CMAA Exam Study Set: Key Terms & Definitions for Success

Which of the following is an OSHA regulation that must be reviewed yearly to ensure compliance?

-workplace violence prevention plan

-emergency action plan

-needlestick and sharp injuries report

-bloodborne pathogens standard

bloodborne pathogens standard

A medical administrative assistant is scheduling a patient for a procedure. Which of the following actions should the assistant take first?

-Provide test preparation instructions

-ensure that a signed consent form is filed in the patients chart

-verify the patients insurance

-obtain a written prescription from the provider

obtain a written prescription from the provider

A patient who has Medicare and had an annual wellness visit (AWV) 10 months ago calls to schedule their next one within the week. Which of the following actions is appropriate for the medical administrative assistant to take ?

-Explain that the AWV cannot be scheduled for another 2 months

-Schedule the AWV within the week

-Record the appointment as an office visit rather than as a AWV

-Submit a preauthorization form to Medicare before scheduling the AWV

Explain that the AWV cannot be scheduled for another 2 months

A provider asks a medical administrative assistant to schedule a surgery to remove a patient's gallbladder. The assistant should schedule the patient for which of the following?

-Cholecystography

-Cholecystogram

-Cholecystitis

-Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy

Which of the following colors indicates a biohazardous waste container?

-Black

-Purple

-Red

-Blue

Red

After opening a report from the patient's previous provider, which of the following is the medical administrative assistant's next step?

-File the report in the patient's chart

-Return the report to the provider who supplied it

-Make a copy of the report to give to the patient

-Give the report to the patient's current provider for review

Give the report to the patient's current provider for review

When a provider requests a patient to have a diagnostic test at a hospital, which of the following actions should medical administrative assistant take

-Collect the coinsurance for the procedure

-Have the provider call the hospital and give orders for the test

-Advise the patient to obtain preauthorization

-Schedule the test with the hospital

Schedule the test with the hospital

A medical administrative assistant is asked to schedule a CXR for a patient. The assistant should make an appointment for which of the following?

-An x-ray of the carpals

-An x-ray of the chest

-An x-ray of the cranium

- An x-ray of the coccyx

An x-ray of the chest

Which of the following types of referrals is used in an emergent situation

-Regular

-Urgent

-Stat

-Self

Stat

Several patients cancel their appointments for the day. Which of the following is the first action for the medical administrative assistant to take?

-Call the last patient of the day to see if they can come in earlier

-contact the patients who are on the waiting list

-Bill the patients for the missed appointments

-Document patients as no-shows

Contact the patients on the waiting list

When a medical administrative assistant makes arrangements for a staff member to attend a conference, which of the following is the most important step for keeping the office informed?

-Evaluate the continuing education unit's value

-Determine the conference enrollment deadline

-Calculate the expense of the conference

-Distribute the travel itinerary

Distribute the travel itinerary

Which of the following methods organize patient records in chronological order according to the department that provided the care?

-CHEDDAR

-POMAR

-SOAP

-SOMR

SOMR

Sealed or unsealed typed or handwritten material, including letters, postal cards, postcards, and business reply mail

-first class mail

-priority mail

-standard mail

-insured mail

First-class mail

First-class mail that weighs more than 13 ounces.

-first class mail

-priority mail

-standard mail

-insured mail

Priority mail

Mail that includes advertising promotional, directory, or editorial material, or any combination of such material

-first class mail

-priority mail

-standard mail

-insured mail

Standard mail

Mail of all classes protected by registering and requesting evidence of its delivery

-first class mail

-priority mail

-standard mail

-insured mail

Registered mail

First-class mail that also gives the mail added protection by adding offering insurance, tracking, and return receipt options.

-first class mail

-priority mail

-standard mail

-insured mail

Certified mail

Which of the following actions should the medical administrative assistant take when closing the office?

