Note: This page describes a new CCO certification ladder that is currently under development. Details are subject to change.

CCO Certified Specialist Credentials – Coming Soon

We’re building a new family of medical coding and compliance credentials for coders, billers, auditors, CDI professionals, and patient illness navigators. Soon, you’ll be able to earn CCO Certified Specialist credentials — medical coding and compliance credentials that clearly show employers exactly what you can do and how you were trained.

What are CCO medical coding and compliance credentials?

CCO Certified Specialist credentials are formal, exam-based medical coding and compliance credentials that validate your skills in specific healthcare business roles such as medical coding, billing, auditing, clinical documentation integrity, and patient illness navigation. Each credential includes defined eligibility criteria, a proctored certification exam, and ongoing maintenance requirements so employers know your knowledge is current and tested. To see how these credentials compare to existing options, explore our Medical Coding Credentials Matrix.

Coming soon: role-based Specialist paths

We’re finalizing the design and policies for a full ladder of CC- Specialist credentials. Here’s what’s on the way:

Medical Coding Specialist tracks

• CC-MCS-P^™ – CCO Certified Medical Coding Specialist – ProFee
• CC-MCS-O^™ – CCO Certified Medical Coding Specialist – Outpatient
• CC-MCS-I^™ – CCO Certified Medical Coding Specialist – Inpatient
• CC-MCS-RA^™ – CCO Certified Medical Coding Specialist – Risk Adjustment

Medical Billing & Auditing

• CC-MBS^™ – CCO Certified Medical Billing Specialist
• CC-MAS^™ – CCO Certified Medical Auditing Specialist

Clinical Documentation & Specialty Roles

These specialty medical coding and compliance credentials build on CCO training such as our Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) Course.

• CC-CDIS^™ – CCO Certified Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialist
• CC-FMCS^™ – CCO Certified Forensic Medical Coding Specialist
• CC-PINS^™ – CCO Certified Patient Illness Navigator Specialist

How certifications differ from certificates and prep

• Certification is awarded after meeting eligibility criteria and passing a proctored exam. It comes with post-nominal letters and requires maintenance through CEUs or periodic recertification exams.
• A certificate is awarded when you complete a defined course. It does not grant letters or require renewal.
• Prep / non-credential products are review blitzes, practice exams, and exam-prep bundles. These help you prepare but do not, on their own, confer a credential. Browse the full CCO Course, Blitz & Practice Exam Catalog.

For context on how the broader credentialing landscape is structured, professional bodies such as the AAPC and AHIMA set the benchmark that CCO medical coding and compliance credentials are designed to meet or exceed.

What to expect next

• Finalizing exam blueprints, eligibility criteria, and maintenance requirements
• Publishing detailed role profiles for each credential
• Announcing pilot cohorts and early-adopter opportunities

Stay informed about launch dates

Be the first to know. Add your name to our priority interest list below to get updates, CEU opportunities, early announcements, and pilot cohort invitations as soon as they’re available.