The credit application number can be found in the following places: the CME Provider Dashboard, the application’s Activity Summary page, and on the invoice for the application. It’s important to notate your credit application number as you’ll need to provide it to Credit System staff any time you contact them with questions or information regarding your CME activity.
Once a credit application is submitted, CME providers can only edit the marketing information and, if applicable, the location information from the application’s Activity Summary page that’s accessible through the CME Provider Dashboard. ALSO providers can edit the course coordinator and course director at any time. Providers can also send in additional information, such as slide decks, after an application has been submitted by using the +Send Additional Information button from the Activity Summary page.
For any other changes, please notify the AAFP Credit System via email at cmecredit@aafp.org. It’s important to note that if the wrong credit application pathway is submitted, the CME provider will be asked to submit a new application on the correct pathway.
If the credit amount needs to be revised on your application after it’s been submitted, then please email the Credit System at cmecredit@aafp.org and they’ll make those changes on your behalf.
It’s important to note that if the credit amount is changing after the activity has been reviewed and a credit determination made, then re-review fees will apply.
To check the status of a credit application or session status, you’ll start off by logging into your CME Provider Dashboard. Once logged in, you will see your dashboard, which lists all applications for which you are the owner. The status of the application will appear in the far right of the dashboard.
To check the status of an individual session, log in to the CME Provider Dashboard and click on the activity name for the application the session is tied to. The Activity Summary page will open. You can check the status of individual sessions by scrolling down to the Sessions section, where you'll see a table that includes the session status. To find the session number, click on the carrot next to the session.
A credit determination letter will be sent for the overall activity. On an advanced application, separate approval letters will not be sent for sessions added post-activity approval. Providers will need to check the status of these individual sessions on their activity summary page.
1. Log in to your CME provider dashboard.
2. Locate the activity you’re wanting to get the invoice for and click on the activity name within the dashboard. (This will open the Activity Summary page for the associated activity.)
3. Once on the Activity Summary page, scroll down to the Payment History section.
4. Click on the down arrow, or carrot, next to the invoice number.
5. Click “View” next to Invoice/Receipt to download a PDF copy of your receipt or invoice.
These types of fees are added after the application has been submitted since a Credit System staff member has to determine whether a credit application qualifies for a rush review or re-review. If your activity does meet the requirements for these types of reviews, then a staff member will create an invoice for you and share it with you via email. The invoice will include your organization’s AAFP ID number along with the invoice number. You can use that information to pay for your new invoice via the Quick Pay link. If an email address is entered on the Quick Pay screen then it’ll automatically send you an email of your paid receipt. You also have the option of calling us to pay for the additional fees. Staff would then email you a copy of the paid receipt.
If you submitted an advanced pathway credit application for a medical journal, blended learning, or enduring material CME activity then you’re receiving this error message because you have exceeded the maximum number of credits you originally purchased. If you wish to add more credits to your CME activity application, then you will have to pay the difference in the next pricing tier in order to add more credits to your application. Please call the AAFP Credit System at (800) 274-2237 in order to pay the difference in review fees.
If a faculty member, or speaker, cannot participate in the activity, and the content (i.e. the topic and learning objectives) is changing then you’ll need to email the Credit System at cmecredit@aafp.org to notify them. If new content is being added then a re-review will have to be conducted and a fee of $125 will be charged for this type of change, If the speaker has canceled and the content is remaining the same with a new speaker presenting it, or the session has been canceled all together and not replaced with new content, then a re-review fee will not be charged.
At times, the AAFP Credit System needs additional information on credit applications in order to better understand content or ensure that the content in question aligns with the AAFP Credit System’s eligibility requirements.
Please know these requests are part of our standard process and do not indicate that content is not eligible for credit. As always, we strongly encourage the use of the eligibility requirements as a guide when creating CME. Additionally, the decision tree is a good resource if it is unclear whether an activity is eligible for CME credit through the AAFP Credit System.
You have a few options in this scenario.
Please note that if additional information is requested, and we do not receive it within 30 days, then we will automatically cancel the application review.
For an activity to receive Prescribed credit, an AAFP active or life member must be listed AND family physicians must be included in the primary audience.
There are three different options available to CME providers if one of their CME sessions or activities is denied:
1. The CME provider can move forward with the education without offering AAFP credit for that CME session/activity.
2. The CME provider can appeal the credit determination.
3. CME provider can revise the content to meet our eligibility requirements to make it eligible. Note, this option is only available if the activity/session has not already occurred. This type of change would constitute a re-review fee of $125.
Yes. If a CME provider wishes to appeal determination of credit, the provider may submit up to 500 words of comment or information pertinent to the reason for denial. The appeal must be submitted within 90 business days after receipt of the credit determination. Final determination of AAFP Credit rests with the Commission on Continuing Professional Development (COCPD). All appeal decisions are final.
Learn more about the AAFP Credit System appeals process.
After an activity receives official AAFP credit approval, "Save the Date" announcements and the AAFP CME credit seal may be used to indicate that the activity was approved for AAFP credit without using the full, official AAFP credit statement. Marketing options are listed below.
Family physicians or others seeking CME credit activities can search our Search All AAFP Certified CME page. You have the option to allow your CME activity to be visible on this page for free, which would allow our more than 136,700 members to view it when searching for activities to attend. Your marketing description of the activity that is included in the application for AAFP CME credit will be listed on the website and can impact how learners are able to find it.
CME providers will receive an approval letter with the official credit statement from AAFP once their application for AAFP credit has been approved. The official credit statement must be used as provided by the AAFP Credit System and can be used to notify learners that the CME activity has AAFP CME credit.
CME providers can also use the AAFP CME credits seal as a visual sign that the activity has been approved by the AAFP Credit System. It may therefore signify to AAFP members and others that the educational activity is relevant to the scope of family medicine.
Check out the AAFP CME seal and its associated brand guidelines.