The AAHAM is the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management. They are a professional organization that strives to train, support and advocate for health care administrators. Below introduces who they are, what they do and why health care administrators should join the organization.

Organization Overview

The American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management has over 30 local chapters and is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. They are the premier information and advocacy resource for administrative health care professionals. Health care administrators join in order to advance their career, improve their technical prowess and access exclusive networking opportunities. Their professional development and certification program is one of the most important services that they offer to health care revenue cycle administrators.

AAHAM's Certifications

AAHAM's certifications are the industry standard for health care administrative professionals. They allow participants to expand their skills, expertise and core competencies. After certification, the health care professional will produce higher quality, legally compliant work. There are five main certifications:

  • Certified Revenue Cycle Executive (CRCE)
  • Certified Revenue Cycle Professional (CRCP)
  • Certified Revenue Integrity Professional (CRIP)
  • Certified Revenue Cycle Specialist (CRCS)
  • Certified Compliance Technician (CCT)

Certified Revenue Integrity Professional

The Certified Revenue Integrity Professional (CRIP) is a certification for entry-level health care professionals that work within the revenue cycle industry. The exam is customer service orientated and focuses on testing the candidates' comprehension of charging, billing and documenting patient services. Anyone who passes this test proves that they have the skills needed to increase revenue and collect reimbursement for their health care organization. It also demonstrates that the individual understands how to properly charge patients and maintain compliance according to federal regulations.

Certified Revenue Cycle Professional

The Certified Revenue Cycle Professional (CRCP) is meant for revenue cycle supervisors and entry-level managers. This certification is highly recommended for any health care administrator that must supervise billing, collections and customer service revenue cycle employees. The four hour exam comes in two forms: one that focuses on institution based revenue cycles, such as hospitals, and one focused on professional settings, such as physician offices. This certification proves that the health care administrator has the fundamental proficiency to supervise and oversee revenue cycles.

Certified Revenue Cycle Executive

The Certified Revenue Cycle Executive (CRCE) is designed for senior management who are responsible for revenue cycle management. This certification is difficult to obtain and compared to passing the bar exam or obtaining CPA certification. There are two main sections CRCE-I and CRCE-P. The exam covers billing, collections, patient access and revenue cycle management. The exam is divided into four parts that contain essay, true/false and multiple-choice questions. Health care administrators who obtain this certification prove that they have in-depth industry knowledge and critical thinking skills.

The Annual National Institute

The Annual National Institute is the premier health care administrator conference and exhibition. Every year, over 500 members participate and actively exchange ideas, network, attend workshops and further their knowledge. Those who attend are frequently compliance officers, medical billing technicians, patient account managers, health care managers, chief financial officers and even financial service directors. Sponsored exhibits allow health care administrators to explore and identify viable products and services that include software systems, revenue auditing programs, electronic billing tools and Health Care Information Systems.

The AAHAM is an important organization for health care revenue cycle professionals because it provides critical training, networking and resource opportunities.