- The CMCPS Fee Stack at a Glance
- The $495 Application/Examination Fee
- Proctoring Through Prov: The Separate Charge
- Approved Training: The Largest Line Item
- Building Your Real Total
- Cost Path for CLCP and CCLCP Holders
- Retest Costs and Why They Matter
- Renewal Costs Over a Three-Year Cycle
- Costs the Fee Schedule Does Not Show
- Matching Spending to Preparation
- Weighing Cost Against Career Value
- Frequently Asked Questions
- ICHCC charges $495 for the application and examination, plus a separate proctoring fee paid directly to Prov.
- Prov's proctoring charge is $30, and it is not included in the $1,793 training-plus-application subtotal.
- AAACEUs lists $899 for Modules 1-6 and $399 for the Module 7 sample-report module.
- The ICHCC retest fee is $150, far below the $495 first-attempt fee.
The CMCPS Fee Stack at a Glance
The Certified Medical Cost Projection Specialist (CMCPS) credential is issued by the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC). Unlike many credentials that charge a single exam fee, the CMCPS path involves several separate payments to separate organizations: the certifying body, a proctoring provider, and an approved training provider. Understanding who charges what, and when, prevents budget surprises.
The figures below come from the ICHCC's currently linked September 2026 application packet and the publicly listed AAACEUs training pathway. They supersede older administrative details, including the earlier November 2024 application.
| Cost Item | Amount | Paid To |
|---|---|---|
| Application/examination fee | $495 | ICHCC |
| Proctoring fee | $30 | Prov (directly) |
| Training Modules 1-6 (45 hours) | $899 | AAACEUs |
| Module 7 sample-report module | $399 | AAACEUs |
| Retest fee | $150 | ICHCC |
| Renewal (preapproved CEUs) | $300 | ICHCC |
| Renewal (non-preapproved CEUs) | $350 | ICHCC |
| Renewal by examination | $795 | ICHCC |
For the full eligibility picture that determines which of these costs apply to you, see our guide to CMCPS requirements, eligibility and prerequisites.
The $495 Application/Examination Fee
The ICHCC application/examination fee is $495. This single fee covers your application review and your authorization to sit for the certification examination. It does not cover training, proctoring, or any retest.
Plan for timing as well as money. ICHCC asks candidates to allow at least seven business days for application processing. Once your application is approved, ICHCC supplies a candidate ID and an examination voucher. You then schedule your test with Prov. Because the application fee is paid up front, it makes sense to submit only when your prerequisites are in order, since the application packet requires evidence of:
- An associate degree, or one of the specified exceptions (diploma registered nurses, licensed insurance adjusters or agents, and certificated paralegals)
- At least 12 months of qualifying full-time work during the preceding three years
- The approved 45-hour training
- A sample medical cost projection with its peer-review critique
Proctoring Through Prov: The Separate Charge
The September 2026 packet identifies Prov as the proctoring provider. Prov charges a separate $30 proctoring fee, paid directly to Prov rather than through ICHCC. This is the line item candidates most often overlook, because it does not appear in the $495 application/examination fee.
The delivery model is candidate-friendly: after ICHCC approval and receipt of your voucher and candidate ID, you schedule with Prov and test on a home or office computer. That means no testing-center travel, which keeps incidental costs low. Results are available within 24-36 hours of testing.
For scheduling mechanics and timing questions, see CMCPS exam dates, testing windows and scheduling.
Approved Training: The Largest Line Item
For most candidates, training is the biggest expense, larger than the certification fee itself. The ICHCC pathway requires approved 45-hour training, and AAACEUs publicly identifies its program as pre-approved for this purpose. The program is split into two priced components.
Modules 1-6: $899
Modules 1-6 make up the 45-hour training program. The public module titles are the best map of what you are paying to learn:
Module 1: The Basics of the Medical Cost Projection
Working definition of a medical cost projection, the stakeholders involved, how projections are used in the industry, applicable ethical standards, and an introduction to the components of a projection.
Module 2: The Basis & Methodology for the Medical Cost Projection
Basic rules and methods used in completing a projection, the "contextual framework," the methodologies the discipline employs, and the procedures a specialist follows to complete a referral or assignment.
Module 3: The Referral Form & The Report Format
The referral process, a detailed explanation of the referral form and the report format commonly used, plus practical hints for smooth processing.
