AHIMA vs AAPC: Difference and Comparison

Medical coders help medical facilities of all sizes keep track of their patientโ€™s information andย submitย claims for payment. Medical coders canย operateย in a wide range of locations, including hospitals, clinics, and corporate offices.

Itโ€™sย aย responsible job, and employers are hesitant to recruit inexperienced coders unless they can show thatย theyโ€™veย done their homework.

One method to do this is through professional certificates. The AHIMA and AAPC are the two most well-known certificationย organizations.ย 

Key Takeaways

  1. AHIMA focuses on broader healthcare management, while AAPC concentrates on medical coding and billing.
  2. AHIMA credentials suit health information management professionals; AAPC certifications target medical coders and billers.
  3. AHIMA membership offers extensive networking opportunities, and AAPC membership provides job search assistance and exclusive discounts.

AHIMA vs AAPCย 

The difference betweenย AHIMA and AAPC is that AHIMA is moreย popularย for their Certified Coding Specialistย course,ย whereasย AAPC is more popular for its Certified Professional Coder course.ย AHIMA was founded in 1928, and AAPC was founded in 1988, making AHIMA an older and more established organization.

/10

Science Quiz

Test your knowledge about topics related to science

1 / 10

A bond that occurs between metals and nonmetals is called a/an _______________.

2 / 10

The 'photo' in photosynthesis means to do with...

3 / 10

Which device is used for measuring air pressure?

4 / 10

Which of the gas is not known as green house gas?

5 / 10

Acid turns blue litmus paper into which color?

6 / 10

An atom is considered to be ____________ when the number of protons and electrons are equal.

7 / 10

Balloons are filled with

8 / 10

What is the fuel in the Sun?

9 / 10

Soda water contains

10 / 10

Which of the following compound is mainly used in hand sanitizer?

Your score is

0%

AHIMA vs AAPC

The American Health Information Association is abbreviated as AHIMA. They have about a half-dozen qualifications, most focusing on coding and health information management.

Certified Coding Specialist is the most common AHIMA accreditation (CCS).ย They were founded in 1928, and their main emphasis is on inpatient facilities.

The American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) is a professional codingย organization. They provide over a dozen medical coding certifications for hospitals and specialities.

Medical billing, auditing, documentation, compliance, andย practiceย management certificates are also available. Certified Professional Coder is the most popular AAPC credential (CPC).ย 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparisonย AHIMAย AAPCย 
Full-Formย American Health Information Management Associationย American Academy of Professional Codersย 
Types ofย Certificationsย Medical coding, health care privacy and security, health information management, etc.ย Compliance,ย coding, auditing, etc.ย 
Well-Known forย Inpatient facilitiesย Outpatient facilities.ย 
Preferred Career Advancementย Administrationย Medicalย specialty.ย 
Founded inย 1928ย 1988ย 
Most Popular Credentialย Certified Coding Specialistย Certified Professional Coderย 

What isย AHIMA?ย 

The American College of Surgeons founded AHIMA in 1928. It stands for American Health Information Management Association.

It was known as the Association of Record Librarians of North America back then.ย Its goal was to improve patient care by establishing clear medical record-keeping guidelines.ย 

The American Health Information Management Association nowย alsoย offers certification tests for medical coders and health information managers.

The Certified Coding Associate, or CCA, is the foundational certificate for newย codersย who have completed a trainingย programย or spent at least six months coding.ย 

A combination of the CCA or another organizationโ€™s credentials and one year of professional coding is required for the Certified Coding Specialist certification.ย 

AHIMA also offers another fairly popular course known as the Certified Coding Specialist-Physician-based (CCS-P) certification, which is a highly sought-after credential.

A medical coder who has earned this certification has demonstrated a mastery-level understanding of outpatient coding, allowing them to operate in a range of settings such as speciality clinics, doctorsโ€™ offices, and hospitals,

This medical information association is made up of various organizations, including a House of Delegates and its various subsidiaries.

Each of these organizations is led by the AHIMA Board of Directors, which is made up of 13 members who are elected each year by AHIMA members.

What isย AAPC?ย 

The American Association of Professional Coders was founded in 1988 with the goal of certifying and credentialing coders who work in doctorsโ€™ offices.

It has now expanded its qualifications to include certificates in hospital-based coding, payer-based coding, medical auditing, and a variety of other sub-specialities.ย 

Candidates for the AAPCโ€™s Certified Coding Professional credentials must have at least two years of experience in the industry, and an associate degree in medical coding or health information management is recommended but not required.

Candidates who pass the certification exam but lack the required experience obtain the title of apprentice, and after two years of work experience, they become fully certified.ย 

The AAPCย primarilyย awards the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) designation. The CPC-A โ€œapprenticeโ€ credential is earned after passing the CPC certification exam.

Youโ€™ll need this temporary credential and a year of medical coding experience to earn the full CPC credential.ย 

The National Advisory Board, the Legal Advisory Committee, the Medical Coding Physician Advisory Board, and the Local Chapter Association Board of Directors comprise this medical coding association.

All ofย these committeesย are in charge ofย overseeing the associationโ€™s financial andย jurisprudential aimsย and objectives for their respective divisions.ย ย 

Main Differences Betweenย AHIMA and AAPCย 

  1. AHIMA stands forย American Health Information Management Association, and AAPC stands for American Academy of Professional Coders.ย 
  2. The types of certifications offered by AHIMA areย medicalย coding, healthcare privacy and security, health information management, etc. And the certifications offered by AAPC focusย onย compliance, coding, auditing, etc.ย 
  3. AHIMA is well-known for its inpatient facilities, whereas AAPC is moreย well-known for its outpatient facilities.ย 
  4. The most preferred career advancement offered by AHIMAโ€™s certifications is inย administration. On the other hand, the most preferred careerย advancement offered by AAPC is in the medical speciality.ย 
  5. AHIMA was founded in 1928, and AAPC was founded in 1988.ย 
  6. The most popular credential offered by AHIMA is the Certified Coding Specialist certification, and the most popular credential offered by AAPC is the Certified Professional Coder certification.ย 

Referencesย 

  1. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asahp/jah/2004/00000033/00000003/art00002ย 

One request?

Iโ€™ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. Itโ€™ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS โ™ฅ๏ธ

Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box!

Ads Blocker Image Powered by Code Help Pro

Ads Blocker Detected!!!

We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Please support us by disabling these ads blocker.