The American College of Rheumatology, in conjunction with the American Academy of Professional Coders have partnered to offer ACR and ARHP members and their staff the new Certified Rheumatology Coder Exam.
The CRHC™ is designed to provide a higher knowledge of coding and billing compliance for physicians, fellows, practice managers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and coders/billers in rheumatology practices. The course will allow applicants to be educated on CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS codes as well as offer an understanding of how to properly bill to the highest level of specificity for procedures performed in rheumatology practices.
Coders with sufficient experience and expertise in rheumatology coding are encouraged to prepare to sit for the CRHC™ exam.
CRHC examinees will be tested on:
Reading and abstracting physician office and procedure notes to apply correct ICD-9-CM, CPT®, HCPCS Level II, and modifier coding assignments
Evaluation and management (both the 1995 and 1997 Documentation Guidelines)
Rules and regulations of Medicare billing including—but not limited to—incident to, teaching situations, shared visits, consultations, and global surgery
Coding of surgical procedures commonly performed by rheumatologists, such as trigger point injections, joint injections, etc.
Medical terminology
Anatomy and physiology
Purpose of Credentialing
The purpose of the CRHC credentialing program is to:
Evaluate the level of knowledge demonstrated by rheumatology coders in a valid and reliable manner
Encourage professional growth in the field of rheumatology coding
Formally recognize individuals who meet the requirements set by the ACR and AAPC
Benefits of Credentialing
The rheumatology coding certification will help individuals work more effectively with clinicians and payors. Moreover, certified coders:
Are more highly compensated
Receive greater advancement opportunities
Additionally, health care providers are increasingly requiring coding certification as a condition for employment.
