Explain the difference between upcoding and downcoding.

What will be an ideal response?


Services are upcoded when documentation in the medical record does NOT support the level of service; the code is for a procedure that is more involved than was actually performed. Downcoding refers to the use of a procedure code that is for a service that is less involved than that stated in the medical record.

Health Professions

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A(n) ________ is a required part of the medical assistant's education and involves working without payment in a physician's office, clinic, or hospital setting for, typically, 160-200 hours.

A. mentorship B. residency C. externship D. job shadow

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A coder's first step in the reimbursement process is:

A. registering the patient. B. reading and understanding the physician's documentation. C. filling out a claim form. D. calling the insurance carrier.

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What is the term for the small graphic symbols displayed on a monitor screen that represent computer files or programs that a user "clicks" on to open?

a. avatar b. byte c. drive d. icon

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Twelve pairs of ribs attach to what section of the spinal column?

A. sacral B. lumbar C. thoracic D. coccyx

Health Professions