-Activate the security system

-File charts that were used that day

-Turn off the answering machine

-Follow up on refill request

Activate the security system

A provider prescribes an EKG for a patient who has a rapid heart rate. Which of the following should be recorded as the reason for the EKG

-Tachypnea

-Bradypnea

-Bradycardia

-Tachycardia

Tachycardia

An office manager asks a medical administrative assistant to mail a letter to a patient who is being dismissed from the practice. Which of the following methods should the assistant use to mail the letter?

-Certified mail

-First-Class mail

-Priority mail

-Standard mail

Certified mail

When preparing a claim, a medical administrative assistant should use which of the following formats when entering a date of birth?

-DDMMY

-MMDDYY

-MMDDYYYY

-DDMMYYYY

MMDDYYY

Which of the following word roots means swallow?

-Phalang

-Pharyng

-Phag

-Pod

Phag

Which of the following abbreviations is a type of insurance plan?

-POS (point of service)

-COB (coordination of benefits)

-DME (durable medical equipment)

-OIG (Office of Inspector General

POS (Point of service)

Before adding medical records to a patient's chart, the medical administrative assistant should take which of the following actions

-File the records by chronological date

-Photocopy the records for the provider to review and sign

-Ensure the provider has initialed reports

-Note in the report that the patient was notified of the results

Ensure the provider has initialed reports

Which of the following is the amount the medical administrative assistant should submit to the secondary insurance carrier if the encounter balance is $360 and the patient has two plans with an 80/20 split?

-$20

-$72

-$80

-$288

$72

A patient presents to the provider's office with flu-like symptoms. Which of the following actions should the medical administrative assistant take?

-Collect the patients copayment for the office visit

-Move the patient to an isolated location

-Alert the clinical staff of the patients condition

-verify the patient's insurance information

Move the patient to an isolated location

A provider is running 30 minutes behind schedule because of an early morning emergency. Which of the following actions should the medical administrative assistant take to maintain effective scheduling in the office?

-Inform waiting room patients that an emergency has caused a delay in the schedule and that they can wait or reschedule

-Call afternoon patients and tell them there was an unexpected delay in the schedule and their appointments will be postponed

-Cancel afternoon appointments and reschedule for first available openings

-Tell waiting patients an emergency has caused a delay in the schedule and that their appointments have been rescheduled

Inform waiting room patients that an emergency has caused a delay in the schedule and that they can wait or reschedule

A patient calls with a question about her prescription dosage as it relates to her condition. Which of the following actions is appropriate for the medical administrative assistant to take?

-Route the call to the clinical medical assistant

-Take a message for the physician

-Ask the patient to call her pharmacy

-Try to answer the patient's question

Take a message for the physician

Which of the following is the purpose of an encounter form?

-To save time and improve accuracy in data entry

-To establish financial responsibility

-to update the status of a worker's compensation case

-To verify patient demographics

To save time and improve accuracy in data entry

A patient receives an explanation of benefits stating services will not be covered because out-of-pocket medical expenses have not been met. The amount owed is defined as which of the following?

-Deductible

-Copayment

-Allowed amount

-Coinsurance

Deductible

Which of the following is required to establish medical necessity on the patient encounter form?

-Diagnosis code

-Insurance carrier's identification number

-NPI number

-POS code

Diagnosis code

Which of the following form is used to submit health insurance claims for inpatient services in a facility or hospital?

-CMS-100

-UB-04

-DE 2501

-CMS-1490S

UB-04

Which of the following word roots mean "abdominal wall"?

-Gastr/o

-Myel/o

-Aden/o

-Lapar/o

Lapar/o

A patient has a diagnosis of hypertension. Which of the following describes hypertension?

-Low blood glucose

-low blood pressure

-High blood glucose

-High blood pressure

High blood pressure

Which of the following information is included in an explanation of benefits (EOB)?

-NPI number

-Employer ID

-Remaining deductible

-Claim adjustments

Claim adjustments

Microsoft excel is an example of which of the following types of programs?

-Database management

-Spreadsheet application

-Word processing

-Graphics application

Spreadsheet application

Which of the following actions is appropriate for a medical administrative assistant to take before scheduling a patient for surgery?

