runbikeharley
Networker
how do you fight the rising cost of membership dues? It keeps going up, why?
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Membership dues.
- Thread starter runbikeharley
- Start date
Very good question - I am not getting more service - additional support - association with leading force in the industry - I sure would like to know why I am paying more and getting less
I am very unhappy with the increase. I feel that if the dues are increasing we should be getting something more out of AAPC. 6 free webinars a year?? More resources dedicated to our chapter? Like a zoom subscription so we can have virtual meetings in this time of COVID. SOMETHING! The discounts on AAPC classes and tests are not offsetting enough to validate the fees we pay.
runbikeharley
Networker
Yes I made the mistake of going to the wrong college and joining AAPC. As the old saying goes "If I only knew then what I know now" I would've gone with AHIMA all the way. AAPC is a profit organization, while AHIMA is a nonprofit organization, which is why AHIMAs dues don't go up every year.
Do you not need your certification for your job? Your dues are tax deductible, by the way.
Nurses, physicians, therapists--virtually all licensed or certified professionals must pay for their annual memberships and mandated CEUs. In many cases, this is covered by your employer, particularly if it's a job requirement, and if there are a number of coders in your organization, you may be able to get a corporate policy. Is this an option for you? And actually, finding a job without a certification is nearly impossible....so it's important to retain your certification. Nothing in life is free---you must pick and choose what you feel is valuable to you.
Regarding AHIMA---I am a member, but their content and education is nowhere near what is available through AAPC.
Chapter meetings (with CEUs) are free in most every city that has a chapter, and many hold workshops and conferences that are such a good value. No other organization provides that sort of networking flexibilty. This forum is extremely busy and has far more content than AHIMA. There are many tools available on this website--bell curve data, payer policies, a job board and discounts on goods and services like travel, retail and restaurants. The HBM magazine (free, with your subscription) is far more helpful to me than the AHIMA journal.
Just in comparison---Annual dues for other healthcare business/licensing organizations (AAPC is $180.00):
MGMA $399.00
HFMA $445.00
AHIMA $199.00
AMA (regular practice) $420.00
ANA $191.00
HIMSS $199.00
NAMAS (platinum, comparable to standard AAPC) $259.00
AAHAM $209.00
APTA $380.00
NHA $352.50-577.50, depending on number of certifications.
Nurses, physicians, therapists--virtually all licensed or certified professionals must pay for their annual memberships and mandated CEUs. In many cases, this is covered by your employer, particularly if it's a job requirement, and if there are a number of coders in your organization, you may be able to get a corporate policy. Is this an option for you? And actually, finding a job without a certification is nearly impossible....so it's important to retain your certification. Nothing in life is free---you must pick and choose what you feel is valuable to you.
Regarding AHIMA---I am a member, but their content and education is nowhere near what is available through AAPC.
Chapter meetings (with CEUs) are free in most every city that has a chapter, and many hold workshops and conferences that are such a good value. No other organization provides that sort of networking flexibilty. This forum is extremely busy and has far more content than AHIMA. There are many tools available on this website--bell curve data, payer policies, a job board and discounts on goods and services like travel, retail and restaurants. The HBM magazine (free, with your subscription) is far more helpful to me than the AHIMA journal.
Just in comparison---Annual dues for other healthcare business/licensing organizations (AAPC is $180.00):
MGMA $399.00
HFMA $445.00
AHIMA $199.00
AMA (regular practice) $420.00
ANA $191.00
HIMSS $199.00
NAMAS (platinum, comparable to standard AAPC) $259.00
AAHAM $209.00
APTA $380.00
NHA $352.50-577.50, depending on number of certifications.
wlf78911
Contributor
Better to keep the annual cost down if AAPC's primary goal is to help the members in this field and not finance burden.
mtzgaynor@aol.com
Guest
Is there a discount code for membership fees
mtzgaynor@aol.com
Guest
I think it should be $55
You can still join AHIMA if you wish. Many coders belong to both professional groups. I am a member of both AHIMA and AAPC.
Also, there is a recertification fee paid on a biennial basis to AHIMA. If you're only looking at the dues for AHIMA, you're not looking at the whole picture of the cost of AHIMA membership.
