Medical Billing Specialist Staying Certified

Q: Medical Billing Specialist – “I got certification in medical billing specialist CMBS in July 2015. How can I stay certified? I didn’t find a job. Right now I’m volunteering in a hospital and a doctor’s office.”

JoAnne: I would think that that time invested mean wouldn’t that count even if you’re not getting a paycheck, you’re still investing time doing the work?

Laureen: A:  Yeah. You stay certified by CEUs. Once you’re certified you got to get CEUs. They don’t give credit for volunteering, unfortunately. You have to have continuing education units. That being said, there’s lots of ways for low cost and free CEUs to maintain your credential. The CMBS is not an AAPC credential. I believe that’s the one from AMBA (American Medical Billing Association).

Chandra: Can I chime in?

Laureen: Yes, please.

Chandra: This was actually a credential I was not familiar with, so I have their website pulled up. They require 12 continuing education units per calendar year and it can be successfully accomplished by completing one MAB (Medical Association of Billers) on-line class, one Power Weekend, or by taking an approved vendor class. Students must be a current member of the Medical Association of Billers and complete their CEUs.

Medical Billing Specialist Staying Certified – Video

Alicia: It’s not AMBA?

Chandra: No, it’s the Medical Association of Billers out of Las Vegas. It’s where this is through. If the CEUs are not pre-approved they will receive 50%, or a four-hour class would be a two-hour CEU. If you just put, I just put in CMBS. I’ll put the link to what I found right over here in the chat so that everybody has it, but they outlined at the very bottom of it, has state certified and explained what their CEU policy is and how to find a pre-approved CEUs.

Alicia: The AAPC has a billing certification and Laureen and I spoke last year in Las Vegas at AMBA’s conference and they’re a huge billing organization as well that has credentials, so this particular one I wasn’t familiar with. There you go. 

JoAnne: The AAPC or CCO doesn’t count, you have to go through their organization. 

Alicia: Yeah, you have to go through their organization, it looks like.

Chandra: The best I can tell it doesn’t look like they may allow for some after the fact requests but they only give you 50% credit. 

Alicia: A good thing to say about this is, whoever you get your credentialing with, whether it be the AAPC, AHIMA, or a billing association organization like that, you need to do what Chandra showed us how to do is, go in, look at their website, and find out what is required of you to maintain that credential because there’s nothing worse than let them lapse. I did that with my real estate credential all those years ago, never went back…

Related Medical Billing Specialist Posts:

• Is Medical Billing and Coding a Good Career Choice? – CCO Advice – Video
• Medical Billing and Coding Career — 5 Ways to Stay Current
• What Does A Medical Biller Do? — Medical Billing FAQs