Access Specialist I - Emergency Department

Southeast Health•Dothan, AL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Access Specialist I interviews and obtains all necessary information to register or admit patients. This role involves obtaining signatures for permission for treatment and reimbursement for services, as well as gathering billing information and ensuring pre-authorizations are secured for treatment and all other reimbursement requirements are met. The specialist also discharges patients upon completion of treatment, assists with posting and verifying charges, and maintains medical records. All tasks and duties must be performed in compliance with department and hospital policies, demonstrating efficient and professional behavior at all times. This position works as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing answers to inquiries, troubleshooting problems, and offering information. The specialist handles interventions or referrals with a professional and respectful customer service focus, both telephonically and in person. They serve as the first and ongoing point of contact for all clients, providing scheduling or patient enrollment for services, and accurately entering/updating demographic, financial/billing, and caregiver contact information to complete patient records. Key responsibilities include verifying third-party payer coverage, collecting self-pay balances, scheduling planned clinical services, and making referrals to appropriate resources. The role requires the ability to consistently stay calm while interacting with clients, adapt to a consistently changing fast-paced environment that demands excellent multi-tasking skills, and maintain flexibility with business needs, approaching daily tasks with a “can do” attitude. Additionally, the specialist provides estimates for clinical services, performs transcription of basic orders in the software system for patient account processing, obtains/initiates authorizations for clinical services when required, secures all necessary signatures for billing and clinical treatment, coordinates assistance, initiates self-pay workflows, and assists patients with SE Health financial assistance programs. Other duties may be assigned as needed.

Requirements

High School diploma
Working knowledge of computers
Medical terminology (may be completed through SEH training and development electronic education program within orientation period)
Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills
Ability to interact with customers in both hospital and clinic environments
Basic keyboard/typing skills
Calculator skills

Nice To Haves

One year of hospital or clinic revenue cycle experience

Responsibilities

Interviews and obtains all necessary information to register or admit patients.
Obtains signatures for permission for treatment and reimbursement for services.
Obtains billing information, ensures pre-authorizations are obtained for treatment and all other reimbursement requirements are met.
Discharges patients upon completion of treatment.
Assists with posting and verifying of charges as well as maintaining medical records.
Performs all tasks and duties in compliance with department and hospital policies.
Demonstrates efficient and professional behavior at all times.
Works as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide answers to inquiries and questions.
Troubleshoot problems and provide information.
Handle intervention or referrals with a professional and respectful customer service focus telephonically and/or in person.
Provides a variety of support services in connection to the day-to-day operations in a health care environment.
First and ongoing point of contact for all clients either by phone or in person.
Provides scheduling or patient enrollment for services.
Enters/updates all demographic information, financial/billing information, caregiver contact information, and additional information needed to complete patient record.
Verifies third party payer coverage.
Collects self-pay balances.
Schedules patient for planned clinical services.
Makes referrals for customers to appropriate resources.
Consistently stay calm while interacting with clients telephonically or in person.
Adapt to a consistently changing fast paced environment that requires excellent multi-tasking skills.
Be flexible with the business needs and report daily with a “can do” approach.
Provides estimates for clinical services.
Performs transcription of basic orders in software system for patient account processing.
Obtains/initiates authorizations for clinical services when required.
Obtains all required signatures needed for billing and clinical treatment.
Coordinates assistance and initiates self-pay workflows.
Responsible for assisting patients with SE Health financial assistance programs.
Performs all other duties as assigned.