1. Annual C.E.A.C. Recertification
Essential to Retain Membership,
Receive Referrals
Posted on January 11, 2016 in Education/Training
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By: Dorothy de Souza Guedes, VGM Education
Maintaining Certified Environmental Access Consultant (C.E.A.C.) certification is
essential to meeting the unique needs of individual clients and to fulfilling payer
requirements.
AHIA requires members to be certified within their first year of membership and then
recertified annually. There are more than 500 C.E.A.C. providers nationwide. The
credential signifies professionalism in the industry and is recognized by payer sources,
2. including case managers, claims adjusters, state Medicaid programs, state workers’
compensation, and others, said Jerry Keiderling, president of AHIA, which administers
the C.E.A.C. program.
“Payers are looking for somebody trained to understand needs,” Keiderling said. “Our
credential is different from other credentials in construction and remodeling. We make
it what’s right for the client.”
Referrals through VGM Homelink
Through VGM Homelink’s division for managed care contracting, as an AHIA member
you have the opportunity to receive new referrals for products and services. Homelink
is the largest managed care network in the United States.
Mark Richmann, Homelink’s home modifications manager, works with insurance
companies and payer sources to find providers to make home modifications. “The
need has always been there,” Richmann said.
Payers believe they get better results with C.E.A.C. professionals because the C.E.A.C.
training focuses on individuals and how they interact with their personal environment,
Richmann said. The training includes planning for the physical environment based on
what makes individuals unique, including height, weight and physical capabilities.
“You’re dealing with something that’s very personal to someone: their home,”
Richmann said. “We’re turning it over to the hands of trained individuals.”
Most of these Homelink referrals are through workers’ compensation carriers.
Richmann, a C.E.A.C. since 2010, solicits quotes for desired modifications from AHIA
members to complete the work authorized. There is no home modification contracted
rate agreement.
C.E.A.C. Renewal Requirements
Annual credits are due by the C.E.A.C.’s credential anniversary date. One notice is sent
C.E.A.C.s as a reminder to submit forms to verify satisfactory compliance with renewal
3. requirements. A reminder email is sent from VGMU to each C.E.A.C. about a month
before with the subject line,“C.E.A.C. Annual Renewal.”
Ten hours of continuing education is required to recertify annually to satisfy the
C.E.A.C renewal requirement for professional development. Hours can be earned in a
variety of ways, including attending a trade show, in-store vendor training, webinars,
VGM’s annual Heartland Conference, and online courses through VGMU. C.E.A.C.s who
give presentations may also qualify for continuing education.
C.E.A.C. renewal requirements include:
Relevant work experience - A credentialed consultant needs to meet the
requirements for relevant work experience during each consecutive year since
earning the credential.
Professional development through education - Several different types of
educational experiences will be recognized by the eligibility committee to
demonstrate continuing professional development.
Fee for renewal - A fee of $75 is due at the time of renewal.
How much time it will take you to go through courses and testing for certification and
recertification will vary based on your previous education and professional experience.
A typical contractor may not know as much about the health care aspect of the course,
which can lead to the need to spend more time in C.E.A.C. coursework.
“If they’ve been in the (health care) business for a while, they understand a lot of it,”
Keiderling said.
Both the work experience and the professional development requirements must be
satisfied to renew. If recertification documentation is not received or activities do not
fulfill the requirements, the credential will be revoked.
What You Should Know
Not sure if an activity qualifies for continuing education credit? Contact
4. Jerry.Keiderling@vgm.com to submit to the review panel.
For additional details and the Application for Continuing Education Credit, visit
Renewal Requirements.
The VGMU bundle approved by AHIA for C.E.A.C. recertification includes more than 60
courses. VGMU is authorized by IACET to offer CEUs for each of the courses. From
courses in the Aging Populations series to business topics such as employment law
and identity theft and safety subjects such as back safety, the bundle provides
education to fill many needs. Not currently a VGMU user? Contact Megan Kraft at 888-
786-6628.
Earn CEUs at the 15th annual Heartland Conference. Register for Heartland
Conference 2016 by March 27 to receive Early Bird pricing.
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