Financial Counselor

Med-Metrix•Arlington, VA

About The Position

The Financial Counselor assists in the completion and coordination of front-end activities associated with patient financial processing in the Patient Access Department. Prioritizes and coordinates patient accounts from patient admission through patient discharge to ensure that patient financial obligations are addressed prior to patient discharge. Ensures all uninsured or underinsured patients are evaluated by the third-party Medical Assistance Vendor for the state medical assistance program as well as the Financial Assistance Program and Self Pay Discount Policy.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent required / College Degree accepted in lieu of experience
Experience with Patient Access/Accounting – Billing/Collections/Customer Service
Detail oriented
Exemplary customer service skills, including the ability to negotiate and problem-solve
Proven clear, effective written and oral communication skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate well at all levels of the organization
Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses
High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results oriented
Excellent written and verbal communication skills required
Gracious and welcoming personality for customer service interaction
Must possess a smart-phone or electronic device capable of downloading applications, for multifactor authentication and security purposes.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Medicare preferred
Knowledge of Cerner / Allscripts / Availity/ Millenium a plus
Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA or its equivalent)
Certified Patient Access Specialist certification
National Association of Healthcare Access Management

Responsibilities

Inpatient, ED & Outpatient pre-registration/registration
Outpatient Surgery & SPU pre-registration /registration
Verify insurance for eligibility and/or active coverage
Explain insurance benefits
Collect patient responsibility amounts
Verify the COB of insurances
Validate payer authorization/referral
Calculate point of service payments, estimated payments & refer patients to the Financial Counselor for payment arrangements
Send patient reasonability letters, when applicable
Assist with QA and peer development
Demonstrate an understanding of system interfaces and troubleshoot problems/issues
Act as preceptor for new hires on-going in-services for staff
Lead the department in the absence of a manager on-site and have ability to make temporary operational and staffing adjustments as needed based on guidelines provided by management
Other duties as assigned
Use, protect and disclose patients’ protected health information (PHI) only in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards
Understand and comply with Information Security and HIPAA policies and procedures at all times
Limit viewing of PHI to the absolute minimum as necessary to perform assigned duties