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MARCH 2001
- New Certification Maintenance Process, Fee Announced
- New Certification Maintenance Fee Illustrated
- Timeline for Implementation of New Certification Maintenance Process and Fee Restructuring
- NCCPA to Assume Responsibility for ALL Logging
New Certification Maintenance Process, Fee Announced
Beginning with the 2002-2004 CME logging cycle, the now separate CME logging and reregistration processes will be combined into a simpler certification maintenance process with a single fee:
- $80 for those who use NCCPA’s Web-based certification maintenance system and,
- $95 for those who use the paper forms.
Currently, all PAs already pay an $80 reregistration fee to NCCPA during years two and four of the six-year period between exams. So, PAs who are accustomed to logging CME with AAPA (and thus avoiding the NCCPA logging fee) will see the cost of the certification maintenance process over the six-year cycle increase by the cost of paying the fee in the sixth year--a total of $80—if they take advantage of the online discount. Those who use the paper forms will experience an increase over six years of a total of $125 (or $15 each in years two and four and $95 in year six).
Under the new fee structure, PAs who are accustomed to logging CME directly with NCCPA and paying the $85 (paper) or $70 (online) logging fee in addition to the reregistration payment will enjoy considerable savings ($130-$175 over six years).
"We examined our costs very carefully, and I’m confident that these new fees represent the true costs for collecting, reviewing, approving and auditing CME submissions, as well as issuing the certificate, providing verifications to third parties and the other administrative services NCCPA provides," says Katherine Adamson, PA-C, MMS, MA, NCCPA president elect.
NCCPA will implement the new streamlined process and fee structure upon assuming administrative responsibility for 100 percent of CME logging for certification with the 2002-2004 and 2003-2005 CME logging cycles.
After the separate reregistration application is eliminated, the new certification maintenance process will involve three steps for PAs:
- logging CME,
- providing updated contact information and,
- (optional) responding to NCCPA’s Practice Survey, a research instrument used to inform decisions about the content of NCCPA’s exams.
The certification maintenance fee will be payable every two years, in conjunction with the issuance of the updated certificate.
New Certification Maintenance Fee Illustrated
The table below illustrates how the new fee will effect PAs during one six-year cycle if they take advantage of the discounted, online rate.
| Current Logging/Reregistration Fees | New Online Certification Maintenance Fee | Difference | |
| PAs currently logging CME with AAPA | Year
2 $80 (reregistration) |
$80 | No change |
| Year
4 $80 (reregistration) |
$80 | No change | |
| Year
6 (recertification) $0 |
$80 | +$80 | |
| PAs currently logging CME with NCCPA | Year 2 $165 or $150
|
$80 | -$85 or -$70 |
| Year 4 $165 or $150
|
$80 | -$85 or -$70 | |
Year 6 (recertification)
|
$80 | -$5 or +$10 |
Timeline for Implementation of New Certification Maintenance Process and Fee Restructuring
If your certificate expires in…
- 2001 - You may log CME with NCCPA or AAPA; NCCPA’s CME logging fees are $85 (paper) or $70 (online). Also, unless it’s your recertification year, you must submit the reregistration application and $80 fee.
- 2002 - You may log CME with NCCPA or AAPA; NCCPA’s CME logging fees are $85 (paper) or $70 (online). Also, unless it’s your recertification year, you must submit the reregistration application and $80 fee.
- 2003 - You may log CME with NCCPA or AAPA; NCCPA’s CME logging fees are $85 (paper) or $70 (online). Also, unless it’s your recertification year, you must submit the reregistration application and $80 fee.
- 2004 - You will log your CME with NCCPA and pay the new $80 (online) or $95 (paper) certification maintenance fee.
- 2005 - You will log your CME with NCCPA and pay the new $80 (online) or $95 (paper) certification maintenance fee.
NCCPA to Assume Responsibility for ALL Logging
As reported in the special issue of NCCPA News, mailed in March, beginning with the 2002-2004 CME logging cycle, all PAs logging CME for certification maintenance will be required to submit those hours directly to NCCPA.
Because our new Web-based CME logging system and other new technologies now enable NCCPA to handle all of the administrative responsibilities associated with the credential this organization grants without substantially increasing the cost for any PAs and even saving money for one-third of the PA population, NCCPA’s Board of Directors felt this was the responsible thing to do and the right time to do it.
"Our mission, in part, is to ‘assure the public and others that NCCPA-certified physician assistants meet standards of knowledge and clinical skills upon entry into practice and throughout their careers,'"says NCCPA President Elaine E. Grant, MPH, PA-C. "It’s difficult for us to do that with authority if we never even have an opportunity to make sure ourselves that the PAs we’re certifying meet our requirements.
"This is an issue that’s been on the table since 1997. But we’ve purposefully waited until we could make this change with minimal financial impact on AAPA members," continues Grant. "We’re doing the right thing at the right time after two years of open dialogue with AAPA about the issues. I’m proud of the approach we’ve taken and am confident that the decisions we’ve made will stand the test of time."
As a result of this policy change, NCCPA is also simplifying the certification maintenance process by combining the now separate CME logging and reregistration processes.
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