- What "CMCPS Training" Actually Means
- Who Must Complete the 45 Hours and Who Can Skip Part of It
- Module-by-Module Walkthrough of the Seven Training Components
- Training Is Not the Exam: Keeping the Pieces Separate
- What the Training Pathway Costs
- The Sample Medical Cost Projection and Peer Review
- Sequencing Your Modules With the Application and Exam
- After Training: Testing, Results and Renewal
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CMCPS eligibility requires approved 45-hour training plus a sample medical cost projection that goes through peer-review critique.
- The AAACEUs pathway lists $899 for Modules 1-6 and $399 for Module 7; the $495 exam fee is separate.
- Current CLCP or CCLCP holders may skip Modules 1-6, but Module 7 and the examination are still required.
- Course quizzes and the Module 7 report are not the certification exam, and public sources give no exam length or pass score.
What "CMCPS Training" Actually Means
The Certified Medical Cost Projection Specialist credential is issued by the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC). Unlike some credentials where training is optional and you simply sit for a test, the CMCPS pathway makes approved training a formal prerequisite. You cannot apply on experience alone: ICHCC requires a 45-hour approved training program and a sample medical cost projection that has been through peer-review critique.
The publicly identified pre-approved option is the AAACEUs program, which splits the work into seven modules. Modules 1 through 6 make up the 45-hour instructional block. Module 7 is separate: it is a sample-report module that sets you up to produce your own medical cost projection for peer review. That structure matters, because "training" here is really two things, a body of knowledge and a practical work product.
If you are still orienting yourself to the credential, the articles on what CMCPS is and CMCPS eligibility requirements cover the big picture. This article focuses on the training itself: what each module teaches, how it fits the rest of the process, and how to avoid the common misreadings of the pathway.
Who Must Complete the 45 Hours and Who Can Skip Part of It
Training is one of several eligibility components. ICHCC's published requirements include an associate degree (with specified exceptions for 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, and the sample medical cost projection with its peer-review critique.
This distinction trips people up. A life care planner already understands cost projection logic, but a medical cost projection is a distinct work product from a comprehensive life care plan. Module 7 exists precisely to make sure you can produce the CMCPS-style report, so even experienced planners do it. For the full list of prerequisites and how they interact, see the guide to CMCPS requirements and how to qualify.
Module-by-Module Walkthrough of the Seven Training Components
The seven public module titles are the best available map of what the training covers. They are unweighted course preparation headings, not an official exam blueprint, so treat them as scope rather than as a statement of how heavily any topic is tested. The sections below follow the module order and draw on the provider's public descriptions.
Module 1: The Basics of the Medical Cost Projection
This is the foundation. You get a working definition of a medical cost projection, the stakeholders involved in the process, and how projections are used in the industry.
- Who commissions and who relies on a projection
- The ethical standards that apply to the work
- An introduction to the components of a projection
Module 2: The Basis & Methodology for the Medical Cost Projection
Here the course moves from definition to method: the basic rules and approaches used to complete a projection.
- The "contextual framework" for a projection
- The methodologies employed by the discipline, reviewed in detail
- The procedures a specialist follows to complete a referral or assignment
Module 3: The Referral Form & The Report Format
This module is highly practical. It explains how referrals for medical cost projections arrive and the report format commonly used to deliver the work.
- A detailed explanation of the referral form
- A detailed explanation of the Medical Cost Report format
- Hints for smooth processing
Modules 4 and 5: Injury Types, Review & Assessment (Parts 1 and 2)
Together, these two modules introduce injuries for which medical cost projections are often requested. The course is explicit that not every potential injury type can be covered, so the most frequent ones are highlighted. Across both parts, six injury types are covered, with the considerations, review and assessment specific to each.
- Review and assessment steps are taught per injury type, not as one generic checklist
- The public descriptions do not name the six categories, so confirm the specifics inside the course rather than relying on secondhand lists
Module 6: The Medical Cost Projection: Coding & Pricing
This module teaches how to identify a proper code and price for the items in a projection.
- The pricing options available for a projection
- Where to obtain those prices
Module 7: A Sample Medical Cost Projection Report
The learner receives a sanitized version of an actual medical cost projection, plus resources to consolidate Modules 1-6. Once the module is complete, you can request the documentation needed to build your own projection for peer review.
For a closer look at how each of these seven areas maps to exam preparation, the CMCPS exam domains guide goes deeper on every content area.
Training Is Not the Exam: Keeping the Pieces Separate
One of the easiest mistakes in researching this credential is to blur three different things together: the training modules, the Module 7 report, and the certification examination. They are distinct.
| Component | What It Is | What It Is Not |
|---|---|---|
| Modules 1-6 | 45-hour approved training program | An exam, or a source of exam timing or scoring |
| Module 7 | Sample-report module leading to your own peer-reviewed medical cost projection | A seventh verified scored exam domain |
| Course quizzes | Completion checks within the training | The certification examination |
| ICHCC examination | The credentialing test, taken through the proctoring provider | Something the training hours or credit hours define |
The public issuer and training sources also do not state the exam's question count, timer, item format, scored versus unscored split, passing threshold, or candidate pass rate. Anything you read elsewhere claiming those numbers for this credential should be treated with caution. Our pages on the CMCPS passing score and CMCPS pass rate data explain what is and is not known publicly.
