Well folks… it depends.

Or said another way- what’s the difference between the two?

Watch the video…

PS: Think about where you want to be working after your certification before you start watching the video…

From the July 2011 webinar:

.http://www.codingcertification.org/1/julywebinar-cco

Crash courses for the CPC® certification program take the candidate on a brisk tour of the entire syllabus along with key points highlighted which would help the candidate in giving importance to those areas of study which are most relevant to the examination. This would be of paramount importance to the candidate as during the final days preceding an examination, there is not enough time to go on and study the entire thing from the beginning as the candidate could unknowingly be wasting time on topics which are of very little importance. Thus he or she would be giving much lesser time to those topics which are in reality very important.

Along with that crash courses help you in understanding the outline and composition of the examination which helps you in becoming more familiar with the exam and this may help you to solve questions in the examination that you are not sure about. Also, if you are lacking in a specific area of study, such as coding concepts, the crash course may provide you with pointers that make your concepts clear. As the crash course material compliments your existing experience and study material instead of replacing it, there is no real opportunity cost of using the material as it will only provide you with an additional source of information. As this information does not contain any excess, you will also not be wasting your time.
Crash course material often includes video disks that illustrate each process of medical coding accurately and this visual representation of processes makes learning a lot easier, especially if you have limited time and are not finding it easy to memorize the extensive notes that you have compiled. Also, some crash course material includes interactive computer programs which help you to put your coding skills to the test and this would help you to save a lot of time. Along with that this practical application of the theory of medical coding could mean that the mistakes you make may become more evident to you and thus you would remember them. Thus when an MCQ arrives in the CPC® certification exam about the topic where you made an error in the practice program, you would have a higher chance of remembering the correct answer.

Coding Certification Value Increasing

In recent years, the field of medical coding has expanded at an exponential rate. This is because as process automation has increased within almost all organizations, manual entry of medical records and information has proved to be a comparatively very slow and time consuming process. Also, computer algorithms cannot understand basic words and their applications such as differences between two different types of surgeries or the meaning of surgery itself. Thus if a unique code is attached to each different type of surgery, the computer can instantly recognize the exact surgical procedure that was followed and can streamline the process that compliments the procedure.

Coding certification has found extensive use within the medical insurance field. As nowadays more and more people are getting health insurance due to a number of reasons ranging from increased awareness to higher medical costs, the work burden on these insurance companies is increasing. Thus it would be time consuming to explain in words exactly what disease a patient had and what diagnostic procedure was followed and thus a consumer claim would take an extensive amount of time to settle. However if the process underwent medical coding and each procedure was allotted a separate code which was able to be worked on by computers, the process of billing and reimbursing the outstanding amount to clients would become much more easier.

Thus insurance companies have invested heavily over the years in installing coding systems into their workplaces and naturally they also require coders to run the processes. Larger corporations often hire more people with coding certification than those who are not certified as they cannot be entirely trusted to take care of important processes with maximum efficiency. Thus the demand of people with coding certification has also increased which has indirectly led to an increase in the demand of coding certification in general. And as in recent times the demand for certified coders has increased by a much larger factor than the supply, wage rates have tended to increase significantly across the entire industry.

Coding certification has also increased in importance in recent times because of the changes in the examination system which recently removed the three section structure and set a passing percentage of 70%. Along with that the questions are being tailored more and more towards practical assessment of the topics instead of theoretical knowledge. This means that those people who were previously able to clear the test mainly due to their performance in theory examinations and did not know so much about practical application of topics are now at a severe disadvantage. Thus the percentage of people passing the examination easily has fallen which has also led to the increase in value of the examination.

Medical Coding Certification Exam (CPC® Exam) Time Management Tips

I’ve been teaching medical coding and preparing students for coding certification since 1999. Many coding certification prospects that have come to my review class have said they took a medical coding course, attended a coding certification boot camp etc. and still did not pass the CPC® exam. For those students it is no longer a matter of studying – it is about how they take the test.

For the CPC® exam (Certified Professional Coder) sponsored by the AAPC (AAPC) you will have to pass a 150 question exam in 5 hours 40 minutes.. The CPC® exam is pass/fail – not about getting an A. Therefore you need to make sure you go through the CPC®® exam several times so you can answer the easier questions quickly and leave the more difficult ones for last.

Coding Certification (CPC® Exam) Time Management Strategy

Coding Certification Exam Method 1: Multiple Passes

Answering an easy peasy medical terminology question carries as much weight as a time consuming surgical question. Your goal with this method is to go through the exam three times.  The first time you answer all of the easy questions first, the second time you focus on the medium difficulty ones and the third time you answer the difficult ones.

Coding Certification Exam Method 2: One Dot – Two Dot Rating

As you go through your CPC® exam booklet rate questions you’ve started to answer but decided to leave for later. In the margin of your exam grid put two dots if you feel it is a very hard, time consuming question, and one dot for a medium difficulty one. Don’t over think it – just go by your gut feeling.  Now when it’s time for your second pass you just focus on the one dots – you don’t have to reassess the questions.  And on the third pass – you guessed it – you are going to focus on the two dot questions.

Coding Certification Exam Method 3: Final Pass

Don’t leave any CPC® exam questions unanswered. Use the last minutes to guess at an answer on any unanswered questions. You have a 25% chance of getting it right without even looking at the question. Of course if you’ve looked at the question and thrown out an answer or two indicate that on your answer grid so now you may have a 50/50 chance of getting the answer right.

