Georgia CPAR

What is CPAR?

Certified Patient Account Representative (CPAR)

The Certified Patient Account Representative Program (CPAR), organized by the Georgia Healthcare Financial Management Association in 1982, equips healthcare financial professionals with the knowledge necessary to be a high achieving member of a healthcare organization’s revenue cycle division.  Students who become a “Certified Patient Account Representative” will not only have the satisfaction of achievement, but an added competitive edge in the healthcare industry.

The CPAR Program is made up of an extensive study manual and a comprehensive exam.  In addition to providing an in-depth study tool for students, the CPAR manual is used throughout the state of Georgia as a training and reference guide for hospital business offices.  The manual covers the revenue cycle from start to finish, with additional focus on payer sources and government regulations.  Each year the CPAR Committee updates the study manual to reflect the current year’s changes that affect the revenue cycle.
In 2017, Georgia HFMA moved the CPAR exam program to an on-line learning and testing platform provided by Litmos. This change will allow students to test at any time from any location.
Even though CPAR is a Georgia HFMA based program, each year students from other states who do not have this type program in their state participate in the exam process.  Georgia HFMA also continues to assist other state HFMA chapters in developing their own program.

Important Information

CPAR exams are administered through our on-line learning and testing platform provided by Litmos. You will create an account and profile, review or download the manual then schedule take the exam. 

CPAR is an annual exam

Each calendar year the CPAR Manual and Exam are updated January 1 – May 31. During this time, please do not register and pay for an exam. Approximately June 1 thru November of each year, the revised manual and exam will be available and we encourage those who wish to become Certified to register during this time. Once you have paid for an exam, you must take the exam before the exam closes for that year. No refunds will be issued and no credit balance will be transferred.

Manuals

The purchase fee of $150 is for the CPAR manual and includes one exam attempt. When you purchase the manual, you will be able to view it on-line as well as download it. If you only want the manual, then you can simply choose not to complete the exam.

Study information will be available in June

In June of each year our learning and testing area will be updated to allow students to purchase new manuals for the current year. Previous year’s manuals are not available. The purchase price also includes access to the downloadable study information for each certification. Students who do not pass the exam may pay to re-test during that same year. Re-testing fees do not carry over to future calendar years.

Continued education with Advance CPAR

After you are a CPAR graduate, you are eligible to seek an Advance CPAR designation. 

Advanced CPAR

Under the new Advanced CPAR program established in 2016, you must successfully pass three out of the five specialty exams. The Advanced CPAR specialty exams will be a more in depth study of the CPAR material. You may select any of the three sections. Advanced CPAR study material and exams are available. 

Anyone who obtained their CPAR certification in 2015 will need to obtain their Advanced CPAR certification by passing three of the five below Specialty sections within three years of taking the first Advanced Specialty exam.

Specialty Manuals and Exams

The specialty manuals and corresponding exams are:

• Patient Access
• Patient Financial Services
• Revenue Integrity
• Compliance
• Physician Practice

Important Information

CPAR exams are administered through our on-line learning and testing platform provided by Litmos. You will create an account and profile, review or download the manual then schedule take the exam.

Manuals

The purchase fee of $75 is for one of five ACPAR specialty manuals and includes one exam attempt per specialty. When you purchase the manual, you will be able to view it on-line as well as download it. If you only want the manual, then you can simply choose not to complete the exam.

Study information will be available in June

In June of each year our learning and testing area will be updated to allow students to purchase new manuals for the current year. Previous year’s manuals are not available. The purchase price also includes access to the downloadable study information for each certification. Students who do not pass the exam may pay to re-test during that same year. Re-testing fees do not carry over to future calendar years.

Prefer to mail in your registration? Download the form.