Financial Counselor

SKYLAND TRAIL • Brookhaven, GA

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Financial Counselor performs pre-admission financial activities and serves as the point of contact for families with financial and insurance questions during the admissions process. The role verifies insurance coverage, establishes patient liability, estimates planned-care costs and admission payments, and explains mental health benefits, private-pay costs, authorization processes, and the financial aid program. The counselor meets with the financially responsible party at admission to review and obtain required financial documents, explain charges and payment policies, and collect the initial payment. The position also supports financial aid applications, maintains accurate and complete client records, responds to family and staff inquiries, assists with training new hires, and performs other administrative tasks as assigned.

The position requires effective performance in stressful situations and professional handling of sensitive and confidential information. The Financial Counselor is expected to demonstrate initiative, attention to detail, teamwork, communication, customer service, and continuous improvement, along with the listed competencies in job knowledge, problem solving, cooperation, adaptability, technology use, and dependability.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least three years of experience with strong knowledge of insurance verifications, third-party reimbursement requirements, and financial liability calculations, including deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, coinsurance, and copays.
• Ability to function effectively in stressful situations.
• Skill in interpersonal communication and professional handling of sensitive and confidential information.
• Competence in job knowledge, problem solving, customer service, communication, cooperation, teamwork, adaptability, use of technology, and dependability.

Nice To Haves

• Certifications in medical administration, medical billing, coding, or related areas.
• Behavioral healthcare experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform pre-admission financial activities and serve as the contact for families’ financial and insurance questions during admissions.
• Verify patient insurance information and send an estimate of benefits within 24 hours after receiving demographic and insurance information in Salesforce.
• Establish patient liability based on insurance verification and applicable financial aid discounts.
• Estimate the cost of planned care based on insurance and private-pay fees.
• Re-verify existing patient insurance coverage to determine whether a new plan covers services at Skyland Trail.
• Conduct phone financial consultations with the financially responsible party, explaining mental health benefits, deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, copays, coinsurance, and lifetime maximums.
• Explain private-pay costs, the insurance authorization process, and the Skyland Trail financial aid program to the financially responsible party.
• Provide an estimated admission amount due to the financially responsible party 3–4 days before admission.
• Meet with the financially responsible party at admission to review required financial documents and obtain required signatures.
• Explain charges, services, and Skyland Trail’s policy regarding payment of outstanding balances.
• Collect the initial payment for services on the day of admission based on mental health benefits.
• Promote positive public relations with residents, family members, and guests of Skyland Trail.
• Respond to incoming calls, voicemails, and emails from families and staff within 24 hours.
• Enter insurance and demographic information into Aura (PMS) with 90% or higher accuracy.
• Scan email correspondence, insurance verification information, and financial documents into the client’s chart on the day of admission.
• Collect all required documents for financial aid applications and submit applications to the Manager Financial Counseling for review.
• Send financial aid decision emails.
• Assist with training new hires for the Financial Counselor role.
• Perform other administrative tasks as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time