CDT Practice Test 2024 Questions
Graded A+
Front Office - ANSWERShas the initial contact with the patient and
plays a vital role in customer service, optimizing the provider's time, and in claim quality assurance.
Don't underestimate the importance of customer service training, as well as cross-training between front
office staff members.
Best Practice Suggestions for the front office staff. - Prior to patient arrival - 1 - ANSWERSGather as much
information as possible at the time the patient's appointment is made. At minimum, patient name,
address, date of birth, and insurance information should be obtained during initial appointment contact
Best Practice Suggestions for the front office staff. - Prior to patient arrival - 2 - ANSWERSProvide a new
patient packet via website link or email
whenever possible prior to the appointment. These
packets should include registration forms, financial responsibility forms, health histories, etc. It helps
speed up the registration process on the day of the appointment significantly. Technology has made it
easier for practices to do a variety of tasks online such as obtaining the patient's current problems or
concerns, past family and social history, and verifying insurance eligibility online.
Best Practice Suggestions for the front office staff. - Prior to patient arrival - 3 - ANSWERSInsurance
eligibility and benefits should be verified prior to the patient's appointment or scheduled procedure.
Insurance companies continue to offer more complex plans to employees, including plans with high
deductibles.
Insurance - Prior to Arrival - ANSWERSWhich insurance payer does the claim need to be
submitted to for processing? All insurance policies are different. A procedure or treatment for one
patient may be processed through dental insurance, but that same treatment or procedure for another
patient may be billed to medical insurance. It's good practice to know this information ahead of time, to
avoid claim denials and delayed payments.
Pre-Authorization - Prior to Arrival - ANSWERSDoes the patient require pre-authorization for the
,treatment? Some treatments and procedures require pre-authorization, or prior approval, for the
insurance to make a payment on the claim. This is true with both dental and medical insurance. The
insurance carriers will verify the procedure and diagnosis code(s) to determine medical necessity. When
an authorization
number is provided, include it on the claim form.
Insurance Coverage - Prior to Arrival - ANSWERSWill the insurance cover the treatment in full or will
there be a patient responsibility? Many insurance plans have high deductibles. A deductible is the
amount of money a patient must pay before the insurance company will start picking up the cost for
visits, procedures, or treatments. It is always best to know how much the patient may be responsible
for ahead of time so that it may be collected at
the time of service. The patient, knowing in advance,
can prepare financially and possibly set up a payment
schedule with the office depending on the office's
policy and the amount.
Confirm all appointments - ANSWERSthe day before to help keep providers' schedules full. Revenue is
lost when patients do not keep scheduled appointments.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 1 - ANSWERSHave the practice assign a staff member to welcome
new patients. This person should communicate all the
practice's policies.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 2 - ANSWERSVerify identification and receipt of forms: Current
insurance cards should be scanned or copied.
Identification should be checked, scanned, or copied.
Forms such as assignment of benefits, release of
information to insurance companies, and notice of
privacy practices should be signed.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 3 - ANSWERSAsk open-ended questions to allow for fewer errors
, by patients. Simply asking the patient, "Has anything
changed?" should be discouraged. Example: Upon check in the receptionist needs to ask the patient,
"What is your current address?" instead of, "Do you still live at 1300 E. Jackson Street, Anywhere, USA?"
Patient Appointment Arrival - 4 - ANSWERSCollect co-pays and deductibles at every visit. Office
need to develop and post payment policies informing
patients that copayments and deductibles are due on the date of service. If the office does not have a
process in place for collecting payments at the time of service, the cost for collecting these amounts on
the back end can be substantial. Use credit card machines that allow debit purchases as an alternative
form of payment at the time of service. Bank processing fees are less for debit card purchases.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 5 - ANSWERSDisplay policies on payments and collections. When the
patient knows what to expect from the office and that payment is requested at every visit, the patient
comes prepared to cover these costs at the time of service.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 6 - ANSWERSHave readily available (displayed, if possible) lists of
insurance companies with which the practice participates and a working knowledge of the level of
participation in the practice.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 7 - ANSWERSKnow your patient demographics. Having Wi-Fi available in
the waiting room can be a huge convenience for some people. Patients remain loyal to practices that
make it easy for them to visit.
Data Entry - ANSWERSprocess is critical in the claims billing cycle.
Data entry is used to capture demographic information, CDT®, CPT®, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10-CM
codes necessary to report the services for patient encounters. Payments and adjustments from
insurance carriers are also entered into the
practice management system through data entry.
Data Entry Errors - ANSWERSSmall errors can result in a denied claim. For example, when a number is
transposed, the result can be a denied claim for an invalid ID number or invalid ICD-10-CM/CDT® code,
depending on the number transposed. Small errors can cost the practice time and money appealing
claim denials.
