Hearing Services Technician

Description: Job Summary:
Performs a variety of office administrative functions related to membership verification and eligibility problem resolution for non­member patients, revenue capture inventory processing and phone interaction with customers. Technical aspects of hearing aid delivery. Management of hearing aid/assistive listening device ordering and inventory. Management of infection control, patient safety and clinical supplies for Hearing Services clinic. Clinical duties involve both direct (in person) & indirect (via phone or on-line) patient care activities requiring both simple to complex knowledge and skills. The Hearing Services Technician is expected to have competent observational, critical thinking, communication, problem solving & decision-making skills to meet patient needs and contribute to the positive care experience and work environment under the clinical supervision of the audiologist for patient care activities, and under the general direction of the designated manager/supervisor.

Essential Responsibilities:

Performs a variety of functions related to patient eligibility verification, including verifying insurance coverage with non-Kaiser insurance providers for MVA cases.
Verifies CPT coding for accurate billing and reconciliation of accounts.
Enters patient charges/benefits via HealthConnect.
Completes daily reconciliation report for Patient Registration to track office revenue, process payment via Health Connect/Payment Mate. Reconciles Point of Sale, Health Connect, Sage (system that creates and tracks Hearing Aid Contracts), multiple outside vendor accounts, and cash drawer.
Schedules (via phone or walk-in) and arrives patients for appointments with audiology providers.
Manages the entry of hearing aid orders.
Monitors the timeliness of manufacturers delivery of new custom or repaired hearing aids to assure hearing aids are available for scheduled hearing aid evaluation appointments and issuance.
Once physical inventory is received, the Hearing Services Technician is responsible for maintaining purchase orders and creating sales orders for proper sale according to CO Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Hearing Aid Fitting and Dispensing requirements (legal contract).
Accountability and oversight of physical inventory from time of order through purchase, following compliance requirements.
Responsible for tracking of charges, credits, and refunds for specific site, and for keeping this information updated, which contributes to overall financial picture and reports.
Schedules and educates members via heavy phone work each day, which may include supporting audiologist by determining the nature of the patients visit by answering routine inquiries and responding to all administrative requests.
Receives and screens calls from members, walk-in appointments, or incoming devices from members with complaints about their hearing aids or assistive listening devices.
Performs troubleshooting checks upon malfunctioning hearing instruments to determine if problems can be corrected or instrument must be returned for repairs.
May perform routine electro acoustical analysis of hearing aids on hearing aid test equipment for audiologist review; dispenses repaired items to members.
Cleans earmolds and hearing aids.
Changes tubing in patients custom earmolds.
Provides members with loaner hearing aids from clinic stock as directed by the clinical audiologist.
Educates patient on proper over the counter product based on their needs, sells product, and maintains tracking of supply and inventory for those products.
Assists audiology staff in maintaining inventory and independently monitors and initiates stock level requests from material management.
Management of infection control, patient safety and clinical supplies.
Assist audiologist with daily walk-in clinic, which involves routine cleaning of hearing aids, troubleshooting malfunctioning hearing aids, and providing in-office repair of those hearing aids.
May also run daily walk-in clinic independently with supervision of audiologist on site.
Additional responsibilities include educating patients on how to care for their hearing aids and how to utilize their hearing aids with mobile and other blue tooth devices.
Complete clinical documentation of repaired hearing aids and ensure that hearing aids are returned to the proper patient.
Check repaired hearing aids to ensure that all components are present and in working order before returning them to members.
Maintain extensive knowledge of products, services, and supplies in order to educate audiology and Head Neck Surgery patients and their family members about the products.
This may include demonstration on how to properly use the product.
Dependent upon assigned area, may register members into various classes, answer all related questions, collects fees, sends out confirmation letters, and ensures all materials are ordered and given to class facilitator.
Release of information in accordance with HIPAA laws and regulations to include reprint of audiograms, contracts, or other medical records, as requested by 3rd party payors, school districts, etc. Training and mentoring of new Hearing Services Technicians.
Responsible for development and maintenance of policy and procedure manual of front desk operations.
Accountable for consistently demonstrating service behaviors and principles defined by the Kaiser Permanente Service Quality Credo, the KP Mission as well as specific departmental/organizational initiatives.
Accountable for consistently demonstrating the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors necessary to provide superior and culturally sensitive service to each other, to our members, and to purchasers contracted providers and vendors.
Other duties as assigned.
Basic Qualifications:
Experience

Minimum two (2) years of heavy telephone and business office work experience, including one year (1) in membership accounting or a customer/patient service department involving credit/collection work, insurance coverage verification or eligibility problem resolution.
At least Six (6) months experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.

Education

High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.

License, Certification, Registration

N/A

Additional Requirements:

Typing speed of 40 w.p.m. and 10-key by touch experience preferred.
Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and work with difficult individuals and situations in a courteous manner.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Demonstrated customer service skills, customer focus abilities and the ability to understand Kaiser Permanente customer needs.

Preferred Qualifications:

Work involves regular and recurring contact with patients who are unusually difficult to communicate with because of deficits in hearing.
The position requires that the health technician be flexible in dealing with and adjusting to the many needs of the professional staff, patients and family members.
Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and work with difficult individuals and situations in a courteous manner, and membership verifications, eligibility problem resolution, and non-member issues.

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