Modules 4 and 5: Injury Types, Review & Assessment (Parts 1 and 2)
Together these modules cover six commonly encountered injury types, with the considerations, review and assessment specific to each. The public descriptions do not name all six categories, so confirm the specifics inside the course itself.
Module 6: The Medical Cost Projection: Coding & Pricing
How to identify the proper code and price for items in a projection, the pricing options available, and where to obtain those prices.
These module titles also serve as the seven preparation headings used across this site. They are unweighted course headings, not official exam-domain weights. Our complete guide to all seven CMCPS content areas explains how to use them for preparation.
Module 7: $399
Module 7, A Sample Medical Cost Projection Report, is priced separately at $399. It gives learners a sanitized version of an actual medical cost projection, with resources to help tie together Modules 1-6. After completing it, learners can request the documentation needed to build their own projection for peer review. This module is the bridge to the sample report and peer-review critique that ICHCC requires, so it is a requirement rather than an optional add-on.
Building Your Real Total
The published pathway adds up as follows. Training modules ($899) plus the Module 7 sample-report module ($399) plus the ICHCC application/examination fee ($495) produces a calculated subtotal of $1,793. That figure is explicitly before proctoring.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Modules 1-6 (AAACEUs) | $899 |
| Module 7 (AAACEUs) | $399 |
| Application/examination fee (ICHCC) | $495 |
| Calculated subtotal | $1,793 |
| Prov proctoring fee (paid separately) | $30 |
| Subtotal plus proctoring | $1,823 |
The $1,823 figure is simply the published subtotal plus the proctoring fee, so treat it as a first-attempt baseline for a candidate using the AAACEUs training route with no exceptions. It does not include any retest, any personal study materials you choose to buy, or the cost of your time. Always confirm current pricing with ICHCC, Prov and AAACEUs before you pay, since fees can change.
Cost Path for CLCP and CCLCP Holders
ICHCC allows current Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP) and Certified Canadian Life Care Planner (CCLCP) holders in good standing to bypass Modules 1-6. They must still complete Module 7, including its report and review, and they must still take the CMCPS examination. This is not an exemption from the certification exam.
Cost-wise, this can change your total meaningfully. If you qualify to audit out of Modules 1-6, the $899 training component may not apply to you, leaving the Module 7 cost, the $495 application/examination fee, and the Prov proctoring fee as your core outlay. Confirm directly with ICHCC and AAACEUs how the audit-out process is priced and documented, because the public sources do not spell out a separate discounted rate.
Key Takeaway
If you already hold a CLCP or CCLCP in good standing, the audit-out option can remove the largest training line item, but Module 7 and the examination remain mandatory. Medical cost projection is a distinct work product from a comprehensive life care plan, so do not assume your existing credential substitutes for the projection report.
Retest Costs and Why They Matter
The ICHCC retest fee is $150, compared with $495 for the initial application/examination. That gap changes the economics of a failed first attempt: a retest costs roughly 30 percent of what the first attempt did, so a single miss is recoverable without wrecking your budget.
Still, retest costs add up in ways beyond the headline fee. You may also face a new proctoring charge from Prov for another sitting, and you will spend additional preparation time. Confirm with ICHCC and Prov whether the $30 proctoring fee applies again to a retest session. The public sources reviewed here do not state it explicitly, so do not assume either way.
One thing the public sources do not establish: the number of questions, time limit, item format, passing threshold or pass rate for the CMCPS examination. Treat any site that quotes those figures as unverified. For what is and is not known, read our articles on the CMCPS passing score and what the data shows about CMCPS pass rates.
Renewal Costs Over a Three-Year Cycle
Certification is not a one-time expense. CMCPS renewal runs on a three-year cycle and requires 15 continuing education units (CEUs), including at least five ethics CEUs. Fees depend on the kind of CEUs you submit:
- $300 when you submit preapproved CEUs
- $350 when you submit non-preapproved CEUs
- $795 for renewal by examination, available only before your credential expires
The $50 difference between the first two options is a small incentive to choose preapproved CEUs, which also tend to simplify the paperwork. Renewal by examination is the expensive route and is unavailable once your credential has lapsed, so it is best viewed as a fallback for people who prefer testing over collecting CEUs. Spread across three years, the preapproved renewal works out to a modest annual carrying cost, though CEU course fees are a separate expense on top of the renewal fee.
