Week 10 Review

MAs may record ______________, or income to the practice, and ______________, or expenses for the practice.

• Credits; debits
• Debits; credits
• Cash; credit
• Credit; cash

A patient encounter summary is created

• If there is a charge in addition to the patient’s copayment
• If a new diagnosis is made
• If a patient needs proof of the visit for work or school
• For every visit

What are two common ways to group patients into billing cycles?

• Alphabetically by first name; numerically by insurance policy number
• Alphabetically by last name; numerically by social security number
• Alphabetically by last name; by date of service
• By date of service; by length of time the patient has seen the provider

Which of the following would be true at an office that charges patients on a sliding scale?

• The provider would decide on a case-by-case basis if he wanted to use the sliding scale or not.
• The sliding scale would be used in the same way for all patients.
• Each patient could choose whether to pay on a sliding scale or not.
• The sliding scale would only apply to the highest-cost services.

Any adjustments to a provider’s usual charges must be

• Authorized by CMS
• Supported by written office policy
• Reported to the CDC
• Requested by the patient

How often are patients billed for outstanding balances?

• Weekly
• Every other week
• Monthly
• Quarterly

What should always be done when a patient pays for an appointment using cash?

• The money should be counted in front of the patient and a receipt should be provided.
• The MA should request that the patient pay in the largest bills possible to reduce the chance of counting errors.
• The money should be added to the office’s petty cash and the patient asked to sign the petty cash register.
• A second staff member should witness the payment and a receipt should be provided.

If a medical office offers a year-long payment plan on a large bill, the patient must

• Agree to the office putting a lien on her home
• Pay at least half of the bill up front
• Agree to pay any new charges in full during that time
• Be told the total cost of the plan, including any interest

What does an aging report show?

• The appointments for the day at a medical facility, organized by the patients’ ages
• The length of time that has passed since a charge was posted to an account
• The length of time it will take for a patient with a payment plan to complete all payments
• A patient’s history of on-time payment

For an office with a policy of following the requirements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which of these practices would not be allowed?

• Telling a patient with an overdue balance that their case will be referred to law enforcement if payment is not received in 30 days
• Calling a patient at 6:00 p.m. to request payment
• Sending a letter to the patient noting that after 120 days their account will be turned over to a collection agency
• Leaving a voicemail that says, “Hello, this is Kathie at Hartman Physicians’ Group calling for Joe. Please give me a call at 505-291-1274.”