Certified Medical Administrative Assistant 1 Flashcards
6 cards from real CMAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Certified Medical Administrative Assistant 1 flashcards as text
Which of the following is a core administrative responsibility of a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant?
Answer: Scheduling patient appointments and managing medical records
CMAAs are trained in front-office and administrative functions such as scheduling, medical records management, billing, and patient communication — not clinical diagnosis or prescribing.
A CMAA is asked to verify a patient's insurance eligibility. Which step should be taken FIRST?
Answer: Call or log into the insurance portal to confirm active coverage and benefits
Verifying eligibility before the appointment — via phone or the payer's online portal — prevents claim denials and ensures the patient understands their coverage in advance.
When a patient calls to report a medical emergency, the CMAA should:
Answer: Instruct the patient to call 911 immediately and notify the on-call provider
In a medical emergency, the CMAA's immediate duty is to direct the patient to emergency services (911) and simultaneously alert the clinical team — patient safety takes priority over administrative steps.
Under HIPAA, a CMAA may release a patient's protected health information (PHI) WITHOUT a written authorization when:
Answer: Disclosure is required for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations
HIPAA's Privacy Rule permits disclosure of PHI without patient authorization for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO). All other disclosures generally require a signed authorization.
A CMAA receives a subpoena for a patient's medical records. The correct course of action is to:
Answer: Notify the practice's legal counsel or compliance officer before releasing any records
A subpoena does not automatically override HIPAA. The CMAA should escalate to legal counsel or a compliance officer who can determine whether a court order, proper authorization, or a qualified protective order is in place before releasing records.
Which coding system is primarily used by CMAAs when entering diagnoses for insurance claim submission?
Answer: ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification)
ICD-10-CM codes are the standardized system used to classify and report patient diagnoses on insurance claims. CPT codes describe procedures, while NPI numbers identify providers.