CRCR CRCR - Certified Revenue Cycle Representative Program Account Follow-Up and Collections 2

Question 1

A patient balance of $450 has been unpaid for 90 days. What is the most appropriate next step in the collections process?

Accepted Answer

Send a second collection notice and offer a payment plan

Answer

Write off the balance immediately

Answer

Transfer the account to an external collection agency without notice

Answer

Adjust the balance off as a contractual write-off

Question 2

Which account follow-up strategy is most effective for reducing days in accounts receivable?

Accepted Answer

Working accounts by payer bucket and aging category

Answer

Waiting for patients to call with questions

Answer

Only following up on balances over $1,000

Answer

Reassigning all accounts to a single collector

Question 3

What does the term self-pay after insurance mean in collections?

Accepted Answer

The remaining balance owed by the patient after insurance has paid its portion

Answer

A patient who has no insurance at all

Answer

An account flagged for charity care

Answer

A balance that has been sent to collections already

Question 4

Which metric best measures the effectiveness of a collections department?

Accepted Answer

Collections rate as a percentage of net patient revenue

Answer

Number of patient complaints received

Answer

Total number of accounts assigned

Answer

Number of accounts written off annually

Question 5

When a patient account is referred to an outside collection agency, what must the healthcare organization typically do first?

Accepted Answer

Provide the patient with advance notice per applicable regulations

Answer

Obtain prior authorization from the patient's insurer

Answer

Delete all clinical records associated with the account

Answer

Notify the state insurance commissioner

Question 6

A collection letter is returned as undeliverable. What should the revenue cycle team do?

Accepted Answer

Use skip tracing to locate updated patient contact information

Answer

Immediately write off the balance

Answer

File a claim with the payer for the balance

Answer

Mark the account as a bad debt write-off in 30 days