Unbundling or exploding charges is an example of

• A. An example of fraud
• B. A clerical error
• C. An example of abuse
• D. A permissible billing practice

Answer: (C)

Unbundling or exploding charges is a billing pattern where components that should be included in a single bundled code are billed separately. This practice inflates reimbursement by taking advantage of payer rules that require certain services to be billed together. It’s considered abuse because it deviates from accepted billing standards and represents a known improper billing pattern that can lead to higher payments. It isn’t simply a clerical error, which would be a one-time data-entry mistake, and it isn’t a permissible billing practice since payers expect those components to be bundled. While fraud involves intentional deception to obtain money, unbundling is typically categorized as abuse due to its systematic nature and the potential to cause improper payments, even though it may not always prove intentional deception.