-Ensure that the patient has advance directives

-Review the preoperative teaching

-Check the presurgery laboratory values are complete

-verify the patient's benefits

verify the patient's benefits

A medical administrative assistant instructs a patient to arrive on Monday at 9:00 a.m. for cast removal because the provider is only available on Monday mornings for that procedure. Which of the following methods of scheduling is the assistant using?

-Open hours

-Wave

-Double-booking

- clustering

Clustering

A medical administrative assistant in a multi-specialty practice is scheduling an appointment for a patient who has an arrhythmia. The assistant should schedule an appointment with which of the following providers?

-Neurologist

-Cardiologist

-pathologist

-Pulmonologist

Cardiologist

Which of the following is the purpose of a matrix?

-To create flexible waiting time for patients

-To determine patient appointment cancellations

- To differentiate between new and established patients

- To indicate when a provider is unavailable to treat patients

To indicate when a provider is unavailable to treat patients

A medical administrative assistant should take which of the following actions to be in compliance with OSHA?

-Participate in training concerning infection control

-Register with the CDC

-Schedule a hepatitis B immunization

-Undergo a physical examiniation

Participate in training concerning infection control

-Register with the CDC

Which of the following is an appropriate use of a tickler file?

-To inform the provider about current updates

-To remind staff of date-specific tasks

-To document staff disciplinary actions

-To train new employees

To remind staff of date-specific tasks

Which of the following actions is appropriate for a medical administrative assistant to take when providing preoperative instructions to a patient who is anxious?

-Assure the patient that he will be okay

-Allow extra time to reinforce the instructions

-Involve family members if the patient failed to tell them of the procedure

-Hand the instructions to the patient and ask if the patient has any question

Allow extra time to reinforce the instructions

Obtaining vital signs against a patient's will is an example of which of the following offenses?

-Assault

-Battery

-Negligence

-Fraud

Battery

Which of the following telephone calls should the medical administrative assistant route directly to the provider?

-A health insurance carrier requests a patient's medical notes

-A provider from another office needs to discuss a patient's case

-Workers' compensation needs a return-to-work date for a patient

-An attorney calls to discuss a patient's care

A provider from another office needs to discuss a patient's case

Which of the following allows employees access to information regarding workplace safely?

-Exposure control

-Universal precautions

-Right-to-know law

-Hazardous Communication Standard

Right-to-know law

A new patient leaves the office because the practice does not accept his insurance. Which of the following actions should the medical administrative assistant take to prevent this scenario?

-Call the patient's insurance carrier to verify his eligibility after he has arrived for the appointment

-Advise patients to verify coverage with the insurance carrier before coming in for an appointment

-Verify insurance eligibility prior to scheduling new patients

-Confirm insurance coverage when submitting a claim

Verify insurance eligibility prior to scheduling new patients

Which of the following sections of a patient's progress note contains the reason for the visit?

-PE

-ROS

-CC

-SH

CC

A collected specimen needs to be sent to an outside laboratory. Which of the following actions is within the scope of practice of a medical administrative assistant?

-Match the specimen to the demographics on the patient's chart

-Process the requisition for shipment

-Prepare the specimen for secure transport

-Ensure proper storage of the specimen prior to shipment

Process the requisition for shipment

A patient who has Medicare insurance is covered by both inpatient and outpatient services under the same part of Medicare. Which of the following parts of Medicare covers the Patient

-Part A

-Part B

-Part C

-Part D

Part C

For medical billing purposes, which of the following is good practice when updating information from established patients?

-Provide the patient with a new information form at each visit

-ask the patient to update information every 2 years

- Monitor patient records eligible for archiving

- request verification of current patient information at each visit

request verification of current patient information at each visit

Which of the following is a medical administrative assistant's function in the audit process?

