The purpose of the Central Authorization Specialist position is to centrally facilitate the successful procuring of insurance authorizations for ordered procedures and post-operative care. This will be done through quality validations of obtained authorizations as well as continuous education and opportunity feedback to a multi-disciplinary team with the underlying objective of managing the cost of care and providing timely and accurate information to payors'. The Central Authorization Specialist helps drive change by identifying areas where performance improvement is needed (e.g., day to day workflow, education, process improvements, patient satisfaction). The Central Authorization Specialist is accountable for a designated caseload and plans effectively in order to meet demands and support resources procuring authorizations. Under general supervision and in accordance with established policies and procedures the specific functions within this role include: Subject matter expertise of precertification and payor authorization processes. Ensure successful authorizations are procured by ordering physician offices through validation of work effort and education of procuring staff. Ensure feedback relevant to successful authorization procurement is obtained from back-end coding, billing and denial management resources and distributed to ordering physicians and authorization procurement staff to promote continuous improvement. Application of process improvement methodologies. The responsibilities include acting as a centralized resource for assigned specialty across all sites of practice to ensure standardized and consistent procurement of authorizations.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: High school diploma required OR 3-5 years of related experience/training OR equivalent combination of education and experience (required)
(Required) Minimum 3-5 years of experience in:
Medical clinic setting OR
Hospital/corporate training environment
Highly computer literate required
Minimum 2 years of experience in:
Healthcare insurance verification and/or
Medical billing
2-3 years of progressively responsible experience handling:
Administrative operations
Organizational policies and procedures
High-level administrative responsibilities
Coding knowledge required
Knowledge of clinical terminology required
Understanding of patient treatment plans for authorization purposes
Ability to:
Interpret RN and physician notes
Obtain insurance authorizations
Identify and communicate authorization barriers or additional requirements to clinical staff
Additional coursework in:
Business
Computer systems
Healthcare administration preferred
Experience in a medical or surgical specialty clinic preferred
Ability to interpret:
Insurance records
Related healthcare documentation
Working knowledge of:
Hospital operations
Utilization management
Case management
Managed care reimbursement preferred
General understanding of healthcare revenue cycle preferred, including:
Billing
Coding
Charge capture
Reimbursement
Strong organizational and time management skills
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and responsibilities effectively
Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment with:
Physicians
Payors
Patients and families
Strong oral and written communication skills required
Strong analytical and data management skills required
Ability to work effectively with all levels of management
Strong interpersonal communication and negotiation skills
Experience collaborating with:
Clinicians
Additional Information