Not that I'm aware of. If you need financial assistance due to circumstances that have made it challenging to continue to be a member, you are always welcome to apply to the Hardship Scholarship Fund.
itsjussms
New
the rising cost of membership is insane. Everything with AAPC is money motivated and i get it however why not offer a discount at least to members who have been part of the organization for over 10 years. You all TAKE TAKE TAKE a give NOTHING! $190.00 plus the cost of CEU.. And @ true blue you sound like a very well paid AAPC spokesperson .. 
the rising cost of membership is insane. Everything with AAPC is money motivated and i get it however why not offer a discount at least to members who have been part of the organization for over 10 years. You all TAKE TAKE TAKE a give NOTHING! $190.00 plus the cost of CEU.. And @ true blue you sound like a very well paid AAPC spokesperson ..
You do not have to pay for CEUs - there are more than enough free options out there. I usually end up with 100-150 each cycle, and I don't pay for any of them.
If you're not familiar with some of the member resources available, I would strongly suggest attending a chapter meeting in October. Many chapters have scheduled presentations that month on "Getting The Most Out of Your AAPC Membership" that month. If your own chapter having a different topic that month, you can join another chapter's virtual meeting.
You'll get some free CEUs and also learn about benefits available to members that you might not even realize. For example, the Mentoring program, the free coding & billing tools available, and other resources that you might not be aware of.
I know you were probably just being hyperbolic, of course, but I should point out that officer positions are all volunteer. No one is being compensated financially.
I've done years of volunteer work for AAPC. No paychecks have come my way from this organization, as you wrongly have assumed.the rising cost of membership is insane. Everything with AAPC is money motivated and i get it however why not offer a discount at least to members who have been part of the organization for over 10 years. You all TAKE TAKE TAKE a give NOTHING! $190.00 plus the cost of CEU.. And @ true blue you sound like a very well paid AAPC spokesperson ..
However, my association with AAPC (BOD, NAB, Education Committee, Local Chapter officer) has provided me with networking opportunities that have significantly advanced my career. So yes, I am well paid, but by my employer who understands the value of all I have learned through my AAPC connections. And they pay my membership because they recognize its value.
MATHIS
New
In my case it is included in the Federal standard deduction, so I do not get any breaks there
OK, I know I am late to the game here, but this is still valid. since 2021 dues went from 180 to 190 to 205. we still have to pay for books. they still charge for subscriptions, and to top it off - now they make us pay for "separate/ individualized" specialty certifications. When it used to be just CPC standard, it isn't like they cover the costs of regional or local meetings (most times). We still have to shout out money for that too. Since I started, fees used to be (300/350) for the testing and then (55/75) for the annual dues. other than changing code sets and adding different rules (which we mostly get from accumulative places, not just AAPC ), my learning basis is still the same. I am able to get free CEUs, I am able to research things. If I want to use an encoder from AAPC, I even have to pay to do that. I am really confused on what the extra money they are charging for goes to. Inflation at its finest and what is more messed up is, 1. we are doing it to our own people. and 2. if we don't renew our certifications, we cannot work. Companies do not hire anymore without the certification. No matter how many years of experience you have. I find all of this a needless rat race where we have to pay more and more and do the same thing over and over.
On another side note, I feel like ALWAYS having to take a coding test to get a job, when you have been working as a coder, are still working as a coder currently without issues, is a problem and very needless. Every facility has different processes and procedures. So no matter how you do on a coding test (I have personally corrected several coding tests while I was taking them), you will still have to learn the new practice or facilities functions. I could understand if you have not coded anything in 6 months or more or had a bad review, or gotten fired from a previous employer. but someone who has a clean, long-standing record, should not have to prove themselves every time they apply for a new or extra job. The length of testing is exhausting and adds time to an already time-consuming process of applying.
On another side note, I feel like ALWAYS having to take a coding test to get a job, when you have been working as a coder, are still working as a coder currently without issues, is a problem and very needless. Every facility has different processes and procedures. So no matter how you do on a coding test (I have personally corrected several coding tests while I was taking them), you will still have to learn the new practice or facilities functions. I could understand if you have not coded anything in 6 months or more or had a bad review, or gotten fired from a previous employer. but someone who has a clean, long-standing record, should not have to prove themselves every time they apply for a new or extra job. The length of testing is exhausting and adds time to an already time-consuming process of applying.
LisaAlonso23
True Blue
Pre-employment coding tests are a necessity. Many employed coders are not periodically audited, and it shows in the posts on Facebook and in this forum. Many employed coders have consequently developed habits that have lead to their coding being non-compliant or just incorrect without their knowledge due to never being audited. The number of responses to posts regarding denials that instruct coders to change or add diagnoses that are not documented to get claims paid is mind-blowing. They're literally telling other coders to commit fraud. I have experienced this firsthand as a patient with my encounters being improperly coded/billed. That said, the only way a potential employer can see that an interviewee codes correctly is through an exam.