September 2011 medical transcription training News
Refer a Friend to Meditec and Earn $200
How would you like to help a friend and earn $200 in the process? With our unique referral program, the person you refer gets 10% off our training program and you receive $200 when they enroll. Refer as many people as you like, there is no limit on the reward dollars you can earn. Your friend will take the first step in an exciting new career and you’ll be getting some cash – it’s win-win!
For September, the friend referred may choose between 10% off the training program OR our monthly special — a free Dell laptop.
News and Tips from Meditec
Continuing Education Requirements for Recertification
Once you have certified in your specialty field, you are required to continue your education in that field to maintain the certification. The credits are termed “continuing education credits,” or units (CECs or CEUs). Medical Billing and Coding Training – Certification is provided through several sources, the two most common are the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
- AHIMA’s recertification requirements are the same for each of their coding certifications: 24 CECs over a 2-year recertification period, as well as mandatory annual coding self-reviews (self-assessments) with 5 credits for the completion of each annual review.
- Other credits may be earned via participating in educational programs on health informatics and information management (HIIM) relevant topics, including educational portions of AHIMA meetings
Paralegal Training – The top 3 certifying organizations for paralegals are National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc. (AAPI) and National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). There are also 4 states now offering certification including Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. (Please contact the appropriate state bar association regarding CEUs.)
- NALA offers a certification that is valid for 5 years. Fifty hours are required for CEUs for recertification.
- AAPI offers the American Alliance Certified Paralegal (AACP) credential. Certification must be renewed every 2 years and requires 18 hours of continuing education
- NFPA offers a Registered Paralegal (RP) designation to which does require a bachelor’s degree. Maintaining this credential requires 12 hours of CEU/CLEs every 2 years, and at least a part of the CLE must be in ethics-related areas.
Medical Transcriptionist –This certification is available from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). The CMT exam is based on the AHDI Medical Transcriptionist Job Descriptions and the Competencies outlined in the AHDI Core Competencies and the AHDI Model Curriculum. It is a voluntary credentialing exam for individuals who wish to become certified.
- Eligibility is for registered medical transcriptionists (RMTs) with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in acute-care transcription or multispecialty equivalent.
- Individuals who successfully complete this AHDI credentialing process are recognized as Certified Medical Transcriptionists and are entitled to use the CMT designation, valid for three years.
Miscellaneous Certifications –Various certifiers are available for career specialties, e.g., billing, medical office assistant, medical office manager, health insurance specialist (as well as other medical and legal designations) at www.med-certification.com. CECs are also available at that site.
Student Spotlight
“I finished up Meditec’s MT program in November of 2010 and then proceeded into an internship. The internship was challenging for me and I got a LOT of good experience and learned a lot. I am very glad I had the opportunity for the “real world” experience. It helped me build more skills as well as more confidence. I have continued as an independent contractor for company with which I did my internship and enjoy working with them. My internship was a very valuable experience for me.”
-Kathy, Meditec Student