What is precertification in medical billing?

• A. The process of submitting prior authorization before any service.
• B. The process of proving to the insurance company that the service is medically necessary.
• C. The process of coding only the diagnosis.
• D. The process of renewing benefit eligibility.

Answer: (B)

Precertification is the pre-authorization step with the insurer to verify that a proposed service is medically necessary and likely covered before it’s performed. This approval hinges on demonstrating medical necessity and alignment with the patient’s benefits, so the service will be paid if it’s approved. In practice, clinicians submit supporting documentation, the payer reviews it against medical criteria, and a decision is issued before care is delivered. This is why the best choice emphasizes proving medical necessity to the insurance company. The other options aren’t the main function: precertification isn’t simply coding a diagnosis, isn’t about renewing benefits, and isn’t the blanket act of submitting prior authorization before every service.