Chapter 48 - Billing and Collections Short Quiz

When preparing bills, Christa notices that one patient account has a balance of -$20.00. After verifying that all entries are correct, what should Christa do? The patient has no appointment scheduled. A. Issue a refund to the patient for $20.00 B. Send out the statement with the others C. Refrain from sending a statement that month D. Ask the physician to decide what to do

A. Issue a refund to the patient for $20.00

If the physicians in Christa's practice do not want to use a collection agency for overdue accounts, what other options are commonly used to collect overdue accounts? A. Small claims court B. Mediation and arbitration C. Using a bail bondsman D. All are correct

A. Small claims court

When preparing an account aging report on 7/15/XX, Christa reviews the bill for a patient named Edgar Stone. He does not have health insurance, and there is an outstanding balance of $48.50. There has been no payment since the patient visit on 4/30/XX. How overdue is this account? A. 30 to 60 days B. 60 to 90 days C. 90 to 120 days D. More than 120 days

B. 60 to 90 days

If a patient's account is turned over to a collection agency, what will Christa usually do as a bookkeeping function with the patient's account? A. Delete the account from the active patient records. B. Adjust the patient balance to zero so that monthly bills will not be created. C. Make a notation in the notes section of the name and telephone number of the collection agency. D. Nothing; it is important to continue to send monthly bills to the patient.

B. Adjust the patient balance to zero so that monthly bills will not be created.

On 7/17/XX, Christa makes a telephone call to Mr. Stone to discuss his account that has been outstanding since 4/30/XX. Which guideline should she follow when making this call? A. She is not allowed to call him at work. B. She is not allowed to call him after 10:00 PM. C. She is not allowed to ask for Mr. Stone if a third party answers the telephone. D. All are correct.

B. She is not allowed to call him after 10:00 PM.

When Christa is having a telephone conversation with Edgar Stone on 7/17/XX about his outstanding balance, she knows that the office visit took place on 4/30/XX. What should she try to accomplish during the telephone conversation? A. Set up a daily time when she can call to remind him of his financial obligation. B. Threaten to take him to court as a means of frightening him into paying the bill. C. Encourage him to give a specific date and amount that he promises to send to the medical office. D. Tell him that if he pays within 10 days, the office will not charge any interest, but otherwise he owes an additional fee of $15.00 for interest.

C. Encourage him to give a specific date and amount that he promises to send to the medical office.

Christa works in an office that does cycle billing. Patients with last names beginning with A-E are billed the first week of the month, F-L the second week, M-S the third week, and T-Z the fourth week. If Christa is preparing bills on Friday, June 20, which group of patients should she prepare bills for? A. Last names A-E B. Last names F-L C. Last names M-S D. Last names T-Z

C. Last names M-S

The bank returns a check for $20.00 marked "Not Sufficient Funds" (NSF) with a notice that the balance of medical office checking account will be reduced by $45.00, $20.00 for the returned check and $25.00 as a fee. The patient balance is $78.00 before the check is returned. What should the balance be after Christa posts the NSF check and fee? A. $93.00 B. $98.00 C. $103.00 D. $123.00

D. $123.00

If no payment is received from Mr. Stone on his outstanding balance from 4/30/XX, when should Christa turn the account over for collection? A. After 6/30/XX B. After 7/30/XX C. After 8/30/XX D. After 9/30/XX

D. After 9/30/XX

When Christa is processing the mail, she notices that a patient bill has been returned to the office with the post office notation, "Unknown at this address." What is the first action that Christa should take after verifying that the address on the envelope is the same as the address in the patient's billing record? A. Call the patient's place of employment. B. Call the telephone number of the individual listed as the emergency contact or next of kin. C. Resend the letter in a new envelope to the patient in care of his or her business address. D. Call the cell phone number from the patient's billing record.

D. Call the cell phone number from the patient's billing record.