Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC^®) Online Training Course

The CIC training course is the only course that teaches fundamental medical coding skills for inpatient hospitals and facilities. 

As the only certification exclusively specialized in hospital and facility inpatient coding, the CIC is a perfect pairing with the CPC to expand career opportunities across the entire coding landscape.  

Course curriculum overview

One of the best ways to expand your career opportunities is to acquire new skills. Whether you already have been coding in your job or you hold a CPC or other AAPC certification, adding a CIC credential can have an immediate and positive impact on your career and will be an important differentiator to employers.

Inpatient coding differs from physician-based coding in that it focuses on services provided by the facility, rather than on services provided by the physician.

The CIC credential is the only certification exclusively specialized in hospital and facility inpatient coding. This certification validates mastery in abstracting information from the medical record for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding. It also represents expert knowledge of Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) and the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS).

Certified inpatient coders typically work in hospitals (acute care facilities), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), critical access hospitals (CAHs), teaching hospitals, inpatient rehab facilities (IRF), and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). 

Inpatient coding training objectives

• Understand the different types of hospital facilities and their departments including hospitals, teaching hospitals, critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and outpatient hospital departments

• Learn about documentation and coding standards for facilities

• Apply coding and conventions when assigning diagnoses and procedure codes

• Understand the official ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding guidelines for diagnoses and procedures

• Understand the Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS) coding guidelines

• Code a wide variety of patient services using ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding guidelines

• Develop an understanding of how to code operative notes in the facility

• Differentiate between inpatient and outpatient services and payment methodologies (IPPS and OPPS)

• Understand the difference between MS-DRGs and APC assignments, and how those services are reported

• Develop an understanding of compliance in the hospital facility

Learning methods

AAPC understands that students learn in different ways — that's why we allow you to choose a learning style that fits you best. AAPC offers the following learning methods:

Course bundle includes

In addition to the actual course of interactive online lectures, step-by-step coding processes, and all training needed to pass the exam, you’ll receive: 

• Online practice exams (included in Self-Paced Max and Instructor-Led packages)
  Three practice exams with 20 multiple-choice questions and three fill-in-the-blank coding cases to help you determine your readiness for the exam.

• 2 CIC exam vouchers (included in Self-Paced Max and Instructor-Led— a $499 value) 
  The CIC exam features 40 multiple-choice questions and 7 inpatient cases with fill-in-the-blank questions (proctored) over 4 hours.

• FREE BONUS: Practicode CIC Practicum (subscription included in Self-Paced Max and Instructor-Led packages — a $249 value)
  Practicode is a coding practice tool that helps you improve coding, giving you hands-on practice with real-world (redacted) cases. The tool evaluates your progress and helps you identify areas of weakness.

• FREE BONUS: AAPC eBook
  Medical Coding Training: CIC

Why train with AAPC?

• Any credential you earn through us will be recognized worldwide. Our education is trusted globally, positioning AAPC as a leader in training and certification.

• Train with the same experts who created the exams. We created the industry’s accreditations for medical coders and medical billers — and have been teaching these programs for more than 35 years.  

• We have the highest exam pass rates in the industry. We provide the most trusted curriculum and training — and it shows in our exam pass rates that remain unmatched by other medical coding and billing programs. 

• Join our group of over 300,000 professionals. We’re the world's largest training and credentialing organization for the business of healthcare. As an AAPC member, you’ll have countless opportunities to network, earn free or low-cost CEUs, save, and more.