Costs the Fee Schedule Does Not Show
The published fees cover ICHCC, Prov and AAACEUs. Several real expenses sit outside them:
- Credential documentation: If you qualify through the associate-degree route or an exception (diploma RN, licensed insurance adjuster or agent, certificated paralegal), you may need transcripts or license verification, which can carry small fees from the issuing institution.
- Time for the sample report: The Module 7 deliverable asks you to build your own medical cost projection and submit it for peer-review critique. That is real labor, and the case documentation you request has to be sourced and handled appropriately.
- Pricing resources: Module 6 teaches the pricing options and where to obtain prices. Depending on the sources you use for coding and pricing practice, you may encounter subscription or access costs. The public descriptions do not specify these, so check before assuming everything is included.
- Computer and connectivity: Because you test from a home or office computer through Prov, you need a suitable machine and stable internet. Most candidates already have these, but confirm Prov's technical requirements before test day.
- Employer reimbursement: This is an offset rather than a cost. Many working claims, nursing, adjusting and legal professionals can request tuition or certification reimbursement, which can lower your out-of-pocket total.
Matching Spending to Preparation
Rather than paying everything at once, you can sequence payments to follow your preparation. The ordering below reflects the dependencies in the ICHCC pathway: training before the report, the report before the application, and approval before scheduling.
Confirm Eligibility and Enroll
- Verify your degree or exception route and your 12 months of qualifying work in the last three years
- Pay for Modules 1-6 ($899), or confirm audit-out eligibility if you hold a CLCP or CCLCP
Complete the Core Modules
- Work through Modules 1-3 first: definitions and ethics, methodology, and the referral form and report format
- Move to Modules 4-5 for injury-type assessment, then Module 6 for coding and pricing
Module 7 and Your Sample Report
- Pay for Module 7 ($399) and study the sanitized sample projection
- Request documentation, build your own projection and obtain the peer-review critique
Apply, Schedule and Test
- Submit the application and the $495 fee, allowing at least seven business days for processing
- Pay Prov's $30 proctoring fee, schedule with your voucher and candidate ID, and test from your computer
For a deeper plan covering how to prepare, see the CMCPS study guide for passing on your first attempt, and for a compact review sheet, the CMCPS cheat sheet of must-know facts. You can also pressure-test your knowledge with practice questions on the main CMCPS practice test site.
Weighing Cost Against Career Value
A total outlay in the range of $1,800 for a first attempt is modest relative to many professional credentials, but it is still worth asking whether it pays off for your situation. The credential is aimed at professionals who prepare medical cost projections, typically in settings such as insurance claims, nursing and case management, legal and settlement support, and related roles. Candidates already working near these functions are best positioned to recoup the investment.
We deliberately avoid quoting salary numbers here, because no verified earnings figure is attached to this credential in the sources reviewed. For a qualitative discussion of earning potential and employer demand, see our CMCPS salary guide, the analysis of whether the CMCPS certification is worth it, and the overview of CMCPS jobs.
Key Takeaway
The most predictable way to control cost is to avoid the retest. Finish Modules 1-7 thoroughly, complete a careful sample report, and only then pay the $495 application fee. A $150 retest is cheaper than the original attempt, but it still costs money and time you can often save with solid preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The published training pathway plus the ICHCC application/examination fee comes to $1,793 before proctoring. Adding Prov's separate $30 proctoring fee brings a first-attempt baseline to $1,823. This assumes the AAACEUs training route and no retest.
No. ICHCC's $495 covers the application and examination. Prov, the proctoring provider, charges a separate $30 fee that you pay directly to Prov, and it is not part of the $1,793 subtotal.
The ICHCC retest fee is $150. Check with ICHCC and Prov whether an additional proctoring charge applies to a retest sitting, since the public sources reviewed do not state this explicitly.
Current CLCP and CCLCP holders in good standing may bypass Modules 1-6, which can remove the $899 training component. They must still complete Module 7 with its report and review, and they must still pass the CMCPS examination.
Renewal is every three years with 15 CEUs, including at least five ethics CEUs. The fee is $300 with preapproved CEUs or $350 with non-preapproved CEUs. Renewal by examination costs $795 and must be done before your credential expires.
For a broader introduction to the credential and what the letters represent, start with what CMCPS certification is, and compare costs against the broader CMCPS certification cost breakdown as ICHCC updates its fee schedule.