certified Professional Coder-Payer®
  • CPB™: Certified Professional Biller™
  • CRC: Certified Risk Adjustment Coder
  • CPMA®: Certified Professional Medical Auditor®
  • CPCO™: Certified Professional Compliance Officer™
  • CPPM®: Certified Physician Practice Manager®
  • CDEO: Certified Documentation Expert-Outpatient

Note: “CPMA®, CPCO™, CPPM®, CRC, CIC, CPB and specialty credentials are standalone certifications with no requirement to hold a CPC®, COC™ (formerly CPC-H®), or CPC-P® credential,” AAPC says.