NHA CMAA study guide

NHA CMAA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) is a national certification from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) for the people who keep a healthcare office running: answering calls, scheduling appointments, greeting patients, updating electronic medical records, handling practice correspondence, and coordinating reports such as time and attendance. NHA also uses the terms medical office assistant and medical secretary, and notes that day-to-day tasks vary by setting. The credential suits both newcomers to the field and working front-office staff. Eligibility requires a high school diploma or GED - or a plan to earn one within 18 months - plus one of the following: a medical administrative assistant training program completed within the last five years, one year of supervised experience in the field within the last three years, or two years of supervised experience within the last five years. The NHA CMAA study guide has 4 sections and about 1,452 words.

Medical Business Practices: Scheduling, Verification, and the Revenue Cycle

The business-practices questions test whether you understand the order of operations in a medical office: appointment scheduling, patient registration and identity verification, insurance eligibility and benefits verification, collection of cost-sharing at the time of service, coding and claim submission, payment posting, and accounts-receivable follow-up. If you can place a task in that sequence, most scenario questions answer themselves.

359 words, about 2 min 02

Administrative Procedures: Workflow, Supplies, and Follow-Through

Administrative procedures is the operational backbone of the office: opening and closing routines, telephone management, appointment scheduling, patient intake and registration forms, referral and prior-authorization tracking, mail handling, supply inventory, equipment maintenance logs, petty cash and deposits, and emergency preparedness. Inventory terms: par level, reorder point, purchase order, packing slip, and invoice.

362 words, about 2 min 03

Communication and Professionalism: Clarity, Boundaries, and De-escalation

Every exchange moves from sender through a channel to a receiver, and closes with feedback. Verbal and nonverbal messages must agree.

351 words, about 2 min 04

Patient Records and Health Information Management: Accuracy and Release

A medical record contains demographics, registration and consent forms, history, examination findings, orders, results, progress notes often in SOAP format, correspondence, medication and problem lists, and signed authorizations. Charting must be accurate, objective, timely, legible, dated, timed, and authenticated.

380 words, about 2 min