Which document is used to identify line items paid, reduced, or denied on a patient account?

• A. The remittance advice (RA).
• B. The patients insurance card.
• C. The providers superbill.
• D. The medical release form.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the remittance advice explains how each billed service was processed for the claim. It lists every line item from the claim and shows what the payer paid, what was reduced or adjusted, and what was denied, along with any patient responsibility. This document is used to post payments to the patient’s account, reconcile balances, and communicate the final amounts due to the patient. In short, it directly tracks the payment status for each service on the claim. The other items don’t serve this purpose: the insurance card identifies the payer and plan, the superbill is used to submit charges, and the medical release form is unrelated to payment processing.