Lapsed Certification

Loss and Reinstatement of Certification

Individuals who do not meet recertification requirements will lose certified status. To reinstate certified status, individuals may:

1. Submit the required number of CEs and pay the applicable late fee(s).
2. Submit a late renewal request.
3. Apply for Reinstatement.
4. Apply for Retired Status.
5. Apply for Inactive Status.
6. Re-establish eligibility and pass the certification examination.

Late Renewal Requests

PACB will accept and review late renewal requests submitted up to one year after the expiration date printed on the individual’s certificate. To be considered for a late renewal, the BCPA must present:

• Documentation of completion of at least 30 hours of continuing education, completed during the 3-year certification cycle, up to and including the 12 months after expiration.*
• Payment of a late fee assessed at $10/month
• Continuing Education (CE) must be directly related to one of the six domains outlined in the Competencies and Best Practices required for a Board Certified Patient Advocate document or to the Ethical Standards for a Board Certified Patient Advocate.
• Continued agreement and compliance with the Code of Professional Responsibility.
• A documented rationale for having missed the renewal deadline.

*Submission of thirty (30) hours of approved Continuing Education (including six (6) hours of Ethics) and three (3) hours in the area of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Making a Late Renewal Request

To make a late renewal request, contact PACB to submit documented rationale for missing the renewal deadline. If the request is approved, the BCPA may submit the required continuing education, pay late fees, and submit the renewal form and renewal fee. Once completed, an updated certificate will be issued, and the individual may resume use of the BCPA credential.

Renewal Fees

Beginning with renewals due in 2023, the following fee structure will apply.

Withdrawals and Refunds

Once applications for renewal of certification by Continuing Education have been submitted to PACB, they may not be withdrawn. Fees for re-certification by CE are nonrefundable.

Rejected Applications for Recertification of the BCPA Credential

PACB may reject applications for recertification for any of the following reasons:

1. The application is incomplete or not completed properly.
2. PACB determines the applicant did not meet the eligibility requirement for recertification.
3. The application materials and/or the fee were not submitted by the designated deadline.

In the event that an application is rejected for one of the above stated reasons, the application fee, less a $125 processing fee, will be refunded.

Filing a Recertification Extension Request

Keeping your credential active requires renewal every three (3) years. A BCPA may apply to PACB for a filing extension due to the following conditions:

• Unemployment
• Appointment or election to full-time public office on the local, state, or national level
• Service in the military
• Health related issues

A request for the filing extension must be submitted in writing to PACB within three (3) months of their recertification date. Extensions are not granted for more than one (1) year and are subject to the review of the Certification Commission. There may be an extension fee of $125 applied to each request.

Filing a Reinstatement Request

Reinstatement of a lapsed credential is not the same process as recertification. Reinstatement of the BCPA may be available to eligible individuals who are considered “not currently certified” after their Board Certified Patient Advocate certification has expired or has been resigned, retired, or revoked.

Who is Eligible to Apply for Reinstatement of the BCPA?

• An individual whose BCPA certification expired after failing to comply with certification maintenance standards.
• An individual who decides to return to practice after resigning their BCPA certification through Inactive Status.
• An individual who decides to return to practice after retiring from their BCPA certification.
• An individual whose BCPA certification was revoked by the Compliance Commission, but who has petitioned and received approval to reinstate, as well as meeting all the Board’s reinstatement conditions or requirements.

Reinstatement Policies and Procedures

Individuals seeking reinstatement of the BCPA must:

• Provide evidence of professional development activities that support the Scope of Practice for patient and health care advocates as outlined in the six domains of Competency and Ethical Standards.
• Eligible CEs must have been earned no more than 3 years prior to submitting the application for reinstatement.
• If applying for reinstatement within 1 year of expiration, provide evidence of 10 CEs earned no more than 12 months prior to application.
• Submit a reinstatement application and fee $195.00; and
• Late fee – up to $120 (May be prorated at $10.00 per month for lapses of less than a year).

Reinstatement Application Instructions

Individuals seeking reinstatement of the BCPA certification must complete and submit all of the following items:

• Complete the online Reinstatement Application.
• Evidence of continuing education activities based on the number of years not currently certified (i.e., 1 year=10 hours of CE; 2 years=20 hours; 3 years=30 hours).
• List professional development activities on the online application and include the (a) title of the course/activity, (b) name of sponsoring course provider, (c) date of completion, and (d) the number of hours earned.

2023 Reinstatement Fees

Professional Development for Reinstatement

Acceptable activities must have been completed no more than 3 years prior to submission of the reinstatement application form. If applying for reinstatement within 1 year of expiration CEs must have been earned no more than 12 months prior to application.

Provide evidence of professional development activities/CEs that support the Scope of Practice for patient and health care advocates as outlined in the six domains of Competency and Ethical Standards.

Reinstatement Timeline

Please allow approximately 6 weeks for the review of your completed online application and all required documentation. Certification will be reinstated only after we have verified that all reinstatement requirements have been met.

Maintenance of Certification

Once the certification has been granted, all certificate holders must be aware that maintenance of certification is accomplished through abiding by the PACB Code of Ethics, payment of the recertification fee, and accrual of 30 hours of continuing education during each 3-year maintenance interval.

Loss of Certification

Individuals who have a voluntary “Expired” status, are beyond their grace period, and have made no attempt to contact PACB to fulfill their certification requirements are no longer certified. To be reinstated, they must: Complete another initial program application (with payment), re-establish eligibility to reapply, and re-take and pass the BCPA exam.

Reinstatement Application

Appeals

The PACB appeals process is available to any individual who believes that PACB has unfairly or inaccurately applied the recertification criteria to an individual’s application. The appeals process is designed to a.) provide an opportunity to fully review the facts of the issue raised, b.) provide a second evaluation by a different set of evaluators of the materials presented to PACB as meeting the criteria for eligibility for recertification of the BCPA credential, c.) provide due process for all parties, and d.) consistently apply the criteria for renewal of certification as set out in the BCPA Continuing Education and Renewal Handbook.

A copy of the appeals procedure will be emailed with the notice of ineligibility. If an individual decides to file an appeal, the details of the process will be clearly outlined. Appeals are only available to individuals whose applications are rejected for ineligibility. Applications rejected for being incomplete, completed incorrectly, submitted late, or for any other reason cannot be appealed.

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