Financial Counselor

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Chicago, IL

4d

About The Position

The Financial Counselor supports Northwestern Medicine’s patient-first mission by providing customer service and financial counseling to patients with financial concerns. The role identifies potential financial risks and unsecured patient accounts, explains payment options and financial assistance programs, assists with financial assessment applications, determines eligibility, and communicates outcomes. The counselor may interview patients in person or follow up by phone, arrange and collect payments or deposits, address insurance coverage concerns, and provide price estimates. The position works with clinical, registration, scheduling, insurance verification, case management, and physician practice teams to resolve patient accounts promptly and appropriately.

The Financial Counselor documents patient interactions in the billing system, responds to inquiries accurately and within established time frames, reports activities and issues to management and staff, and contributes to departmental goals and process improvement. The role must comply with HIPAA, organizational policies, financial counseling and collection guidelines, and applicable regulations, including 501R, the Fair Billing Act, and the Hospital Uninsured Discount Program.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2–3 years of customer service or medical office experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.
• Proficiency in computer data entry and typing, including ability to type 40 words per minute.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to multitask.
• Customer-service orientation.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Additional language skills.
• Healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance experience.
• Knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration.

Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional customer service consistent with the Patients First philosophy, fostering a positive and collaborative team environment.
• Respond to questions and concerns, resolve consumer requests, and escalate extraordinary issues or concerns to management as needed.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
• Identify potential financial risks and unsecured patient accounts using financial reports, system information, or direct patient contact.
• Counsel financially unsecured patients on payment options and financial assistance programs in accordance with department policies and procedures.
• Assist patients with financial assessment applications, determine eligibility, and promptly communicate outcomes.
• Request and collect deposits from self-pay patients receiving future services.
• Collaborate with facility representatives, insurance verification, case management, scheduling, registration, admitting, and physician practice teams to resolve patient accounts.
• Identify potential insurance coverage issues, including limited coverage and out-of-network status, and follow procedures for deposits, provider identification, and communication with clinical teams or patients.
• Provide walk-in assistance to patients with financial concerns, facilitate payment arrangements including Package programs, and accept payments as needed.
• Handle calls related to financial counseling and provide appropriate price estimates.
• Conduct in-person interviews with patients receiving care when appropriate and follow up by telephone with unsecured patients who were not interviewed during their visit.
• Communicate with unsecured patients about identified patient liabilities.
• Comply with financial counseling and collection guidelines, 501R Regulations, the Fair Billing Act, and the Hospital Uninsured Discount Program.
• Report activities, issues, and action items to management and staff, and respond to inquiries accurately and within required time frames.
• Document all patient interactions in the billing system.
• Meet or exceed departmental, divisional, and institutional goals and adhere to quality standards.
• Identify and participate in process improvements, address barriers and errors, and produce accurate, reliable work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• Lifecycle benefits
• A wide range of benefits supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being and protection against unexpected life events

What This Job Offers

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