What is another name for the manual review of the health record that is also called Complex Review?

• A. CERT audit
• B. Medical Record Review
• C. SMRC review
• D. ZPIC investigation

Answer: (B)

Manual review of the health record is the process where a clinician examiner goes through the chart to verify that the documentation, coding, and requested services are accurate and medically necessary. When reviewers encounter more complex cases requiring deeper clinical interpretation, this is called Complex Review. The term that best describes this hands-on, record-by-record examination is Medical Record Review, which is the standard label for the manual review of charts used to confirm proper coding and billing. The other options refer to different CMS activities: CERT audits are used to estimate improper payments and involve records as part of a wider program, ZPIC investigations are enforcement actions for fraud and abuse, and SMRC review is not a commonly used term for this process.