Financial Clearance Unit Coordinator

EvergreenHealth•Kirkland, WA

2d•$26 - $42

About The Position

Responsible for ensuring EvergreenHealth’s revenue cycle excellence by providing strategic support to the Financial Clearance and Patient Access leadership. This position utilizes advanced knowledge of Epic systems, data analytics, and payer policies to optimize workflows, reduce financial risks, and ensure seamless patient access to care. Assists leadership by delivering measurable impact on fiscal performance and patient satisfaction. Aligns operations with organizational policies and goals through cross-departmental collaboration, mentoring and training of staff, and leading process improvement. Utilizes strong decision-making and adaptability to collaborate with staff to develop a high-performing team.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent
5 years of experience in a similar role
Experience in working with healthcare insurers and their reimbursement systems, especially Medicare, DSHS, L&I and contract payers in a hospital patient accounts department, insurance carrier or for major physicians’ clinic
Knowledge of medical terminology
Knowledge of clinical/medical office procedures

Nice To Haves

Leadership and problem-solving experience
Knowledge of insurance, ICD9 and CPT codes, and their successors as implemented
Epic system training and/or knowledge

Responsibilities

Independently analyzes and resolves payer-related issues. Minimizes rework and financial impact by identifying denial trends and claim adjudication challenges. Escalates concerns to denial management team and leadership as needed.
Partners with Revenue Integrity to review open denials. Develop appeal strategies and implement Lean-based solutions to mitigate future denials.
Initiates, completes, and follows up on preauthorization’s, and patient estimates for outpatient services under Patient Access, Centralized Ambulatory Eligibility and EHMG Clinics. Ensures compliance with payer requirements and provides accurate surgical estimates to patients and physician offices.
Coordinates workflows and communication across EvergreenHealth departments (e.g., Patient Access, Diagnostic Imaging, Radiation Oncology, EvergreenHealth Primary Care, Specialty Care, and all EHMG Medical Group Clinics), insurance providers, and patients to ensure seamless scheduling, authorization, and financial clearance.
Facilitates alignment of workflow processes between Monroe and Kirkland Financial Clearance Unit (FCU) locations, ensuring consistency and efficiency of operations.
Communicates financial requirements for patient procedures to Patient Access, Centralized Ambulatory, and EHMG departments, clinics, and management. Assists with collecting patient deposits as needed.
Coordinates daily activities within the Financial Clearance Unit and Revenue Cycle support teams, prioritizing tasks such as audits, special projects, and work queue coverage during staff shortages or high patient volumes.
Develops and maintains staffing schedules to cover open shifts, vacations, and absences. Monitors daily productivity and identifies tools to achieve departmental goals. Assists leadership with timecards as needed.
Facilitates training and ongoing education for new and existing Financial Clearance Unit and Ambulatory Centralized Eligibility staff. Coordinates curriculum to ensure proficiency in Epic, insurance portals, third-party platforms, processes, and workflows.
Coordinates financial clearance calls involving the Chief Medical Officer for Patient Access Department patients. This includes call organization, preparation of relevant materials, note-taking, and timely distribution of summaries. Ensures follow-up on action items to support leadership objectives and patient care access.
Supports the development, creation, and organization of policies, procedures, process documents, and manuals. Coordinates updates and required reviews and ensures appropriate distribution.
Organizes and leads projects related to Epic implementation, such as identifying work queue requirements for workflows, patient estimates for all outpatient, inpatient and all EHMG Clinics and process documentation for Patient Access, Centralized Ambulatory, and EHMG Clinics.
Coordinates action item lists, prepares meeting materials, and takes notes for leadership. Ensures timely follow-up and completion of deliverables.
Performs other duties as assigned.