Patients who have diabetes mellitus should have dilated eye exams at which of the following frequencies?

A. Measuring capillary hematocrit: Measuring capillary hematocrit is within the scope of practice for medical assistants.
B. Obtaining a throat culture: Obtaining a throat culture is a common task for medical assistants.
C. Performing a fecal occult blood test: Performing a fecal occult blood test is within the medical assistant’s scope of practice.
D. Interpreting microscopic preparation of urine: Interpreting the results of a microscopic urine preparation typically requires a higher level of training and is often performed by a lab technician or other specialized personnel.

A. Choose procedure codes based on the encounter form. The encounter form, also known as a superbill, lists the procedures and services provided during the visit. The correct procedure codes (CPT codes) should be selected from this form to ensure accurate billing.
B. Upcode for greater reimbursement. Upcoding, or selecting a higher-level code than justified, is illegal and unethical as it constitutes fraud. This should never be done.
C. Refer to ICD-9 for diagnostic codes. ICD-9 codes have been replaced by ICD-10 codes, which are now the standard for diagnostic coding in the United States. Referring to ICD-9 codes would result in incorrect or outdated billing.
D. Enter all data using lowercase letters. Data entry in all lowercase letters is not a standard practice in medical billing and would not affect the accuracy of the codes. Proper case usage is typically recommended for clarity.