Clinical Medical Assistant Certification Exam Practice Question

Correct Answer: E

Rationale: Precertification refers to the process of obtaining approval from a health insurance provider before a patient undergoes a specific medical service, such as a cardiac stress test. This ensures that the procedure is covered under the patient’s plan.

**A: Assignment of benefits** involves directing insurance payments to the healthcare provider rather than the patient, which does not address coverage verification.

**B: Capitation** is a payment model where providers are paid a set amount per patient, regardless of services provided, and is unrelated to individual test approvals.

**C: Coinsurance** refers to the percentage of costs that a patient must pay after meeting their deductible, not the pre-approval process.

**D: Estimation** generally pertains to predicting costs but does not specifically involve confirming insurance coverage.