Financial Counselor

UnitedHealth Group•Phoenix, AZ

6d•$18 - $32•Onsite

About The Position

The Financial Counselor is often the first point of contact for patients and families and helps provide a professional, knowledgeable first impression. The role obtains accurate insurance and demographic information in a timely manner to support quality, compassionate care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. The position is based at 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, Arizona, and is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with rotating weekends. The Financial Counselor completes patient registration and account reviews, verifies insurance and medical necessity, secures required forms and documentation, and collects or arranges payment for patient liabilities. The role follows applicable billing and regulatory requirements, documents interactions and verification results in hospital systems, and escalates accounts when appropriate. The hourly pay range is $18–$32, based on factors including local labor markets, education, work experience, and certifications. A $2,000 sign-on bonus is offered to eligible external applicants; current UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare, or related-entity employees are not eligible.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least 1 year of customer service experience.
At least 1 year of collections or insurance-related experience.
Beginner-level proficiency working with computers and data entry.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills.
Ability to perform basic mathematics for payment calculations.

Nice To Haves

At least 1 year of experience in a hospital Patient Registration department, physician office, healthcare insurance company, revenue cycle vendor, or another revenue cycle-related role.
At least 1 year of leadership experience.
General understanding of insurance policies and procedures.
Working knowledge of medical terminology.

Responsibilities

Maintain current knowledge of registration requirements for areas including Main Admitting, outpatient registration, emergency department registration, maternity, and rehabilitation.
Enter complete, accurate, and timely demographic information into the ADT system during registration and ensure patient medical record numbers are not duplicated.
Review assigned accounts for accuracy and required documentation; carefully review pre-registered account information and verify it with patients at registration, correcting errors as needed.
Meet CMS billing requirements, including completing the MSP and issuing the Important Message from Medicare, Observation Notice, and other applicable notices, and document completion in the hospital information system.
Collect and enter required information in the ADT system, emphasizing accurate demographic and financial data to support appropriate reimbursement.
Identify forms requiring patient or guarantor signatures and obtain them; ensure required documents are scanned into the appropriate systems.
Provide patients or guarantors with applicable printed materials, such as Patient Rights and Responsibilities, HIPAA Privacy Act notification, and Advance Directive information.
Follow downtime procedures, including manually entering patient information, identifying the patient’s MRN in the MPI database, assigning a financial number, and entering information when the ADT system is restored.
Assess self-pay patients for presumptive eligibility and initiate the process when appropriate.
Monitor and address tasks associated with the Mede/Analytics PAI tool.
Follow approved scripting and verify insurance benefits for patients registered each day using electronic verification systems or by contacting payers directly.
Document insurance verification details in the ADT system, including deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and policy limitations.
Obtain referral, authorization, and pre-certification information; document it in the ADT system and submit notices of admission when necessary.
Verify medical necessity checks for outpatient services; when appropriate, use technology to complete checks and/or notify patients that an ABN must be signed.
Identify payer medical-necessity requirements, verify patient liabilities with payers, calculate patient payments, and request payment at registration.
Identify outstanding balances from prior visits, notify patients, and request payment.
Set up payment plans when patients cannot pay their current copayment and/or prior balance in full at one time.
Accurately document discussions with patients about financial liabilities and payment agreements.
Apply patient payments and provide receipts in accordance with department policies and procedures.
Clarify and document the division of financial responsibility when payment for services is split between a medical group and an insurance company.
Escalate accounts to appropriate Patient Registration leadership when needed based on verification outcomes and the patient’s ability to pay.

Benefits

Paid time off accrued beginning with the first pay period, plus 8 paid holidays.
Medical plan options and participation in a Health Spending Account or Health Savings Account.
Dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage.
401(k) savings plan and employee stock purchase plan.
Education reimbursement.
Employee discounts.
Employee Assistance Program.
Employee Referral Bonus Program.
Voluntary benefits, including pet insurance, legal insurance, and long-term care insurance.
Performance rewards and a comprehensive benefits program.
$2,000 sign-on bonus for eligible external applicants.