Which missing piece of patient demographic information would most likely cause a claim rejection?

Having the date of birth is essential for a claim to be processed accurately. This information is crucial for verifying a patient’s identity, determining eligibility for services, and ensuring that the correct patient is billed for the healthcare services rendered. A missing date of birth can lead to discrepancies in patient records, which can raise red flags during the claims processing stage. Hence, insurance companies often require this information to establish the age of the patient, which may also affect coverage and benefits, particularly for age-restricted services.

In contrast, while other demographic information like the address, insurance policy number, and phone number are certainly important for the processing of a claim, they may not be as critical as the date of birth for identification and eligibility verification purposes. An incomplete address may delay correspondence but is less likely to directly lead to a claim being rejected compared to the absence of a date of birth. The insurance policy number is also vital for processing claims, but if it is only partially incorrect rather than missing altogether, the claim can still be processed with additional information. A missing phone number, while inconvenient for follow-up, does not usually prevent a claim from being adjudicated.