I'm wondering if anyone has done the AAPC practicode? It counts towards a year of experience for removing the A on your CPC-A and there is a version that will get you CEUs. It's expensive, but if it provides the CEUs, I'm thinking that it might be worth it. Any thoughts or experiences with it?
Hi Michelle,
I've been wondering the same thing! I even called AAPC to find out if completing Practicode (one year) can be combined with graduation (one year) to get the dreaded "A" removed from the CPC-A. They said yes! Still, like you said, it's expensive and appears very time consuming. However, regarding getting that "A" removed, I'm thinking that once we obtain the CCS it will be less of an issue as far as employment is concerned. The CCS doesn't have that apprentice status. :)
For CEUs that are inexpensive I've heard we can watch hour long videos and take a short test at the end. Apparently it is $19.99 for a one month membership (that you have to remember to cancel after the month is up!) and we can earn all the CEUs needed. I believe each video is worth 1.5 CEUs and there are many of them to watch on demand. I haven't done it myself (yet) so I might be slightly off on the details. Here is the website: www.cco.us
Thank you for starting this discussion, I hope we get some feedback!
Heidi
The dreaded "A"! Exactly. But, I think you have a good point regarding the CCS. The other thing is that I'm trying to put a lot of effort into Module IV. I have only have so much time in the day. Thanks for the CEU info. I'm definitely going to look into that.
You can also earn quite a few free CEUs from the www.cms.gov site. I called AAPC and these are accepted. It is called Web-Based Training, which are videos, I believe, that are watched for 1 hour, more or less, earning 0.5 to 1.5 CEUs. I think there is a test at the end that you have to pass to get credit. Here is the link below:
https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/WebBasedTraining.html
Good to know....thanks ladies! Free is always good =)
Thanks Ladies, I love these forums! :)
Remember that one year is removed because of your training here with Andrews. Also keep in mind that the 'A' has not kept our students and graduates from getting jobs, some before they even got their CPC-A and many before they even graduated. The key is having more to offer than many people who get the CPC but were only taught how to pass a multiple-choice exam, which the CPC is. They don't know how to code unless they are given 3 codes to choose from. They can't code from scratch. So you see them all over social media talking about the fact that they can't get a job, when our graduates do get jobs. Why? They know how to code. YOU know how to code. YOU can pass employment coding tests that use coding scenarios, not just multiple choice. :)
That 'A' won't hurt you.
Linda, you are my favorite cheerleader. Thanks for all you do to pump us up when we are feeling a little deflated =D