What indicates that a patient has allowed the payer to reimburse the provider directly?

The phrase that indicates a patient has permitted the payer to reimburse the provider directly is "assignment of benefits." When a patient assigns benefits to a provider, they are essentially instructing their insurance company to make payment directly to the provider for the services rendered, rather than to the patient. This process helps streamline billing and payment for medical services, ensuring that providers receive their reimbursement directly from the payer, reducing the administrative burden on the patient.

In contrast, the term "accept assignment" refers to a provider's agreement to accept the insurance payment as full compensation for services, which is related but not the same as assigning benefits. "Coordination of benefits" involves managing claims when a patient is covered by multiple insurance policies, ensuring that benefits are coordinated between insurers. "Medical necessity" refers to the requirement that healthcare services provided are necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of a condition but does not pertain to who receives the payment.