Front Office

What is the principal characteristic that differentiates a corporation from sole proprietorships and partnerships in the medical field?

owned by one individual; all decisions made by owner; owner receives all profits, responsible for debts, losses; limited life

If the physician believes that the insurance company will only pay $185.00 of the $255.00 fee, how should he bill for the service?

$255 and advise the patient that he or she will be billed for the balance after the insurance pays the claim.

When you express empathy for a patient who is very ill, this means that you:

-showed an understanding -shared a feeling to another

How should you deal with patients who are always late for an appointment?

-they can book the patients at the end of the day -or schedule them at a later time

Which statement is true regarding the procedures that the medical assistant should perform when handling incoming mail?

B) Check carefully for any enclosures mentioned in the letters

Define emancipated minor?

Emancipation of minors is a legal mechanism by which a minor is freed from control by his or her parents or guardians, and the parents or guardians are freed from any and all responsibility toward the child.

What is the professional courtesy?

Professional courtesy generally refers to a philosophy of particular professional behavior or etiquette which is extended between members of the same profession.

Should patients be personally escorted to exam and treatment areas and given detailed instructions about what they are to do?

True

To code an annual check-up, the medical assistant would need to use what type of code?

V code

Which statement is true regarding the handling of charts for patients who have appointments on a given day?

pull all files before the first patients who have appt on a given day

When working under a managed care plan, what does a physician agree to?

to accept predetermined fees for specific procedures and services instead of the fee for service method.

When you must postpone a patient's appointment, how do you notify them?

-to be told the specific reason for the physician's absence -noted in the patient's medical record -When you have advance notice, write a letter to patients with appointments you must cancel, indicating that the physician will be away from the office but will return by a certain date. -Patient should be alerted to cancellations one week before their appointments.

How would you hold the mouthpiece of the telephone handset when speaking on the phone?

1 inch from lips

Which codes occasionally require a fifth digit in order to be more specific?

5th-digit assignments and instructions appear at the beginning of a: Section: For example, at beginning of section 200-208, Malignant Neoplasm of Lymphatic and Hematopoietic Tissue, fifth digits must be assigned to categories 200-202 to describe the site of the lymph node involved. 5th-digit assignments and instructions appear at the beginning of a: Category: For example, at the beginning of category 250, Diabetes mellitus, a fifth digit should be assigned to describe the type of diabetes mellitus 5th-digit assignments and instructions appear at the beginning of a: Subcategory: For example, the fourth-digit subcategory 786.5, Chest pain, is further subdivided to the fifth-digit level to describe specific types of chest pain

What is the purpose of a disbursement journal?

A cash disbursement journal is a record kept by accountants to record all financial expenditures made by a company. Cash disbursement journals serve a number of functions, such as a source for recording tax write-offs and the categorization of other expenses.

Name the endocrine glands:

Adrenal Glands Hypothalamus Ovaries Pancreas Parathyroid Pineal Gland Pituitary Gland Testes Thymus Thyroid

What best describes the relationship of administrative and clinical medical assisting responsibilities?

Both are of equal importance in maintaining a high quality medical practice.

What does it mean when you "screen" telephone cells?

C Selecting which calls should be forwarded to which staff members through an understanding of the purpose of the call.

What is a CVA?

Cerebrovascular accident

Why should the medical assistant be extremely careful when using a speakerphone?

Confidentiality can be violated

The practice is experiencing an increased number of telephone calls from established patients with questions about office insurance policies. Which of the following is the most effective method to solve this problem?

Develop and distribute a practice information booklet with insurance information.

What are the "four D's" of negligence?

Duty Patient must show that the physician-patient relationship existed in which the physician owed the patient a duty Derelict Patients must show that the physician failed to comply with standards of the profession. For example a gynecologist has routinely taken Pap smears of a patient and then for whatever reason does not do so. If the patient then shows evidence of cervical cancer the physician could be said to have been derelict. Direct cause Patients must show that any damages were a direct cause of a physician's breach of duty. For example, if the a patient fell on the sidewalk and damaged her cast, she could not prove that the cast was damaged because it was incorrectly or poorly applied by her physician. It would be clear that the damage to the cast resulted from the fall. If, however, the patient's leg healed incorrectly because of the way the cast had been applied, she might have a case. Damages Patients must prove that they suffered injury

Why should you become an active member of a medical assisting organization?

Ensuring fair pay by asking others about their salaries.

What kind of problem does an E-code identify?

Environmental events Circumstances Other conditions How it happened (cause) The intent (intentional or unintentional) The place where the event occurred (location) The external cause status of the person involved The activity of the person seeking healthcare for an injury or health condition Provide valuable public health information Describe the types of accidents and other events that bring patients to a healthcare facility.

Name the different tables found in a ICD-9 book:

Main terms and subterms are arranged in tables instead of standard columns Hypertension Neoplasm Simplifies access to complex combinations of subterms

If your office is in New York and you need to contact a supplier in Seattle, which New York time would be the earliest that you should call to place in order?

New York is 3 hours ahead, depends on what time the supplier opens For example: If the supplier opens at 8am, you can call at 11am

What is the purpose of an outguide?

Outguides are a helpful filing system tool to identify and control x-ray files that have been removed from the filing area. When a file is removed or "checked out," an outguide is used in its place to alert personnel that the file is being used

What is the main reason for requesting feedback when communicating with a patient?

So you can get an accurate diagnosis on what the patient is feeling

What information would not be included on a patient information sheet for new patients?

Summary of medical history

If a physician decides to end his professional relationship with a patient, what must he do in order to help avoid being sued for abandonment?

The Physician must send a letter of withdrawal that includes: - A statement of intent of to terminate the relationship - The reason for this action. - The termination date at least 30-days from the date of receipt of the letter - A statement that the medical records will be transferred to another Physician at the patient's request - A strong recommendation that the patient seek additional medical care as warranted. The letter must be sent by certified mail with a return receipt requested. A copy of the termination letter and the return receipt are placed in the patient's record.

Who is the legal owner of the actual chart or original hard copy of patient's record?

The physician or the agency where services were provided

Why would a cycle billing system be advantageous for the medical office?

The physician wishes to stabilize cash flow

What information is gathered to determine an individual physician's fee profile?

The physician's actual charges over a given time period

What is the principal purpose of managed care?

The purpose for managed care plans is to reduce the cost of health care services by stimulating competition and streamlining administration.

Why is it necessary to include a note in the patient's chart when he does not show up for a scheduled appointment?

To be prepared for future legal consequences regarding the patient's care.

What is a matrix?

With wave scheduling, three or four patients are scheduled every half hour and are seen in the order in which they arrive at the office. The goal is for patients to arrive in "waves" so that there is always a patient waiting to be seen.

What is the document that lists the order in which business is to be conducted during a meeting?

agenda

What is the best way to decide if patients need special assistance in preparing for an exam or treatment?

asking all patients if you can be of assistance

What is the first step in rendering first aid to a patient who appears to have stopped breathing?

check for a pulse

The skills needed by most competent medical assistants include:

greet patients and obtain basic registration information enter information into a computer Assemble the patients medical records office accounting (electronic or manual)- collecting co pays processing patient payments Filing and adding info to the medical record basic knowledge of procedure & diagnostic coding is important Complete insurance claims & verify eligibility & limitation for the patient Answer phones, schedule appointments, update correspondence

What is a CPT code, give an example:

is a medical code set that is used to report medical, surgical, and diagnostic procedures and services to entities such as physicians, health insurance companies and accreditation organizations.