AAPC Reveals New Compliance Credential

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AAPC, the largest training and credentialing association for the business side of medicine, announced its Certified Professional Compliance Officer (CPCO™) credential. This credential was developed by leading compliance and legal experts. As compliance programs become mandatory to enroll in federal health care programs due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, having a credentialed compliance officer will become critical.

"For medical practices to remain compliant with these increased requirements it will become important to have an individual certified in compliance to help drive the implementation and maintenance of a compliance program," said Jennifer Hume, VP of Auditing & Compliance for AAPC Physician Services. "CPCO™ credentialed professionals have demonstrated the knowledge required to effectively develop, implement and monitor a compliance program."

CPCO™ professionals will have knowledge of:

• OIG Compliance Guidance for Individual and Small Group Physician Practices, Clinical Laboratories and Third Party Billing Companies
• Compliance program effectiveness
• Key health care fraud and abuse laws including the False Claims Act, Stark Laws and Anti-kickback Statute
• PPACA and how it will affect medical practices
• Laws and regulations related to HIPAA, EMTALA and CLIA
• Handling investigations, including self-disclosure protocols
• Requirements under Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs) and Certificate of Compliance Agreements (CCAs)
• Current investigative activities (RACs, ZPICs, MRACs, MFCUs)
• Various risk areas including items such as gifts/gratuities, conflicts of interest, use of Advance Beneficiary Notices, teaching physicians guidelines and incident to services

To learn more about the CPCO™ go to www.aapc.com.

About AAPC

AAPC (www.aapc.com) is the nation's largest training and credentialing association for the business side of medicine, with more than 100,000 members representing physician offices, outpatient facilities and payer environments. AAPC certifications validate the knowledge and expertise of health care professionals in disciplines including medical coding, auditing and compliance. AAPC offers the industry-leading Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) and Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA™) credentials, along with more than 20 specialty-specific coding credentials. AAPC also provides a wide variety of continuing education, resources and networking opportunities.

SOURCE AAPC