AMCA Administrative Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient calls to reschedule an appointment. Which action should the medical assistant take first?
- Immediately delete the original appointment
- Ask for the patient's name and date of birth to locate their record (Correct answer)
- Transfer the call to the physician
- Place the patient on hold without explanation
Correct answer: Ask for the patient's name and date of birth to locate their record
Verifying patient identity before making scheduling changes ensures the correct record is updated.
Question 2: Which of the following is considered a HIPAA-compliant method of disposing of paper containing PHI?
- Placing documents in the regular trash
- Shredding with a cross-cut shredder (Correct answer)
- Recycling through the building's bin
- Tearing documents in half before discarding
Correct answer: Shredding with a cross-cut shredder
Cross-cut shredding renders PHI unreadable and is an approved HIPAA disposal method.
Question 3: What does the abbreviation 'EOB' stand for in medical billing?
- End of Benefits
- Explanation of Benefits (Correct answer)
- Evidence of Billing
- Estimate of Balance
Correct answer: Explanation of Benefits
An Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is a statement from the insurer detailing what was covered and what the patient owes.
Question 4: When scheduling a new patient, which information is typically collected first?
- Insurance billing codes
- Demographic and contact information (Correct answer)
- Chief complaint only
- Physician preference for appointment length
Correct answer: Demographic and contact information
Demographic and contact information establishes the patient's identity and is needed to create a new record.
Question 5: A medical assistant notices a discrepancy between a patient's insurance card and the information in the system. What is the best course of action?
- Proceed with the old information to avoid delays
- Ask the patient to clarify and update the record accordingly (Correct answer)
- Deny the appointment until resolved by billing
- Contact the insurance company without informing the patient
Correct answer: Ask the patient to clarify and update the record accordingly
Confirming updated insurance details with the patient prevents claim denials and billing errors.
Question 6: Which scheduling method groups similar types of appointments together during the same time block?
- Wave scheduling
- Cluster scheduling (Correct answer)
- Open booking
- Double booking
Correct answer: Cluster scheduling
Cluster scheduling groups similar procedures or patient types to increase efficiency.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a superbill in a medical office?
- To record a patient's vital signs
- To document services rendered for billing purposes (Correct answer)
- To authorize a referral to a specialist
- To obtain prior authorization from an insurer
Correct answer: To document services rendered for billing purposes
A superbill lists diagnosis codes, procedure codes, and fees to support insurance claim submission.
AMCA Administrative Skills 2
A patient calls to reschedule an appointment.
Which action should the medical assistant take first?