Alternative Coding Certification Time Management Strategy:

One Hour Per Column Timing

When you open your CPC® exam you’ll find an answer grid with five columns containing 30 questions each. Allow yourself an hour for each column to keep yourself moving along.  That will leave some time left over to review.  You can ask the proctor to announce as each hour elapses. So when hour one is over and the announcement is made you finish the question you are on and move to the next column – so question 31. Yes you may have some unanswered questions in column one – that is ok – you will go back. The idea is to keep yourself moving.

If you mentally rehearse these CPC® exam time management strategies, you will surely improve your chances of achieving coding certification.

coding-certification

Q: I want to be a CPC® – where do I start?

A: The first thing you want to do is obtain a copy of the exam application packet from the AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) available at http://www.aapc.com or by calling 800-626-CODE. This four page form will explain exactly what is covered on the exam, how to apply and what you need to submit. Keep in mind the AAPC requires 6 weeks to process your application. Therefore an exam date of September 18th will require your exam application to be received no later than August 6th.

Q: What is the difference between the CPC® and CPC®-H credential?

A: Because there are distinct differences in CPT® coding for physician services vs. outpatient facility services, AAPC has two accreditation exams to meet this need. The CPC® for physician coding and the CPC®-H for facility coding (outpatient hospital).

Q: What is covered on the CPC® exam?

A: The CPC® exam covers medical terminology, anatomy, CPT Coding Guidelines, Use of Modifiers, ICD-9-CM (Vol. 1 & 2) Diagnostic Coding, E&M Coding, Anesthesia Coding, Surgical Coding and HCPCS Level II coding.

Q: What is the format of the CPC® Exam?

A: There are 150 multiple choice or true/false questions as follows:

Evaluation & Management (12)
Anesthesia (6)
Radiology 70,000 series (9)
Pathology 80,000 series (10)
Medicine 90,000 series (10)
Medical Terminology (13)
Anatomy (9)
ICD-9-CM (11)
HCPCS (5)
Coding Concepts (5)
10,000 series (9)
20,000 series (10)
30,000 series (10)
40,000 series (10)
50,000 series (11)
60,000 series (10).

Q: How is the exam scored?

A: The exam used to be scored in three sections but that is no longer the case. You need to get a 70% or higher to pass.

Q: Is the exam open book?

A: Yes you will use your CPT, ICD-9-CM and HCPCS manuals for the current year or the year you applied for. You are not allowed to use a medical dictionary. You can use any version of ICD-9-CM or HCPCS but you can’t use the expert version of CPT. Review application instructions carefully.

Q: I heard that only people with experience can take the exam, is that true?

A: The CPC® credential indicates you passed the exam AND have met the experience requirements. If you don’t meet the experience requirement you can apply for the apprentice credential (CPC®-A). You will take the same exam but will be awarded the CPC®-A credential. When the required medical coding field experience is met, you can submit documentation and receive your official AAPC CPC® designation.

Q: How much experience is required?

A: Two years experience is required for the CPC® designation. One year is waived if you have taken an 80 hour coding course and six months is waived if you have taken a 40 hour course. If you do not meet this experience apply for the “CPC® Apprentice” designation.

Q: Where can I take the CPC® exam?

A: The exam is offered annually at the national AAPC conference and quarterly at local chapters throughout the US. The best way to locate an exam in your area is to go to the AAPC web site (www.aapc.com) and use their “exam finder” feature. Once you find an exam date and location make a note of the exam index number and proctor information to put on your application. It is a good idea to contact the proctor to make sure there is room available.

Q: How do I apply for the exam?

At least eight weeks prior to your desired exam date mail in your completed exam application form, letters of reference (not needed if applying for apprentice designation) and exam application fee ($285). You should also be a member of the AAPC and it is a good idea to apply for membership before applying for the exam so you are established in their system.

Q: Do I have to take a course before taking the exam?

A: No, the AAPC does not require that you take a course in order to sit for the exam. However if your experience is limited to only one or two specialties it is recommend you take a course or at the very least attend a review class.

The AAPC has several educational products to help your prepare. They have an independent study program (ISP), the Professional Medical Coding Curriculum (PMCC) which is a classroom course offered by approved curriculum sites, and a study guide. Also many local chapters offer review classes.

Other education sources to consider are local colleges and vocational schools. Make sure they are advanced courses designed to prepare you for the board exam. Check their syllabus against what topics are covered on the board exam.

Q: Besides taking a course how can I prepare for the exam?

A: A lot of preparing depends on what you already know. Multispecialty surgery coders seem to have the broadest base of experience and do well on the exam because there are 60 out of 150 questions on surgery. Many are not so fortunate and spend time studying each surgery sub-section along with the medical terminology related to that sub-section.

Know your surgical suffixes like -otomy, -ectomy, -ostomy etc. like the back of your hand. This will help you read surgical scenarios accurately. If you’re weak in medical terminology purchase a medical terminology text book and consider making flash cards. You are not allowed to use a medical dictionary during the exam so it is very important you know your medical terminology.

I highly recommend using the professional version of CPT, study each of the guideline sections thoroughly and ask yourself what are 10 key things I could be tested on. When you’re in the guidelines you’ll see where they note additional guidelines that are found within the section instead of at the front. Go to those and make sure you understand the principles there.

Mark up your CPT books by highlighting key words especially in the guidelines area. You are allowed to make brief (one to three word) notes in the margin by your codes. Usually underlining a key word in a code is all that is needed to make it stand out compared to a neighboring code. Group families of codes together and underline or highlight the key word or phrase that makes that group different from the other groups in the same category.