-Initiating the audit

-Maintaining day sheets

-Making documentation corrections

-Changing codes on claims

Maintaining day sheets

A medical administrative assistant is creating a business correspondence. Which of the following situations is appropriate for the assistant to use?

-Dear Mr. Goodwin

-Dear Mr. Mark Smith M.D.

- RE: JANE HUDLEY

- Dear Dennis,

Dear Mr. Goodwin

According to the Affordable care Act (ACA) of 2010, what is the maximum allowable time from the date of service that a claim can be submitted to Medicare?

-30 days

-6 months

-12 months

-32 months

-12 Months

A provider's office receives a remittance advice showing a denial code. The medical administrative assistant creates a formal written request for review of the rejected claim. The assistant should use which of the following formations?

-Tracer

-Explanation of benefits (EOB)

-Claim appeal

-Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN)

Claim appeal

Which of following actions is appropriate for medical administrative assistant to take when processing incoming mail?

-open and organize the providers mail

-Shred unwanted mail

-file incoming laboratory results as soon as they are received

-Discard duplicate medication samples

Shred unwanted mail

Which of the following describes the birthday rule?

-The parent whose day of birth occurs earlier in the calendar year holds the primary policy for dependent children

-the parent whose birth month and year occur earlier holds the primary policy for dependent children

-The parent whose day of birth occurs later in the calendar year holds the primary policy for dependent children

-The parent whose birth month and year occur later holds the primary policy for dependent children

The parent whose day of birth occurs earlier in the calendar year holds the primary policy for dependent children

Based on HIPAA guidelines, a medical administrative assistant should take which of the following safeguards when leaving a workstation?

-Lock the computer

-Exit the program

-Turn off the computer monitor

-Minimize open programs

Lock the computer

A provider request a medical administrative assistant to schedule an electroencephalogram for a patient. Which of the following statements by the assistant is an appropriate explanation of this procedure to the patient?

-This procedure is used to test how your heart functions

-This procedure records your brains electrical activity

-This procedure records your lung function

-This procedure is used to assess electrolyte levels

his procedure records your brains electrical activity

Which of the following is the best way for a medical administrative assistant to address collection of copayment?

-Where should we mail your bill

-How much would you life to pay today

-How would you like to pay today

-When can we expect your payment

How would you like to pay today

Which of the following must be provided to a patient on a first visit , as required by HIPAA?

-An authorization form

-Notice of Privacy Practices

-A consent form

- Patients bill of Rights

Notice of Privacy Practices

Which of the following actions should a medical administrative assistant take if a patient has an existing workers' compensation case?

-Obtain the carrier case number

-Provide a statement for any payments collected

-Contact the patient's health insurance

-Verify the validity of the claim prior to treatment

Obtain the carrier case number

A medical administrative assistant should take which of the following actions when documenting a prescription refill?

-Retrieve the patients medical record and verify the dosage

-Date and initial the prescription refill in the patient's medical record

-Call the patient to ensure the prescription was picked up from the pharmacy

-Determine what other medication the patient is taking for possible interactions

Date and initial the prescription refill in the patient's medical record

Which of the following indicates a patient is aware of the medical necessity, the risks, and the benefits of a procedure?

-Informed consent

-Mandatory report

-Implied consent

-Advance directives

Informed consent

Which of the following word roots means finger or toe bone?

-Phalang

-Pharyng

-Phag

-Pod

Phalang

A medical administrative assistant is reviewing the release form of a patient who is a dependent minor. The assistant should ensure that who of the following signed the release form?

-A parent

-The minor

-The attending provider

-The legal custodian

The legal custodian

Which of the following word roots means throat?

-Phalang

-Pharyng

-Phag

-Pod

Pharyng

A new patient provides a medical administrative assistant with her parent's Medicare card. The patient states that she is a dependent and is eligible to use the card. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

-Accept the medicare card because the patient is related to the beneficiary

-Contact medicare to see if the patient is a covered dependent

-Explain to the patient that Medicare does not cover dependents

-Include the parent's name on the superbill

Explain to the patient that Medicare does not cover dependents

Which of the following prefixes mean "masculine"?

