| Location | Houston, TX |
Sigma Inc. is seeking an experienced Senior Patient Account Specialist to work onsite in Houston, TX. This opportunity is ideal for professionals with a strong background in healthcare billing, medical collections, hospital accounts receivable (A/R), insurance collections, and patient account resolution.
The successful candidate will be responsible for resolving patient and insurance accounts, researching billing issues, communicating with patients and payers, documenting account activity, and meeting established collection and productivity goals.
Job Title: Senior Patient Account Specialist
Location: Houston, TX
Duration: 3 Months
Employment Type: Temp-to-Permanent
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
The Senior Patient Account Specialist provides professional medical collection and patient account services, focusing on account follow-up, resolution, insurance collections, self-pay accounts, and physician billing.
This position requires strong knowledge of healthcare revenue cycle management, hospital A/R, medical billing and collections, along with excellent customer service and communication skills.
Provide effective medical collection services and successfully resolve patient accounts.
Perform account follow-up and resolution activities for active A/R and client inventory.
Communicate professionally with patients, clients, reimbursement vendors, insurance carriers, and other external entities.
Document and update patient account information accurately and promptly in collection software systems.
Handle inbound patient and carrier calls and resolve account questions, issues, and requests.
Research and analyze account issues and determine appropriate resolution and follow-up.
Use collection tools and systems effectively to meet recovery and productivity goals.
Meet established daily productivity and quality standards.
Maintain accurate patient accounting records and account status information.
Promote positive patient relations through respectful and professional communication.
Use Microsoft Word and Excel for daily administrative and account-related activities.
Apply knowledge of hospital A/R processes to resolve outstanding accounts.
Participate in team meetings and contribute to resolving work-related issues.
Assist with special projects and other assigned duties.
Maintain current knowledge of insurance payer collection requirements.
Follow up with third-party payers regarding outstanding balances.
Conduct collection activities in accordance with applicable state and federal requirements.
Research accounts and obtain information needed for appeals and claim resolution.
Communicate with other departments regarding pending information or issues delaying claim processing.
Ensure proper documentation of insurance collection activities.
Handle self-pay accounts using a professional, customer-service-oriented approach.
Communicate with patients regarding outstanding balances.
Assist patients in identifying available financial assistance options.
Establish acceptable payment arrangements when applicable.
Maintain positive patient relationships while supporting collection objectives.
Communicate account concerns and potential resolutions with team members.
Follow up on physician billing accounts and outstanding balances.
Ensure appeals are submitted accurately and timely.
Review accounts and determine appropriate follow-up activities.
Identify underpayments and overpayments and take appropriate action.
Validate commercial insurance claims and reimbursement according to contractual requirements.
Monitor billing and collection errors and communicate trends to appropriate teams.
Utilize Meditech and CollectLogix when applicable.
Apply process-improvement practices, including Six Sigma principles, to account review and resolution.
3–5 years of experience preferred.
Previous experience in healthcare billing, medical collections, patient accounts, or revenue cycle management.
Experience in a customer service call center environment with a focus on healthcare billing or collections.
Experience working in a collection agency environment is a plus.
Strong knowledge of hospital A/R and patient accounting processes.
Experience with insurance claims, insurance collections, or payer follow-up preferred.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent customer service and problem-solving abilities.
Strong attention to detail and ability to research and resolve account issues.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel.
Ability to meet productivity, quality, and collection performance expectations.
College education, previous insurance company claims experience, and/or healthcare billing trade school education may be considered in lieu of formal hospital experience.