What action should an MAA take if a dental office increases the cost of routine teeth cleaning?

In the scenario where a dental office has increased the cost of routine teeth cleaning, updating the fee schedule is a crucial action the Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA) should take. Maintaining an accurate and current fee schedule ensures that all financial transactions reflect the new pricing structure, which is vital for billing, insurance claims, and patient interactions. An updated fee schedule also helps avoid confusion or discrepancies when patients inquire about services or when staff provide estimates for treatments.

While notifying insurance companies and referral sources could be relevant depending on specific office protocols or agreements, the immediate and fundamental requirement is to ensure that the fee schedule itself is current. This prevents potential issues with billing and keeps the dental office's operations running smoothly. Updating patients' accounts with the new fee schedule is also an important step, but it must be preceded by the initial update of the fee schedule itself to ensure that all future transactions and patient accounts reflect the most current fees.