Certification
Why earn an AAHAM certification?
AAHAM certification is an investment in your personal growth and your professional future. For over forty years, AAHAM’s elite certification program has set the standard of excellence in patient financial services and the revenue cycle.
It doesn’t matter whether you are new to the healthcare revenue cycle or are a seasoned veteran, our family of AAHAM certification examinations offer a complete career ladder beginning with the Certified Revenue Cycle Specialist and culminating with the Certified Revenue Cycle Executive. We have a certification that will help advance your career.
Plus the learning doesn’t stop once you have obtained certification. Our certifications are maintained through a continuous education process. This assures you stay abreast of the important changes and updates that continually occur in our rapidly changing healthcare environment.
How does certification benefit an individual?
Earning an AAHAM certification demonstrates a high level of achievement and distinguishes you as a leader and role model in the revenue cycle industry. The certification validates your proficiency and commitment to your profession and can play an integral role in your career strategy. In many instances certification may help you secure the promotion or the job you desire.
Earning certification can help you by:
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Improving your earning potential
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Giving you a competitive advantage with current and prospective employers
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Granting you the recognition you deserve
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Providing access to the positions and promotions you seek and desire
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Building a network of peers in the influential group that shares your certification designation
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Continuing to expand your skills and expertise through continuing education
How does certification benefit an employer?
Earning an AAHAM certification demonstrates an individual’s expertise. It shows they possess the knowledge to meet the industry’s highest standards and the capacity to pass a rigorous certification examination. It shows commitment to their profession and ongoing career development. It also represents professionalism in the individual’s pursuit of excellence to quality of service in their career and the healthcare industry.
By hiring AAHAM certified individuals and investing in AAHAM certification for your staff you can:
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Increase the competency of your staff
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Increase quality and productivity
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Build a strong team
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Promote ongoing education and training
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Reduce exposure to fraud and abuse
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Develop a career ladder for staff
What are AAHAM’s Certifications?
Certified Revenue Cycle Executive (CRCE)
Executive Certification is an extensive online proctored exam directed to all senior and executive leaders within the healthcare revenue cycle industry, to help equip them for strategic management of the business. This certification possesses the highest level of difficulty combining content knowledge of the business with critical thinking and communication skills. AAHAM offers two types of Executive certification; one focused on the revenue cycle within an institutional (hospital, health system) environment and the other focused on the revenue cycle in a professional (physician, clinic) environment. Dual certification is available for those interested in obtaining certification in both specialties.
Certified Revenue Cycle Professional (CRCP)
Professional Certification is an online proctored exam directed to supervisors and managers in the revenue cycle industry, to validate their knowledge and skills. This certification is for the individual who desires confirmation and recognition of their expertise and/or for those who aspire to the executive level certification. AAHAM offers two types of Professional certification; one focused on the revenue cycle within an institutional (hospital, health system) environment and the other focused on the revenue cycle in a professional (physician, clinic) environment. Dual certification is available for those interested in obtaining certification in both specialties.
Certified Revenue Integrity Professional (CRIP)
The Revenue Integrity Professional (CRIP) is an online proctored exam directed to anyone in the revenue cycle industry to help ensure that facilities effectively manage their charge master, and bill and document appropriately for all services rendered to a patient. This certification requires an in-depth, working knowledge of various revenue cycle areas and proper skill sets needed to increase revenue and reimbursement for facilities. It also ensures that proper charging takes place to maintain compliance within the insurance payer programs.
Certified Revenue Cycle Specialist (CRCS)
Specialist certification is an online proctored exam that tests the proficiency of staff involved in the processing of patient accounts and to prepare them for the many details needed to perform their daily job duties. AAHAM offers two types of Specialist Certification; one focused on the revenue cycle within an institutional (hospital, health system) environment, the other focused on the revenue cycle in a professional (physician, clinic) environment. Dual certification is available for those interested in obtaining certification in the institutional and professional specialties.
Certified Compliance Technician (CCT)
Compliance certification is an online proctored exam that thoroughly tests competencies in healthcare compliance for all staff involved in the processing of patient accounts. It is intended to meet the annual employee compliance training requirements and to support individuals with professional compliance responsibilities in both institutional (hospital, health system) and professional (physician, clinic) settings.
Important AAHAM Certification Information
AAHAM will now offer all of our certification exams on a monthly basis, enabling our test takers to have more flexible scheduling options to become certified when the time is right for them. All certification exams will now be offered on the third week of each month.
The certification exams will continue to be delivered either remotely online through ProctorU, or with a local in-person proctor. ProctorU is a live online proctoring service that allows you to take your exam from the comfort of your home or at work. A strong emphasis on proctoring integrity is enforced by Proctor U. The following link goes into more detail on how their system works.
https://www.proctoru.com/services/live-online-proctoring
ProctorU is available 24/7 and test takers can register to take their exam on any date within an AAHAM exam testing period.
If the test taker chooses in-person proctor, Three Rivers AAHAM will work with examinees to assist in making the necessary proctoring arrangements for their exams.
Keep in mind, all exam registrations will need to be submitted at least 30 days prior to the scheduled exam date. There are no changes to the exam registration fees. The 30-day registration deadline now applies to both new exams and section retakes, offering a faster track to becoming certified for those who are ready to take an exam for the first time.
Digital Study Guides
National AAHAM is offering digital versions of all of the AAHAM certification study guides to purchase. This new format has been highly requested, and we are excited to make this format available along with the enhanced features that it provides.
The digital study guides will have the same content of the traditional hard-copy books, with additional flexibility that the digital format offers. Whether you prefer to view the study guide on a tablet, phone, or web browser, we have you covered with this new interactive option.
Here are some of the digital study guide features at-a-glance:
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Flexibility to access and explore content on any device, from anywhere – even when offline
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Content is delivered via a free mobile app which is available in all app stores, as well as any web browser
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Interactive format enables features like taking notes, adding bookmarks and more
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All of your notes and highlights are synced across your devices via cloud storage
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The integrity of content is upheld in the digital format, with advanced security features that prevent authorized sharing or printing of the materials
AAHAM will be making further announcements through email and AAHAM’s social media. If you prefer the traditional hard-copy books, don’t worry, they will still be available to purchase as well.
For more information on certification, links are available at https://aaham.org/page/Certification
