Administrative Duties Flashcards
7 cards from real CCMA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Administrative Duties flashcards as text
A medical assistant receives a subpoena for a patient's medical records. What is the correct response?
Answer: Notify the physician and the practice's legal counsel before taking any action
A subpoena is a legal document that requires a formal response; the physician and legal counsel must be notified to ensure proper compliance procedures are followed.
What is the purpose of an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) document?
Answer: To explain how an insurance claim was processed and what the patient owes
An EOB is sent by the insurance company detailing what was billed, what was allowed, what was paid, and the patient's remaining responsibility.
Which ICD coding system is currently used in the United States for diagnoses on medical claims?
Answer: ICD-10-CM
The United States mandated the transition to ICD-10-CM for diagnosis coding on October 1, 2015, and it remains the current standard.
A patient without insurance asks about the cost of a routine office visit before their appointment. What is the best approach?
Answer: Provide the self-pay fee schedule and inform them of any payment plan options
Providing transparent pricing and payment options helps uninsured patients make informed decisions and improves collections for the practice.
What is the primary purpose of maintaining a 'tickler file' in a medical office?
Answer: To track follow-up tasks and time-sensitive items that need future attention
A tickler file is a chronological reminder system used to flag tasks, follow-ups, and deadlines that need attention on specific future dates.
When a check is received from an insurance company, what is the proper first step in processing it?
Answer: Post the payment to the patient's account and reconcile it with the EOB
Payments must be posted to the correct patient account and reconciled against the EOB before depositing to ensure accurate accounts receivable records.
A medical assistant discovers a coding error that resulted in the practice being overpaid by an insurance company. What should they do?
Answer: Report the overpayment to the supervisor and return the funds to the insurer
Retaining known overpayments from insurance companies is considered fraud; the practice must report and return any overpayments promptly.