-Andr-

-Myel-

-Mast-

-Anti-

Andr-

Which of the following describes a difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

-Medicare severs medically needy patients, and Medicaid serves patients who are older than 65 years of age

-Medicare patients do not pay monthly premiums, but Medicaid patients do pay premiums

-Medicare is funded by the federal government, but Medicaid is funded by both state and federal governments

-Medicare is a health cost assistance program, and Medicaid provides insurance coverage

Medicare is funded by the federal government, but Medicaid is funded by both state and federal governments

When creating a reception area for a pediatric clinic, which of the following items should the medical administrative assistant include?

-Accessible coffee and tea

-artificial plants and floral arrangements for aesthetics

-Stuffed animals and small building blocks

-Scented candles to mask odors

artificial plants and floral arrangements for aesthetics

Which of the following oversees workplace safety?

-OSHA

-JC

-CLIA

-DOL

OSHA

Which of the following is the best way for a medical administrative assistant to greet an established patient who is entering the physician's office for an appointment?

-Hello

-Your name please

-Good afternoon Mrs. Johnson

-You must be the 9:30 appointment, please have a seat and someone will call you shortly

Good afternoon Mrs. Johnson

A medical administrative assistant is providing a patient with instructions about an upcoming mammogram. Which of the following actions should the assistant take to ensure patient understanding?

-Send the patient an electronic appointment reminder

-Provide the patient with written instructions

-Remind the patient to bring insurance information

-Ask the patient to restate the instructions

Ask the patient to restate the instructions

A patient is identified as a smoker in her medical record and request a medical record amendment due to her cessation of smoking 15 years earlier. Which of the following sections of the patient's bill of rights is the patient exercising?

-Confidentially of Health information

-Respect and Nondiscrimination

-Complaints and appeals

Consumer Responsibilities

Confidentially of Health information

An older adult patient presents to a physicians's office with his adult daughter to clarify when to take his new medication. Which of the following actions should the medical administrative assistant take?

-Advise the daughter to administer the medication as written on the prescription label until the physician can be reached

-Advise the daughter and patient that the physician will speak to them about the prescription

-Advise the daughter prescription can only be discussed with the patient

-Advise the daughter to contract the patient's pharmacy to clarify the prescription

Advise the daughter and patient that the physician will speak to them about the prescription

Which of the following schedules more than one patient at the same time with the same provider while still allowing adequate time within the hour to see all scheduled patients

-Double-booking

-Clustering

-Open hours

-Wave

Wave

Once a physician signs advance directives, the medical administrative assistant should have which of the following witness the signature?

-Attorney

-Health care employee

-Non-affiliated individual

-Family member

Non-affiliated individual

A Patient is seeking a second opinion for an upcoming surgical procedure and has a referral from a provider. When the patient calls the schedule an appointment, which of the following actions should the medical administrative assistant take to assist in this process?

-Schedule the appointments following a 2-day waiting periord

-Verify that the patient's insurance is accepted by the provider

-Instruct the patient to obtain preauthorization for the referral

-Call the referring provider to confirm the referral

Verify that the patient's insurance is accepted by the provider

Providers should use which of the following when a procedure is excluded from the Medicare fee schedule?

-CMS-1500 claim form

-Procedure consent form

-Advance beneficiary Notice (ABN)

Medicare Summary Notice (MSN

Advance beneficiary Notice (ABN)

A patient's chart indicates the need for PT as a result of a strained muscle. The medical administrative assistant should recognize the abbreviation PT as which of the following?

-Prothrombin time

-Patient temperature

-Physical Therapy

-Puncture tear

Physical Therapy

Which of the following letter styles is most efficient?

-Block

-Standard

-Modified block indented

-Simplified

Block

Which of the following prefixes mean "muscle"?

-Mal-

-My-

-Para-

-Hemi-

My

A provider refers a patient to a specialist for carcinoma. The medical administrative assistant should schedule an appointment with which of the following specialists?

