Note from the director: Recertifying your CHRI credential
by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, CHRI
It’s that time of year when Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI) credential holders should start thinking about recertification requirements.
NAHRI employs an easy-to-use online application for our CHRI credential exam and recertification process at chri.simplifycertifications.com. This system allows for timely submission, approval, and payment of certification and recertification applications. When recertifying, please have your contact information, work and education history, and credit card payment information available when you start the application process.
The CHRI recertification process ensures that credential holders stay up to date on education and regulatory changes relevant to their field. Individuals who hold the CHRI credential must apply for recertification every two years on the anniversary date they passed the CHRI exam, which can be found on the individual’s CHRI certificate.
Accepted CEUs
CHRI credential holders must submit a recertification application with proof of earning 30 CEUs relevant to the healthcare revenue integrity field—15 of these CEUs must be obtained from NAHRI or HCPro educational offerings. All CEUs must be approved prior to the training event. CEUs may not be applied for after an event under any circumstances.
All CEUs issued by HCPro and NAHRI are accepted for recertification. Individuals may submit no more than 10 CEUs for a single activity from another accredited agency or organization such as AAPC, AHIMA, NASBA, AAHAM, and HCCA. Please note this is not an exhaustive list. We accept CEUs from various accredited agencies and organizations as we understand there are numerous ways for revenue integrity professionals to continue their education through educational activities that speak to their areas of expertise.
Only CEU activities completed after a candidate passes the CHRI exam may be submitted for recertification. CEUs must be earned during the two-year period when the certification is valid. Additional CEUs do not carry over to the next renewal period.
There are many ways you can obtain the 30 CEUs required for CHRI recertification through NAHRI membership benefits and other activities. Download Earning Your CHRI Continuing Education Units for more information. The fee for recertification is $100 for NAHRI members and $200 for non-members.
Grace period
Although NAHRI strongly recommends submitting 30 CEUs by the two-year exam anniversary date, CHRI certification holders are extended a 45-day grace period to submit their CEUs. Failure to submit CEUs in a timely manner may result in penalties, late fees, and eventual revocation of the CHRI credential. A former credential holder may recertify by reapplying for and successfully passing the CHRI exam.
A percentage of applicants will be audited to ensure that they have met the CEU requirements. Recertification candidates should keep a record of participation in all their CEU qualifying activities in the event of an audit.
The CHRI exam
If you have yet to sit for the CHRI exam and are interested in doing so, please complete our online application at chri.simplifycertifications.com.
Candidates who apply for the examination must meet one of the following sets of requirements:
- One or more year(s) of experience in healthcare revenue cycle, coding, compliance, or revenue integrity and a bachelor’s degree OR
- Two or more years of experience in healthcare revenue cycle, coding, compliance, or revenue integrity and an associate’s degree OR
- Three or more years of experience in healthcare revenue cycle, coding, compliance, or revenue integrity in the absence of a degree
The exam consists of 140 questions, of which 120 are scored and 20 are pre-test questions. The passing score is 86 correct out of 120 scored questions.
If you are looking for the latest in revenue integrity education, NAHRI recommends using one or more of the following:
- CHRI Exam Study Guide
- Note: Includes access to CHRI Practice Exam
- CHRI Practice Exam
- Note: Recommended for those who need additional Practice Exam attempts or do not prefer Study Guide method of test preparation
- Revenue Integrity Symposium
- Revenue Integrity and Chargemaster Boot Camp
- Revenue Integrity Essential Skills Online Learning
- Core Functions of Revenue Integrity
- The Revenue Integrity Manager's Guidebook
- The Chargemaster Essentials Toolkit
- Medicare Billing Edits: Solving NCCI and MUEs
The fee for the certification application process and examination is $255 for NAHRI members and $355 for non-members. Payment may be made by credit card, personal check, or money order payable to HCPro.
Looking for additional guidance on the CHRI exam? View our free webinar presented by the CHRI Credential Committee and review the CHRI Exam Handbook.