About the Exam

The examination consists of 200 multiple-choice questions focusing on vocabulary, concepts, and application of managed care in today’s healthcare environment. The examination must be completed within four hours. It is closed book and proctored. It can be taken by paper or computer. The exam sitting fee is $250.

If the candidate requests a paper exam, the candidate’s exam date must be at least seven business days after the proctor form is received by ABMCN. Examinations are sent by Federal Express to the Proctor and are to arrive three business days prior to the examination date. If the candidate requests an online exam, the candidate’s exam date must be at least five business days after the proctor form is received by ABMCN. Examination instructions are sent via email to the Proctor two business days prior to the examination date. Please plan accordingly.

There is no excuse for cheating. Should such an incident occur, the candidate is to be excused from the room, and their exam score will be zero. There will be no refund of any fees, nor will they be permitted to take the exam again.

Eligibility

Please be advised that in order to take this examination, you must meet all eligibility requirements: CMCN/CMCP candidates must hold a current valid medical license (e.g. RN, LPN, LCSW, LPC, etc) in an American State, territory, or protectorate. You will need your license number to complete the application. Further, CMCN/CMCP candidates must either complete A Comprehensive Introduction to Managed Care Nursing self-study program available from the AAMCN, or they may submit a resume to the ABMCN Board of Directors (via jbeilhart@abmcn.org) that attests to a significant background in managed care.

Proctor

Your proctor can be:

  • A proctor you arrange for yourself

    • Through work—supervisor, human resources representative, or education representative

    • Through testing services with a local library, college, university, or testing center

    • Who is a current CMCN/CMCP

  • ExamRoom.AI, our third party proctor

    • Webcam & stable internet connection required

    • Online exams only

    • Additional $25 charge

  • ABMCN at one of our Managed Care Forums

    • Paper exams only

    • Additional $25 charge

Proctors must agree to the following:

  • Not taking the CMCN/CMCP exam after acting as proctor

  • Keeping all materials and knowledge gained during the process completely and totally confidential

  • Overseeing the examination continuously for a period of up to, but not more than four hours (candidates are not to be left unsupervised with the exam materials) and assuring that the candidate is in a secure environment (i.e. away from papers relevant to managed care, cell phones, people, and other possible distractions)

If the candidate requests to take the exam on paper, the exam materials will be Fed-Exed to arrive at the proctor’s location three business days prior to the exam date. If the candidate requests to take the exam online, the proctor will be emailed the exam instructions two business days prior to the exam date. Examination materials will only be sent to the proctor and never the candidate.

After Sitting The Exam

A passing score of 70% or higher is required to earn the certification. Exam scores are confidential. We send out pass/fail notification via email within two business days of receiving the exam. Exams taken by computer we receive as soon as you finish it. For paper exams, it just depends on when it gets back to us (they are sent via FedEx, so about a week if the proctor sends just after the exam is sat).

You will have three years beginning July 1 or January 1 (whichever comes first) following your passed examination before you need to renew your credential. To renew, you will need 25 CEUs from this three year period in addition to a $55 renewal fee. Your medical license must remain active to renew your certification. Accepted CEUs come from a broad range of topics that apply to managed care. See our renewal page for more information.

Content of the Examination

The examination consists of five parts: Managed Care Overview, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Management, Patient Issues, and Scenarios, which are to test mastery over the AAMCN’s standardized curriculum in managed care. A condensed content outline of the certification examination is shown below.

    1. Understand managed care and how it evolved

    2. Identify factors driving increases in healthcare costs

    3. Describe the practical application of federal laws affecting managed care, i.e. COBRA, TEFRA, and ERISA

    4. Define terminology and acronyms dealing with managed care, contracting and insurance coverage

    5. Differentiate between various organizational models known to managed care

    6. Identify different types of managed care products

    1. Explain the relationship between types of provider reimbursement

    2. Describe challenges medicine and nursing have overcome, changes in the current healthcare delivery system
      and the implications for the future of nursing

    3. Understand health economics principles for managed care organizations

    4. Understand the concepts of the negotiation process

    5. Define the trends currently impacting healthcare

    6. Define individual's challenges for functioning in the future of healthcare

    1. Identify and define the multiple components of a utilization management program

    2. Describe disease state management programs

    3. Recognize quality management's impact on the cost of care

    4. Understand the concept of case management and the case management delivery model

    5. Identify basic quality improvement activities in a managed care setting

    6. Recognize the current accreditation/regulatory bodies and understand the implications of
      accreditation/regulation and certification

    7. Describe the content in a managed care report card and the IT systems used to gather data for it

    8. Describe provider profiling and its effects on managed care

    9. Identify the impact of informatics on managed care and the healthcare industry

    1. Identify the critical factors impacting member benefits

    2. Recognize the consumers perception of the effectiveness of managed care

    3. Understand the managed care nurse's role

    4. Describe the differences between principles, values, and ethics

    5. Recognize the legal fundamentals, contractual and risk management issues and their effects on managed
      healthcare

    6. Identify the grievance process and alternative dispute resolution

    7. Understand the basics of malpractice action

    8. Understand the implications of the nurse practice act

  • Essential skills necessary to understand job responsibility and accountability.

Have a question?

If you need additional information, check out our FAQs. Question not answered there? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to connecting with you.