Certified medical reimbursement specialist
Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS) is a voluntary national credential that was created specifically for the medical billing professional. The American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) has been providing this industry certification and designation for nearly a decade.
The CMRS designation is awarded by the Certifying Board of the American Medical Billing Association (CBAMBA) after an exam. Although there is no state or federal requirement for a medical billing professional to become certified to practice medical billing, the goal is to provide a professional certification that upholds a high ethical standard of knowledge that recognizes the competency of a certificant.[1]
Composition of the exam
The exam is composed of 16 sections:
- Medical Terminology
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Information Technology
- Web & Information Technology
- ICD-10 Medical Coding
- CPT-4 Coding
- Clearinghouses
- CMS 1500
- Insurance
- Insurance Carriers
- Acronyms
- Compliance
- Fraud & Abuse
- Managed Care
- General
- Case Study [1]
Rules and requirements
An exam is offered to members of the AMBA to keep their CMRS credential up to date. In most instances, exam enrollment will be granted the same day the exam is purchased. There is a 45-day period to complete the exam once enrolled. To pass the exam, a score 85% or higher overall is required. Upon passing the exam, the CMRS designation is awarded and a certificate is issued.[2] A further 15 continuing education units (CEUs) are required each year to maintain CMRS certification along with a membership in AMBA. Fifty percent of the annual CEUs must come through the association.[3]
Exam textbooks
The current year's HCPCS, CPT-4, and ICD-10 code books are needed to take the exam, or you can use a free trial of the AMBA's coding software. The AMBA offers a CMRS study guide. Purchasing the guide is optional but recommended because 80% of the exam is taken from the study guide.