California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants (CCBMA) Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The correct term for when a healthcare provider bills an insurance company for false charges is classified as fraud. Fraud involves intentionally deceiving another party for personal gain, which, in the context of healthcare, typically means submitting false or misleading information to obtain insurance payments that are not deserved. This can include overbilling for services, billing for services that were not provided, or misrepresenting the type of service rendered.

In contrast, embezzlement refers to the misappropriation or theft of funds that one has been entrusted to manage, which is different from submitting false claims to an insurance company. Extortion involves obtaining something, often money, through coercion or threats, and is not related to the act of billing for false charges. Bribery involves offering something of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in a position of authority, which does not align with the act of fraudulent billing practices either.

By understanding these distinctions, you can see why fraud is the specific term that accurately describes the unethical practice of submitting false claims to insurance providers for financial gain.