-Endocrinologist

-Gastroenterologist

-Pulmonologist

-Oncologist

Oncologist

Which of the following is the appropriate procedure for a medical administrative assistant when handling a rejected health insurance claim?

-Downcode the claim to ensure payments

-Resubmit the claim with new diagnostic and procedure codes

-Verify coding compliance and resubmit the claim for adjudication

-Update the claim with an alternate date of service

Verify coding compliance and resubmit the claim for adjudication

Which of the following actions is required by a patient when requesting a copy of his medical record?

-Call thy physician office to verify his identity

-Provide a signed HIPAA privacy notice

-Complete a Record Release Authorization

-Submit a provider request form

Complete a Record Release Authorization

A medical administrative assistant is giving instructions to a patient who is in the office to have her hearing aid checked and is having difficulty hearing the assistant. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

-Move the patient to a quiet room

-Ask the patient to turn her hearing aid up

-Sit side-by-side with the patient while speaking

-Speak in a loud voice

Move the patient to a quiet room

Which of the following office procedures is outside the scope of practice of a medical administrative assistant?

-Signing for a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE)

-Distributing petty cash for out-of-pocket expenses

-Signing for a court-ordered subpoena issued for the office

-Distributing intra-office mail to team members

Signing for a court-ordered subpoena issued for the office

Which of the following is the most effective way for a medical administrative assistant to reduce the number of no-show appointments?

-Send a text message 1-2 days before a scheduled appointment

-Send a text message 1 week before a scheduled appointment

-Call patients 1-2 days before a scheduled appointment

-Call patients 1 week before scheduled appointment

Call patients 1-2 days before a scheduled appointment

Which of the following is a court order to mandate appearance and produce medical records for a trial?

-Subpoena duces tecum

-Disposition

-Order to disclose

-Respondeat superior

Subpoena duces tecum

After deactivating the security system, which of the following actions should a medical administrative assistant take next when opening the office in the morning?

-Access the answering service

-Restock the exam rooms

-Print the appointment schedule for the day

-Ensure petty cash is available

Access the answering service

Prior to an invasive procedure, a patient asks a medical administrative assistant about other options that are available. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

- Inform the patient of commonly used alternatives

-Advise the patient to ask the provider about alternatives

-Seek out a clinical medical assistant to explain alternatives

-Provide the patient with alternate provider's telephone numbers

Advise the patient to ask the provider about alternatives

Which of the following items is appropriate to purchase with petty cash?

-Postage owed for an equipment delivery

-Five boxes of computer paper

-$75 gift card for employee of the Quarter

-Provider Cell phone Payment

Postage owed for an equipment delivery

Which of the following is a disease-causing organism?

-Fomite

-Pathogen

-Infection

-Carrier

Pathogen

Who is responsible for obtaining preauthorization for inpatient hospitalization?

-the patient

- the admitting facility

-the plan administrator

-The provider performing the procedure

The provider performing the procedure

Which of the following terms indicates the improper release of PHI?

-Libel

-Felony

-Breach of contract

-Breach of confidentiality

Breach of confidentiality

In which of the following locations should a medical administrative assistant store valued office items, such as checkbooks, prescription pads, and access keys?

-In the receptionist area

-In an off-site facility

-In the manager's office

- In a locked box

In a locked box

Which of the following describes stream scheduling?

-The provider sees patients according to medical necessity

-The provider sees patients in the order they arrive

-Three patients are scheduled for 0900

-A patients appointment is from 0900-0915

A patients appointment is from 0900-0915

Which of the following should a medical administrative assistant consult to find the proper method of scheduling an appointment for a particular office?

-Practice policy manual

-The official guide for coding and Reporting (OGCR)

-A medical administrative assistant textbook

-The AMA's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT manual

Practice policy manual

Which of the following is the party who is financially responsible for payment?

-Beneficiary

-Adjudicator

-Fiscal agent

-Guarantor

Guarantor