Week 4 Topic 1
Assessment Description
Give two examples of unethical billing practices that you, as a paraprofessional, are
likely to encounter and how you would deal with those situations. Cite the American
Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, or the National
Association of Social Workers code of ethics to support your solutions.
The level of billing is important because we want to make sure that our clients are being charged
for the time, they have spent with us. Two examples of unethical billing practices are under
billing for services and overbilling for services. For example, attempting to remove charges
because you know your client is unable to afford them is an unethical billing practice. Or
overbilling would be like billing a session for 60 minutes in duration when it was only 30
minutes time spent with the client. According to the ACA code of ethics, "counselors take
reasonable steps to ensure that documentation accurately reflects client progress and services
provided" (ACA, 2014). Another example of unethical billing practices would be a falsifying
information on the client’s chart to ensure they receive more sessions covered by insurance.
ACA also mentions, "counselors do not participate in fee splitting, nor do they give or receive
commissions, rebates, or any other form of remuneration when referring clients for professional
services" (ACA, 2014). Having a clear understanding of the billing terms can help eliminate any
confusion involved with the client. There are other unethical billing practices that may seem as if
they are small things. Such as accepting gifts or payment directly from the client in exchange for
services.
References:
American Counseling Association (2014). ACA code of ethics. Retrieved
from https://halo.gcu.edu/resource/62c19886-96a9-4e28-b9c5-64f16ecb8c9a
Week 4 Topic 2
Assessment Description
In what ways would it be possible for an agency or individual to violate confidentiality or
privacy of electronic medical records? List three violations. What are the acceptable
ethical standards for each of the three examples you used?
It is easy to violate electronic privacy. It could be something as drastic as allowing access to
unauthorized individuals or something as simple as leaving your screen up with patient
information on it. Another one that seems to be common, is looking at charts that you have no
access to. An example I could give is knowing that your sister is in the hospital and wanting to
know why. Opening her chart and reading her information that should have been confidential is
a violation of privacy. It should also be an abuse of power. Working in the medical field already,
I am very familiar with keeping client information confidential and private. When sending
patient information, whether it is by fax, email, or mail, taking the steps to ensure their
information is confidential is key. For example, using encryption when sending emails. Use fax
cover sheets when faxing. Or sending information by certified mail. Getting in the habit of
always securing your workstation before stepping away is how you avoid someone going on to
your computer and looking at patient information. This also includes paperwork that has PHI
Assessment Description
Give two examples of unethical billing practices that you, as a paraprofessional, are
likely to encounter and how you would deal with those situations. Cite the American
Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, or the National
Association of Social Workers code of ethics to support your solutions.
The level of billing is important because we want to make sure that our clients are being charged
for the time, they have spent with us. Two examples of unethical billing practices are under
billing for services and overbilling for services. For example, attempting to remove charges
because you know your client is unable to afford them is an unethical billing practice. Or
overbilling would be like billing a session for 60 minutes in duration when it was only 30
minutes time spent with the client. According to the ACA code of ethics, "counselors take
reasonable steps to ensure that documentation accurately reflects client progress and services
provided" (ACA, 2014). Another example of unethical billing practices would be a falsifying
information on the client’s chart to ensure they receive more sessions covered by insurance.
ACA also mentions, "counselors do not participate in fee splitting, nor do they give or receive
commissions, rebates, or any other form of remuneration when referring clients for professional
services" (ACA, 2014). Having a clear understanding of the billing terms can help eliminate any
confusion involved with the client. There are other unethical billing practices that may seem as if
they are small things. Such as accepting gifts or payment directly from the client in exchange for
services.
References:
American Counseling Association (2014). ACA code of ethics. Retrieved
from https://halo.gcu.edu/resource/62c19886-96a9-4e28-b9c5-64f16ecb8c9a
Week 4 Topic 2
Assessment Description
In what ways would it be possible for an agency or individual to violate confidentiality or
privacy of electronic medical records? List three violations. What are the acceptable
ethical standards for each of the three examples you used?
It is easy to violate electronic privacy. It could be something as drastic as allowing access to
unauthorized individuals or something as simple as leaving your screen up with patient
information on it. Another one that seems to be common, is looking at charts that you have no
access to. An example I could give is knowing that your sister is in the hospital and wanting to
know why. Opening her chart and reading her information that should have been confidential is
a violation of privacy. It should also be an abuse of power. Working in the medical field already,
I am very familiar with keeping client information confidential and private. When sending
patient information, whether it is by fax, email, or mail, taking the steps to ensure their
information is confidential is key. For example, using encryption when sending emails. Use fax
cover sheets when faxing. Or sending information by certified mail. Getting in the habit of
always securing your workstation before stepping away is how you avoid someone going on to
your computer and looking at patient information. This also includes paperwork that has PHI
