Customer Service Representative - Dental

WESTERN WAYNE FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS•Lincoln Park, MI

About The Position

The Dental Clerk performs front-office tasks that support the efficient delivery of dental services at WWFHC. Duties include scheduling, patient intake, fee collection, filing, chart preparation, insurance verification, answering phone calls, and other tasks assigned by the Dentist or Hygienist. The role maintains a full-time presence at the clinic’s dental reception area and provides customer-focused assistance to patients. The position includes communicating clearly and tactfully with patients and colleagues, listening carefully, keeping appropriate people informed, and respecting confidentiality and privacy at work and off duty. WWFHC follows federal and state employee health and safety mandates. Employees are required to have the primary COVID-19 vaccine series and eligible boosters, subject to case-by-case exemptions for qualifying medical contraindications or recognized religious beliefs. Exemptions must be requested and approved before the first day of work; approved exemptions require weekly testing. Employees who have not yet been vaccinated must be fully vaccinated or scheduled to receive vaccination as soon as possible according to CDC guidelines.

Requirements

High school diploma.
One year of experience in a dental or medical office.
Knowledge of general dental processes and procedures.
Knowledge of insurance plans and government programs, including how to register patients or check eligibility.
Experience with commonly used computer software, including Microsoft Office and Outlook, and healthcare or dental software used for patient data and files.
Ability to provide excellent customer-focused service.
Ability to work in a complex work environment.

Responsibilities

Maintain a full-time presence at the clinic’s dental reception area.
Greet dental patients, perform intake duties, and notify appropriate dental staff when patients arrive.
Register new patients by entering demographic, insurance, and income-assessment information into the computer.
Answer telephone calls and schedule appointments according to approved protocols.
Prepare patient charts for documentation by dental staff.
Answer patient questions about medical insurance, DHS and social-service programs, and community resources and services.
Verify patient insurance and assign sliding-fee designations where appropriate.
Check patients out after appointments by reviewing charts for appropriate coding and charges, collecting fees, processing billing information, and scheduling follow-up appointments.
Audit patient charts for coding errors or incomplete information and correct errors or notify appropriate dental staff.
Run the end-of-day report and balance the cash drawer.
Maintain the cash fund and record deposits and withdrawals.
Keep appropriate people informed; communicate clearly, concisely, tactfully, and appropriately; listen carefully; and respect confidentiality and privacy.