Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP) — Question 21

A clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) generates a concurrent query and continues to follow retrospectively; however, the coder releases the bill before the query is answered. The CDIP wonders if it is appropriate to re-bill the account if the physician answers the query after the bill has dropped. Which policy should the hospital follow to avoid a compliance risk?

Answer options

• A. A rebilling is permissible when queries are answered after the initial bill.
• B. A post bill query rarely occurs as a result of an audit of other internal monitor.
• C. A post bill query is not appropriate when an error is found after an audit.
• D. A second bill should not be submitted when the first bill was incomplete.

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer, A, states that rebilling is allowed when queries are answered after the initial bill, which is fundamental for compliance. Options B and C misrepresent the frequency and appropriateness of post-bill queries, while D incorrectly suggests that any incompleteness precludes rebilling, which is not always the case.