billing and collections

fee schedule

A list of specified fees a physician charges for services

another term for "superbill

Encounter form

Determining Fees

The assistant must also be able to explain which fees go with which services.

Coding

The medical office assistant must understand the codes that appear on a patient's bill. The assistant must be able to explain those codes and their related fees to the patient. The medical profession uses two types of coding: Diagnostic coding Procedural coding

An invoice

What is the name of a patient bill that records services and charges for a specific time period?

UCR Fees

if an insurance carrier will pay $50 for a service, and the office charges $40, the office should raise the fee to $50 to collect full payment from the carrier

Procedural coding

is also made up of numeric codes. These codes correspond to particular procedures performed in response to the physician's diagnosis.

Diagnostic coding

is made up of numeric codes which correspond to particular diseases, illnesses, and injuries.

reasonable fee

is one that is appropriate to the difficulty of a procedure or service.

usual fee

is the fee that a physician charges most often for a specific service.

customary fee

is the range of usual fees charged for the same service by similar physicians in similar areas.

super bill

A patient invoice listing services performed in one visit