Hospital Financial Counselor

Job Purpose

The Financial Counselor assists in the completion and coordination of front-end activities associated with patient financial processing in the Patient Access Department. Prioritizes and coordinates patient accounts from patient admission through patient discharge to ensure that patient financial obligations are addressed prior to patient discharge. Ensures all uninsured or underinsured patients are evaluated by the third-party Medical Assistance Vendor for the state medical assistance program as well as the Financial Assistance Program and Self Pay Discount Policy. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Inpatient, ED & Outpatient pre-registration/registration
• Outpatient Surgery & SPU pre-registration /registration
• Verify insurance for eligibility and/or active coverage 
• Explain insurance benefits
• Collect patient responsibility amounts
• Verify the COB of insurances 
• Validate payer authorization/referral
• Calculate point of service payments, estimated payments & refer patients to the Financial Counselor for payment arrangements
• Send patient reasonability letters, when applicable
• Assist with QA and peer development
• Demonstrate an understanding of system interfaces and troubleshoot problems/issues
• Act as preceptor for new hires on-going in-services for staff
• Lead the department in the absence of a manager on-site and have ability to make temporary operational and staffing adjustments as needed based on guidelines provided by management
• Other duties as assigned 
• Use, protect and disclose patients' protected health information (PHI) only in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards
• Understand and comply with Information Security and HIPAA policies and procedures at all times 
• Limit viewing of PHI to the absolute minimum as necessary to perform assigned duties 

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required / College Degree accepted in lieu of experience
• Experience with Patient Access/Accounting – Billing/Collections/Customer Service
• Knowledge of  Medicare preferred 
• Knowledge of Cerner / Allscripts / Availity/ Millenium a plus
• Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA or its equivalent
• Certified Patient Access Specialist certification 
• National Association of Healthcare Access Management 
• Detail oriented
• Exemplary customer service skills, including the ability to negotiate and problem-solve
• Proven clear, effective written and oral communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite 
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate well at all levels of the organization 
• Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses 
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results oriented  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required 
• Gracious and welcoming personality for customer service interaction 

Working Conditions

• Must possess a smart-phone or electronic device capable of downloading applications, for multifactor authentication and security purposes. 
• Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to move around the work area; Sit; perform manual tasks; operate tools and other office equipment such as computer, computer peripherals and telephones; extend arms; kneel; talk and hear.
• Mental Demands: The employee must be able to follow directions, collaborate with others, and handle stress.
• Work Environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal.

Med-Metrix will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, veteran status, other non-merit based factors, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.