CHIM professionals switching to HICA

If your intention is to continue to work in a registration role and not pursue a role that may require the CHIM designation in the future, it may be in your best interest to pursue the HICA designation. If, in the future, you would like to pursue roles in medical coding, data analytics, leadership, and management, then it would be in your best interest to remain a CHIM professional. These competencies are represented in the CHIM certification.

No. A person cannot hold both HICA and CHIM designations simultaneously.

Once a person successfully gains the HICA certification, they are decertified as a CHIM.

The process will be as follows:

1. The candidate will apply for the HICA NCE pending they meet the eligibility requirements.  
2. If they pass, their CHIMA professional membership and CHIM designation will be cancelled. 
3. A new CHIMA associate membership and HICA designation will be in effect immediately.  

The process will be as follows:

1. The candidate will apply for the CHIM NCE pending they meet the eligibility requirements.  
2. If they pass, their CHIMA associate membership and HICA designation will be cancelled. 
3. A new CHIMA professional membership and CHIM designation will be in effect immediately.

If it’s within a three-year period you will be able to switch back. If three years have passed, recertification will be required. Learn more about recertification.

The Health Information Associate Curricular Standards that lead to a Health Information-Certified Associate (HICA) designation provide a high-level overview of medical coding, however, do not include sufficient content to prepare a medical coder for practice. The coding competencies are represented in the Health Information Fundamentals Curricular Standards that lead to becoming a Certified in Health Information Management (CHIM) professional.