Health · Chapter 14 · Cost Containment
Pre-Certification & Preadmission Testing
Definition
Pre-certification (prospective review): insurer approval required BEFORE elective hospital admission — skipping it in a non-emergency reduces or eliminates benefits; in an emergency, notify after admission. Preadmission testing evaluates health before hospitalization — its main effect is reducing the length of hospitalization.
Exam tip
Exam answer for 'preadmission testing primarily reduces…' = the length of hospitalization. Not physician charges, not diagnosis time.
Easy to confuse with
These are what this term gets tested against — if you can't tell them apart cold, drill the contrast.
Related terms