Patient Financial Health Advocate

QUALIFICATIONS:

JOB SPECIFIC CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Responsible for the efficient and accurate scheduling and registration of all patients requiring and/or requesting services from Hancock Health Gateway Services.
• Demonstrate a functional and technical understanding of applicable scheduling and billing software, intranet, and intranet usage, excel/word software, e-mail, usage and web-based applications. Required to check e-mail daily and use as a source of internal and external communication. Required to understand and utilize electronic medical record technology.
• Ability to work with peers in a team situation and create a positive work environment for team members.
• Demonstrated oral communication skills needed to develop patient rapport and ability to independently address patient needs as appropriate

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following list describes the essential duties of this role.  Individuals in this role may perform additional, related duties not listed here.

• Assist appropriate patients and families to explore options for financial assistance for medical services with referral to Social Services when appropriate
• Interacts with patients in a warm friendly manner showing respect and courteousness
• Enter data into systems accurately, completely and timely
• Obtain necessary insurance information
  • Coordinates scheduling, pre-registration, order entry, tracking and scanning of orders.
  • Maintain a high level of knowledge on all applicable coding requirements, insurance requirements, governmental and hospital.
• Verify patient insurance eligibility
• Determine appropriate monies owed and due from patients
• Follow up with appropriate patients and families for financial assistance needs
• Meet with patients to discuss estimated costs of services
• Work closely with patients and patient financial services to resolve account balance issues and establish payment plans
• Obtains needed prior insurance authorization for diagnostic tests
• Develops appropriate templates of charges by care regimen to assist patients.
• Assist in disability and medical necessity forms to assist patients
• Participates in all departmental and organizational meetings
• Sets up payment contracts when appropriate.
• Determines when financial assistance paperwork should be sent out.
• Refunds self-pay credit balances on accounts.
• Mails out appropriate paperwork
• May include processing account collections.

EXPECTED BEHAVIORS:

• Demonstrates advocacy, respect and truth telling
• Demonstrates accountability for own actions
• Demonstrates ability to respectfully address interpersonal conflicts
• Takes initiative to help others
• Demonstrates a learning attitude toward solving problems
• Demonstrates openness to change and new learning
• Reports to work on time and has regular attendance
• Adheres to practice defined dress code
• Attends Staff meetings, in-services, and continuing education
• Accept assignments based on workload, priorities, and the qualifications and competencies of self and of other staff members
• Respects the needs, expectations and rights of all individuals
• Advocates the rights of all to a safe environment
• Uses sensitivity to interact with patients and families with a variety of developmental and socio-cultural backgrounds to guide decision-making
• Identifies work processes and strives to reduce cost and increase satisfaction
• Identifies customers and demonstrates understanding of customers’ expectations
• Actively works to increase satisfaction of all
• Monitors customers’ satisfaction
• Takes active role in department process improvement efforts; demonstrates understanding of outcomes
• Demonstrates an understanding of responsibilities
• Demonstrates diagnostic thinking/reasoning
• Utilizes feedback from peers, supervisor, customers to drive performance and behaviors
• Prioritizes workplace safety

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED).
• Medical Terminology knowledge preferred.
• 1-3 years’ experience in computer operations.
• Successful experience in working with public.
• 1-3 years customer service experience.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced high stress environment.
• Attention to detail
• Knowledge of medical office practices and procedures
• Prefer two plus years of experience in a healthcare setting
• Basic accounting, including but not limited to reconcile receipts and monies at the end of every shift.