What the Training Pathway Costs
Training is the largest line item in the pathway, so it deserves a clear breakdown. The figures below come from the AAACEUs pathway and the September 2026 ICHCC application packet.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Modules 1-6 (AAACEUs) | $899 | The 45-hour training block |
| Module 7 (AAACEUs) | $399 | Sample medical cost projection report module |
| ICHCC application/examination fee | $495 | Paid to ICHCC |
| Calculated subtotal | $1,793 | Before proctoring |
| Proctoring fee (Prov) | $30 | Separate; paid directly to Prov |
| ICHCC retest fee | $150 | Applies if a retest is needed |
The $1,793 figure is a subtotal, not an all-in price: it excludes the separate proctoring charge. A candidate who already holds CLCP or CCLCP and bypasses Modules 1-6 would not need the $899 module block, though the Module 7 and examination costs still apply. For a fuller financial picture, including renewal costs, see the CMCPS certification cost breakdown, and for the return-on-investment angle, the analysis on whether the certification is worth it.
The Sample Medical Cost Projection and Peer Review
Module 7 is where training becomes a deliverable. After working through the sanitized example, you request the documentation needed to complete your own projection, which then goes through peer review. ICHCC's application asks for that sample projection together with the peer-review critique.
A point of confusion worth flagging: the provider's overview contains a stray final reference to developing a sample life care plan. Both the ICHCC requirement and the surrounding Module 7 description make clear the work product is a sample medical cost projection. Do not prepare a life care plan in its place. The CMCPS credential is about the medical cost projection as its own discipline, and the report you submit should reflect that identity.
Key Takeaway
Treat Module 7 as a work-product requirement, not as written-question coverage. Start gathering the documentation request early, since a report that must be peer reviewed adds calendar time that no amount of module study can shorten.
Because the report ties together everything from the referral form (Module 3) to coding and pricing (Module 6), it is a useful self-test. If you cannot confidently trace how a referral becomes a priced, coded, injury-specific projection, revisit the earlier modules before you submit.
Sequencing Your Modules With the Application and Exam
The only study framework worth including here is the one tied directly to this pathway's structure. Because the modules build on one another and Module 7 depends on the rest, a sensible order follows the module sequence, with the report treated as its own phase.
Foundations: Modules 1-2
- Learn the definition, stakeholders, ethics and contextual framework
- Absorb the methodology early, since every later module assumes it
Process and Format: Module 3
- Study the referral form and the report format side by side
- Note the processing hints you will reuse in Module 7
Injury Types: Modules 4-5
- Work through one injury type at a time, capturing the review and assessment considerations for each
- Build your own comparison notes, since the six types are not named in public descriptions
Coding, Pricing and the Report: Modules 6-7
- Practice identifying codes and pricing sources
- Request documentation and draft your projection for peer review
Leave a review pass for Modules 1-3 right before exam day, because the definitions, ethics and report-format material are the most portable across any question style. The CMCPS study guide expands this into a fuller preparation plan, and the CMCPS cheat sheet condenses the must-know facts into a one-page review.
After Training: Testing, Results and Renewal
Once your education, experience, training and sample report are in order, you submit the ICHCC application. Allow at least seven business days for processing. After approval, ICHCC supplies a candidate ID and an examination voucher, and you schedule with the proctoring provider, Prov, to test on a home or office computer. Examination results are available within 24-36 hours. For scheduling logistics and deadlines, see the guide to CMCPS exam dates and scheduling.
Certification is not permanent. Renewal happens every three years and requires 15 CEUs, including at least five ethics CEUs. The renewal fee is $300 when preapproved CEUs are used or $350 when non-preapproved CEUs are submitted. Renewal by examination costs $795 and is available only before expiration, not after. These renewal credits and periods are administrative requirements; they are not exam timers or weights.
When you are ready to move from coursework to testing practice, the CMCPS practice test site offers question practice aligned to the seven preparation areas, and the difficulty guide helps you calibrate expectations. If you are weighing where the credential can take you, the articles on CMCPS jobs and the CMCPS salary guide are good next stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. ICHCC lists approved 45-hour training as an eligibility requirement. The AAACEUs program is publicly identified as pre-approved for this pathway. Current CLCP and CCLCP holders may bypass Modules 1-6 but still complete Module 7.
No. Training is only one eligibility component. You also need the qualifying education and work experience, the sample medical cost projection with peer-review critique, an approved ICHCC application, and a passing result on the certification examination.
The AAACEUs pathway lists $899 for the six training modules and $399 for the separate sample-report module. Adding the $495 ICHCC application/examination fee gives a $1,793 subtotal, which excludes the separate $30 proctoring fee paid to Prov.
No. Course-completion quizzes and the peer-reviewed Module 7 report are distinct from the certification examination, which you schedule with Prov after ICHCC approval. The public sources do not state the exam's question count, timer, format, or passing threshold.
The public descriptions say the two modules together cover six commonly encountered injury types, with considerations, review and assessment specific to each, but they do not list the six. Check the course materials directly for the specific categories.