Financial Counselor

Lifepoint Health • Youngstown, OH

7h

About The Position

The Financial Counselor guides patients through the financial responsibilities associated with receiving facility services. The role assesses patients’ ability to pay, explains insurance benefits and financial liability, collects payments, negotiates payment arrangements, secures financing, identifies funding sources, and addresses questions about financial obligations. The counselor verifies insurance benefits accurately and promptly, gathers additional insurance information from patients or guardians, maintains knowledge of HMO, PPO, Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance reimbursement rates and criteria, estimates patients’ out-of-pocket costs, collects applicable co-pays, coinsurance, and deductibles, and establishes fair and reasonable repayment terms.

The position also supports account and billing workflows by providing timely information to relevant departments, maintaining and working self-pay account lists, following up on patient accounts, verifying admitted patient accounts within 24 hours, and helping uninsured patients identify potential Medicaid eligibility and appropriate referrals. The counselor processes insurance requests and communicates information needed to submit clean claims.

Requirements

• High school graduation or equivalent preferred.
• Previous experience in healthcare collections or a related field, or a combination of education, training, or experience in a healthcare business office setting, preferred.
• Valid driver’s license preferred.
• May be required to work flexible hours and overtime.
• Crisis Prevention Training (CPI) must be completed within 30 days of employment and before any patient contact.

Nice To Haves

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Previous experience in healthcare collections or a related field, or a combination of education, training, or experience in a healthcare business office setting.
• Valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate account and billing information to required departments within specified timelines.
• Implement collection measures for uncollected co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
• Serve as an additional point of contact for benefit determinations within departmental timelines.
• Maintain the self-pay and self-pay-after-insurance work list, work accounts daily, and document activity in the software system.
• Follow up on patient accounts to collect co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance at the time services are rendered.
• Verify, correct, and complete admitted patient accounts within 24 hours of admission.
• Gather and collect pertinent financial information to assess patient accounts accurately.
• Help uninsured patients identify potential Medicaid eligibility and make appropriate referrals to internal or external agencies.
• Process insurance requests from other departments and physician billing offices in a timely manner.
• Inform billing and collections staff of information needed to submit a clean claim when charges occur during or after a visit.
• Assess patients’ financial ability, explain insurance benefits and financial liability, collect payments, negotiate payment arrangements, secure financing, identify funding sources, and address questions about financial obligations.

Benefits

• Affordable medical, dental, and vision plans for eligible full-time employees and their families.
• Competitive paid time off.
• Tuition reimbursement, continuing education opportunities, and apprenticeship programs for eligible employees.
• 401(k) retirement plans.
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED