Overview and Structure.

Practice Integrity will provide education to prepare students for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam as offered through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).  The instructor(s) are all certified instructors through the AAPC.

The class will be taught through a virtual classroom. The students will “meet” once per week via the provided online portal.

The class will run for approximately 30 weeks. The syllabus will detail topics to be covered in each class - including the week number and the topic to covered.  The number of weeks may vary depending on the class’s understanding of a particular topic. The goal is not to complete the course in 30 weeks, the goal is to provide the education needed to code correctly and to be prepared to sit for CPC exam. The cost of the class does not change based on any additional time spent in the classroom, nor does the cost change if the students wish to move at a quicker pace.

Each student that is registered for this virtual class will have access to the following;

1. The complete on-line version of the PMCC curriculum for six months including power point presentations for each topic, separate from the presentation from the instructor.

2. Access to a “blackboard” for continued practice and to manage the progress in completing course assignments. This can be very helpful in allowing each student to set their own calendar to reflect when assignments are due. As each student is registered, the instructors will know how each student is progressing. The instructors will know if the student is completing the course work that is assigned through the PMCC curriculum.  The actual grades will also be easy to access.

3. The tuition includes the PMCC textbook and workbook which includes both multiple choice questions as well as open ended questions to ensure that the student understands concepts and not just how to answer a multiple choice question. The PMCC program also includes a mid-term exam and a final exam.  The instructor(s) will also provide other practice material.  Instructor(s) will be available outside of normal classroom hours to provide assistance as needed. Instructor(s) will provide students with their contact information.  Students will be provided with the necessary information to join the AAPC and sign up for the exam.

What is included in the tuition cost?

1.     AAPC PMCC textbook

2.     AAPC PMCC workbook

3.     Six-month access to the AAPC PMCC on-line curriculum

4.     Weekly virtual classroom instruction

5.     Access to the recordings from each class

6.     Instructor time inside and outside the classroom

7.     A midterm exam

8.     A final exam

9.     Other study/practice material

10.  Access to the software to attend the virtual class.

Additional Items (not included):

The tuition does not include the cost of the CPC exam or the cost of student membership to AAPC. Because this is a PMCC curriculum with approved instructors through the AAPC, there is a discount for the cost of membership and exam. Currently the discounted amount is;

            Membership = $90

            CPC Exam   = $325

This payment can be made on-line to the AAPC or payment may be mailed to AAPC.  The instructor(s) will assist with completing all necessary paperwork.  The instructor will provide the necessary information to join AAPC as a student.  Once the student has joined AAPC, he/she will be provided a free Practice Exam on-line through the AAPC.

Students will need to provide their own coding manuals for the current year to included

• CPT Professional Edition, The CPT Expert cannot be used on the exam

• ICD-10 Expert or Professional Edition, the Easy Coder cannot be used on the exam

• HCPCS level II manual, any edition

The coding manuals may be purchased in bundle at a discount rate through AAPC.