ABA HALM study guide
ABA HALM · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABA Health Law and Management (HALM) Certification is a professional credential for people who work at the intersection of health care law and health care operations - compliance officers, health care administrators, in-house counsel and paralegals, revenue cycle and contracting staff, and consultants who need fluency in both the legal framework and the business realities it governs. The exam is multiple choice and is organized around six domains: health law fundamentals and the regulatory environment; compliance, privacy, and fraud and abuse; health care operations and management; finance, reimbursement, and contracting; governance, ethics, and professional responsibility; and risk management and quality improvement. The ABA HALM study guide has 6 sections and about 1,919 words.
01Health Law Fundamentals and Regulatory Environment
A candidate must be able to sort the sources of health law into layers. Statutes (Social Security Act Titles XVIII and XIX, EMTALA, the Affordable Care Act, state licensure acts) set the frame.
332 words, about 2 min02Compliance, Privacy, and Fraud and Abuse
Compliance questions blend the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules with the federal fraud and abuse laws : the False Claims Act (FCA), the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), the physician self-referral law (Stark), the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, and the Exclusion authorities. HIPAA governs use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI); fraud and abuse governs financial arrangements and billing integrity.
329 words, about 2 min03Health Care Operations and Management
Operations questions test whether you understand how a health care entity actually functions: governance-to-frontline flow , staffing and credentialing, patient flow, supply chain, and information systems. A candidate must know the difference between clinical operations (care delivery, staffing ratios, care pathways) and business operations (revenue cycle, human resources, facilities).
310 words, about 2 min04Finance, Reimbursement, and Contracting
Finance questions require fluency in how providers are paid and how risk is allocated. A candidate must know the major payment methodologies : fee-for-service, prospective payment (DRG, APC, RUG), capitation, and value-based arrangements including shared savings and bundles.
327 words, about 2 min05Governance, Ethics, and Professional Responsibility
Governance questions test the board's role versus management's role. The governing body sets strategy, ensures financial viability, appoints and evaluates the CEO, and oversees quality and compliance through a duty of care and duty of loyalty .
298 words, about 1 min06Risk Management and Quality Improvement
Risk management and quality improvement questions test whether you can distinguish reacting to events from preventing them . A candidate must know the risk management process : identify, assess, reduce, and monitor.
323 words, about 2 min