Certification

As an accredited university, students who complete the following meet the Compliance Certification Board eligibility requirements and may sit for the certification exams.

  • Complete the required program coursework (18 credits)
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 throughout the program
  • Complete 20 continuing education units (fulfilled by completing program)
  • Apply for the certification exam (CHC, CCEP, CCEP-I, CHRC, CHPC and/or CHPS)

Certified in Healthcare Compliance

According to a national survey conducted by the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) in 2008, “the compliance certification requirement has steadily increased since it first began tracking this information in 2006.” The survey, “10th Annual Survey: 2008 Profile of Health Care Compliance Officers”, indicated that 18 percent of chief compliance officers were Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC); and 28 percent of compliance officers were CHC.1 The survey also indicated that 21 percent of respondents require assistant compliance officers to be CHC. More than half of the respondents prefer that their assistant compliance officers, compliance auditors, coders, trainers/educators and compliance generalists have completed and maintain the CHC. The 2008 survey is the last annual survey completed by HCCA containing comparable data on the CHC. In the four years since the last survey, the number of individuals earning CHC credential has increased, as well as the requirement and preference of employers to look for CHC in job candidates.

According to HCCA, the purpose of certification is to “promote health care compliance through the certification of qualified health care compliance professionals.” This is achieved by “providing a national standard of requisite knowledge” and “continued personal and professional growth in the practice of health care compliance.” Certification helps “employers, the public and members of the health professions in the assessment of a healthcare compliance professional.” Certification requires work experience or completion of a certificate program, 20 continuing education units preceding the CHC exam, successful passing of the CHC exam, and further continuing education units each year (40 in a two-year period).

1 Health Care Compliance Association. (2008). 10th Annual Survey: 2008 Profile of Health Care Compliance Officers.