CMAA Patient Intake and Registration 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient arrives for an appointment but their insurance card shows a different group number than what is on file. What is the correct action?
- Schedule the appointment and update the record later
- Ask the patient to reschedule until the discrepancy is resolved
- Verify the current insurance information with the patient and update the record before the visit (Correct answer)
- Proceed with the old group number to avoid delays
Correct answer: Verify the current insurance information with the patient and update the record before the visit
Insurance information should be verified and updated at every visit to ensure accurate billing and avoid claim denials.
Question 2: Which form authorizes a medical administrative assistant to discuss a patient's health information with a designated family member?
- Consent to Treatment form
- HIPAA Authorization for Release of Information (Correct answer)
- Notice of Privacy Practices
- Assignment of Benefits form
Correct answer: HIPAA Authorization for Release of Information
A HIPAA Authorization for Release of Information must be signed by the patient before staff may share PHI with any third party, including family members.
Question 3: When entering a patient's date of birth during registration, the MAA accidentally transposes two digits. What is the most likely consequence?
- The patient will be billed a higher copay
- Insurance claims may be rejected due to demographic mismatch (Correct answer)
- The appointment reminder will be sent to the wrong patient
- The patient's medication list will be altered
Correct answer: Insurance claims may be rejected due to demographic mismatch
Insurance carriers match claims against member eligibility records using date of birth; a mismatch causes claim rejection.
Question 4: A new patient requests that their records not be shared with their primary care physician. How should the MAA respond?
- Deny the request because coordination of care overrides patient preference
- Document the restriction request and flag the account accordingly after confirming with the provider (Correct answer)
- Share the records anyway since physicians are permitted under HIPAA
- Immediately destroy any records related to the patient
Correct answer: Document the restriction request and flag the account accordingly after confirming with the provider
Patients have the right to request restrictions on information sharing; the request should be documented and reviewed with clinical staff per office policy.
Question 5: During patient registration, which identifier is MOST critical to collect to prevent duplicate medical records?
- Patient's employer name
- Full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security Number (Correct answer)
- Emergency contact phone number
- Preferred pharmacy information
Correct answer: Full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security Number
Full legal name, date of birth, and SSN are the primary demographic identifiers used to match patients and prevent duplicate or merged records.
Question 6: A patient who speaks limited English arrives for registration. What is the federally recommended approach?
- Ask a bilingual family member to interpret all medical information
- Use a qualified medical interpreter service (Correct answer)
- Have the patient sign forms in English regardless of comprehension
- Reschedule the appointment until a bilingual staff member is available
Correct answer: Use a qualified medical interpreter service
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and HHS guidelines require that covered entities provide qualified interpreter services at no cost to patients with limited English proficiency.
Question 7: What does 'coordination of benefits' (COB) mean in the context of patient registration?
- Splitting a patient's bill equally between the patient and the provider
- A process that determines which of a patient's multiple insurance plans pays first (Correct answer)
- A discount program offered to patients with two or more chronic conditions
- An agreement between the physician and hospital to share payment
Correct answer: A process that determines which of a patient's multiple insurance plans pays first
COB rules establish the order in which multiple insurance plans pay claims to prevent overpayment beyond 100% of covered charges.
CMAA Patient Intake and Registration 4
A patient arrives for an appointment but their insurance card shows a different group number than what is on file.
What is the correct action?