Graded A+
Front Office - ANSWERShas the initial contact with the patient and
plays a vital role in customer service, optimizing the provider's time, and in claim quality assurance.
Don't underestimate the importance of customer service training, as well as cross-training between front
office staff members.
Best Practice Suggestions for the front office staff. - Prior to patient arrival - 1 - ANSWERSGather as much
information as possible at the time the patient's appointment is made. At minimum, patient name,
address, date of birth, and insurance information should be obtained during initial appointment contact
Best Practice Suggestions for the front office staff. - Prior to patient arrival - 2 - ANSWERSProvide a new
patient packet via website link or email
whenever possible prior to the appointment. These
packets should include registration forms, financial responsibility forms, health histories, etc. It helps
speed up the registration process on the day of the appointment significantly. Technology has made it
easier for practices to do a variety of tasks online such as obtaining the patient's current problems or
concerns, past family and social history, and verifying insurance eligibility online.
Best Practice Suggestions for the front office staff. - Prior to patient arrival - 3 - ANSWERSInsurance
eligibility and benefits should be verified prior to the patient's appointment or scheduled procedure.
Insurance companies continue to offer more complex plans to employees, including plans with high
deductibles.
Insurance - Prior to Arrival - ANSWERSWhich insurance payer does the claim need to be
submitted to for processing? All insurance policies are different. A procedure or treatment for one
patient may be processed through dental insurance, but that same treatment or procedure for another
patient may be billed to medical insurance. It's good practice to know this information ahead of time, to
avoid claim denials and delayed payments.
Pre-Authorization - Prior to Arrival - ANSWERSDoes the patient require pre-authorization for the
,treatment? Some treatments and procedures require pre-authorization, or prior approval, for the
insurance to make a payment on the claim. This is true with both dental and medical insurance. The
insurance carriers will verify the procedure and diagnosis code(s) to determine medical necessity. When
an authorization
number is provided, include it on the claim form.
Insurance Coverage - Prior to Arrival - ANSWERSWill the insurance cover the treatment in full or will
there be a patient responsibility? Many insurance plans have high deductibles. A deductible is the
amount of money a patient must pay before the insurance company will start picking up the cost for
visits, procedures, or treatments. It is always best to know how much the patient may be responsible
for ahead of time so that it may be collected at
the time of service. The patient, knowing in advance,
can prepare financially and possibly set up a payment
schedule with the office depending on the office's
policy and the amount.
Confirm all appointments - ANSWERSthe day before to help keep providers' schedules full. Revenue is
lost when patients do not keep scheduled appointments.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 1 - ANSWERSHave the practice assign a staff member to welcome
new patients. This person should communicate all the
practice's policies.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 2 - ANSWERSVerify identification and receipt of forms: Current
insurance cards should be scanned or copied.
Identification should be checked, scanned, or copied.
Forms such as assignment of benefits, release of
information to insurance companies, and notice of
privacy practices should be signed.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 3 - ANSWERSAsk open-ended questions to allow for fewer errors
, by patients. Simply asking the patient, "Has anything
changed?" should be discouraged. Example: Upon check in the receptionist needs to ask the patient,
"What is your current address?" instead of, "Do you still live at 1300 E. Jackson Street, Anywhere, USA?"
Patient Appointment Arrival - 4 - ANSWERSCollect co-pays and deductibles at every visit. Office
need to develop and post payment policies informing
patients that copayments and deductibles are due on the date of service. If the office does not have a
process in place for collecting payments at the time of service, the cost for collecting these amounts on
the back end can be substantial. Use credit card machines that allow debit purchases as an alternative
form of payment at the time of service. Bank processing fees are less for debit card purchases.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 5 - ANSWERSDisplay policies on payments and collections. When the
patient knows what to expect from the office and that payment is requested at every visit, the patient
comes prepared to cover these costs at the time of service.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 6 - ANSWERSHave readily available (displayed, if possible) lists of
insurance companies with which the practice participates and a working knowledge of the level of
participation in the practice.
Patient Appointment Arrival - 7 - ANSWERSKnow your patient demographics. Having Wi-Fi available in
the waiting room can be a huge convenience for some people. Patients remain loyal to practices that
make it easy for them to visit.
Data Entry - ANSWERSprocess is critical in the claims billing cycle.
Data entry is used to capture demographic information, CDT®, CPT®, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10-CM
codes necessary to report the services for patient encounters. Payments and adjustments from
insurance carriers are also entered into the
practice management system through data entry.
Data Entry Errors - ANSWERSSmall errors can result in a denied claim. For example, when a number is
transposed, the result can be a denied claim for an invalid ID number or invalid ICD-10-CM/CDT® code,
depending on the number transposed. Small errors can cost the practice time and money appealing
claim denials.
