Wiki Removing Apprentice question

[Tiffanyw07]

Questions regarding the Apprentice status. I have recently passed the exam for CPC. I took the 80 hr course . Wondering if I worked for a company for 10 months as a coder/ biller. And currently working as a coder for the past 3 months. Can I have both employers fill out the letter and this will equal my 1 year of previous experience. Thanks!

 

[Victoria323]

call aapc and just ask them to double check- but i did practicode and that was the least complicated way to remove- but before you ask your employers, I would definitely make a call to aapc or maybe even chat them, they are very helpful.

 

[wisibyusha]

call aapc and just ask them to double check- but i did practicode and that was the least complicated way to remove- but before you ask your employers, I would definitely make a call to aapc or maybe even chat them, they are very helpful.

 

[wisibyusha]

Hi Victoria, can you please give me some advice about the practicode? I read some reviews and they were discouraging.
Thanks

 

[sls314]

Questions regarding the Apprentice status. I have recently passed the exam for CPC. I took the 80 hr course . Wondering if I worked for a company for 10 months as a coder/ biller. And currently working as a coder for the past 3 months. Can I have both employers fill out the letter and this will equal my 1 year of previous experience. Thanks!

Experience can be from more than one employer - they will each need to submit a separate verification.

Per the apprentice removal section of the AAPC website ( https://www.aapc.com/apprentice/applied-experience.aspx ):

* Employers can only verify time spent coding with their organization. Proof of experience letters may be from previous employers, current employers, or a combination of both.

Since you already have the work experience, it shouldn't be necessary for you to purchase Practicode to get your apprentice credential removed. Of course, anyone can purchase it for extra practice if they wish, but I think it typically tends to be used by newer coders without work experience.

(I completed Practicode to remove my apprentice status, but my employer at the time purchased it for me.)

 

[sls314]

Hi Victoria, can you please give me some advice about the practicode? I read some reviews and they were discouraging.
Thanks

I have completed Practicode. What would you like to know?

In general, I would say that it is not exactly like real world work experience. However, it is additional practice and feedback which can be useful for someone who hasn't worked as a coder yet. And, of course, it's a way for someone who doesn't have work experience to remove the apprentice credential.

If you have any more specific questions, I'd be happy to answer.

 

[wisibyusha]

Thanks

 

[Victoria323]

Thanks

Hi- sorry just saw this, what discouraging reviews did you read about? Everyone is different, so if you don't need to do it for the removal, then maybe you don't need to and you can save yourself some time and money.

 

[sfarheen24]

I have CPC-A certificate since july 2019 and I am not able to find a job without experience. Does completion of practicode help in any way seeking employment? I mean what do you show on your resume?

 

[sls314]

I have CPC-A certificate since july 2019 and I am not able to find a job without experience. Does completion of practicode help in any way seeking employment? I mean what do you show on your resume?

I personally have it on my LinkedIn profile under education/training.

It was useful to me for removing my apprentice designation. Some employers won't even consider a CPC-A. (Which is unfortunate, IMO, but that's a whole other discussion.)

I didn't find that employers consider it as actual employment experience, but being a CPC vs a CPC-A can increase the chances that an online application will be passed on to a hiring manager.

 

[sfarheen24]

I am still very confused if at all I should purchase the practicode or wait to get hired anywhere. I don’t want to spend more money. Is it so difficult to find a job in this field??

 

[ndeese1]

I recently passed my exam in December 2019 and purchased Practicode. Will Practicode removed the "A" off of the CPC-A or you need Practicode and 1 year worth of experience ? Thank you for your time.

 

[koppiej@erudite-solutions.com]

Hello,

You need 2 year's of experience to remove the "A". Completing Practicode gives 1 year of experience. Completing the AAPC CPC online course itself gives one year of experience. Other than those two avenues, one must obtain actual coding experience at a healthcare setting to remove the "A".

In my case, I took the CPC online course (1 year 'experience'). I was fortunate to have a coding job at the time. So, when I completed one year of coding experience, I had my manager fill out a form (provided by AAPC) and had it sent to AAPC and POOF . . . my "A" was removed.

I got the coding job by first volunteering in the medical records department for almost 2 years (part time on weekends). That led to a per diem job as a medical scanner (another year). I passed the RHIT, CCA, and then the CPC in order to 'qualify' for the coding position (outpatient coder). It is a long road but seems to be the only way to enter the field unless you have extremely good contacts.

Good Luck!

Peace,
Junior

 

[Tiffanyw07]

I recently passed my exam in December 2019 and purchased Practicode. Will Practicode removed the "A" off of the CPC-A or you need Practicode and 1 year worth of experience ? Thank you for your time.

Yes you need to complete the Practicode & have 1 full year of experience.

 

[ndeese1]

Thank you all for the clarification! I also wanted to know if HEDIS and Core Measures were considered coding experience? I have been an abstractor for both of these types of positions.