Financial Counseling Specialist

Evergreen Health•Buffalo, NY

About The Position

The Financial Counseling Specialist is responsible for providing patient insurance assistance for patients of Evergreen Health. They will ensure these patients have healthcare coverage or appropriate payment arrangement in place in order for them to receive all available services at Evergreen. The Financial Counseling Specialist will have knowledge of health insurance and all aspects of patient registration through billing and will communicate insurance issues to center staff and patients effectively, ensuring patient services will be reimbursed. The financial counseling specialist is a vital part of the Evergreen revenue cycle, as well as the positive patient experience at Evergreen.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent, Associate degree preferred
Minimum of six (6) months previous experience working with patients in a medical center/practice setting
Must be able to communicate clearly and professionally in writing and verbally
Must have familiarity with MS Office Software (Outlook, Word, Excel)
Must have excellent time management skills, problem solving and organizational skills
Knowledge of different types of insurance coverage and policies required
Sensitivity toward cultural diversity, people living with HIV/AIDS and lifestyle and addiction issues is essential.

Nice To Haves

Certification as a NYS Health Assistor and/or Certified Application Counselor is preferred

Responsibilities

Provides friendly, knowledgeable, culturally competent service to all patients.
Verifies all patient insurance and financial info prior to appointments, and when needed, assists patients with any insurance or financial issues needing resolution prior to being cleared for appointments; places appropriate directive in EMR note for front desk staff
Assists patients with insurance enrollment through the NY State of Health Marketplace, along with tracking and assisting with any recertification needs
Advises self-pay patients, collects payments, and develops patient payment plans if needed
Screens patients for Sliding Fee Scale eligibility based on income and household size and completes applications with eligible patients
Contacts insurance companies to verify patient coverage levels to ensure all procedures are covered
Works with patients to educate them on their benefits information
Ensures that patient populations eligible for assistance programs receive enrollment assistance and information on all available coverage options
Develops tools and processes to ensure insurance is obtained for every patient, and acts as a liaison between clinic and billing staff to ensure smooth billing process
Collaborates with the billing staff regularly to ensure no claims are being rejected due to incorrect insurance information
Assists billing staff on other billing processes, including credentialing, posting payments, denial research, etc.