Continuing Education Units (CEU) for healthcare professionals who are credentialed by the AAPC are worth their weight in gold. CEUs are a necessary tool for all medical coders and auditors as they are not only required for certification maintenance, but because they keep professionals current on industry trends. The AAPC has a set of guidelines that must be followed by their network, with CEU quotas that must be met every two years.

Those with one certification must submit 36 CEUs every two years, while those with five or more certifications must submit 52 CEUs every two years, with incremental requirements in between. These requirements have created a high demand for CEUs, which means that a lot of organizations are quick to throw a hefty price tag on them.

Between the cost of being a professional in this ever-changing industry, purchasing education, paying hundreds of dollars for exam and annual code books – you deserve a break. That’s why we’ve put together a quick list of organizations that offer free and low cost CEUs.

Audio Educator: Earn free CEUs when you pass their online quiz with a score of 70% or higher.

The Coding Institute: TCI offers some select free CEUs to their subscribers. They also offer free CEUs when you purchase a subscription or select products. Read the fine print carefully when seeking free CEUs on their website – as it may be difficult to distinguish between the free and the costly.

Navicure: This organization has an abundance of resources for healthcare professionals. A number of their pre-recorded webinars are worth CEUs, as long as you successfully complete a post-assessment.

Novitas Solutions: Complete a few quick steps and earn CEUs for viewing webinars. Simply visit the Novitas website, select your corresponding region, find Education and Training →Event Calendar, read the Terms and Conditions and voilà! You will be able to browse educational webinars and teleconferences. Please note that not all webinars are worth CEUs, so it is important to verify prior to viewing.

Availity: If you’re willing to sift through their extensive learning center full of free and paid education, you’ll be able to obtain a few free CEUs from this reputable firm.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list on all of the free CEU opportunities out there – but these are some of the most reputable organizations that offer this coveted service. It may serve you well to check out your local AAPC chapter’s events for free or low-cost CEUs as well. Many chapters host monthly or quarterly events that are worth blocks of CEUs.