A billing and coding specialist needs to know how much Medicare paid on a claim before billing the secondary insurance. To which of the following should the specialist refer?

• A. EOB
• B. Denial log
• C. Remittance advice
• D. Patient ledger

Answer: (C)

Remittance Advice is the payer’s detailed payment notice that shows exactly how much Medicare paid on a claim, along with any adjustments and the patient’s responsibility. This document (often the electronic 835 ERA) is used to post Medicare’s payment and determine the remaining balance before billing the secondary insurer. An EOB is patient-facing, a denial log records denied claims, and a patient ledger tracks the patient’s balances—none of which provides the payer’s precise payment details needed to coordinate benefits with a secondary payer.