Medical Technician, Phone Lines (Medical Assistant)

Athena Care•Nashville, TN

11d

About The Position

The Medical Technician, Phone Lines provides first-line telephone and text support and processes prior authorizations for patients as part of Medical Support Services. The role is responsible for timely, accurate, and compassionate responses to patient needs and is cross-trained to cover Medical Technician duties as needed, following provider-established guidelines and protocols. The position supports patients and clinic staff by handling inquiries, scheduling and updating appointments, researching and tracking prior authorizations, processing telephone encounters and incoming documents in the EMR, and accurately documenting work. It also collaborates with providers, nurses, and clinic staff, escalating urgent clinical or crisis concerns according to protocol. When cross-covering, the role may assist with interventional treatments, patient observation, vital signs, laboratory procedures, and maintaining clean, organized patient spaces. The role requires compliance with organizational policies, patient confidentiality requirements, and applicable regulations, including OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA, and requirements of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Two or more years of previous healthcare experience.
Working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements, including HIPAA.
Effective written and verbal communication skills, including collaboration, conflict resolution, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Proficiency with the EMR and common technology tools.
Ability to manage time and prioritize workload to deliver high-quality work and meet deadlines.
Collaborative, service-oriented approach and ability to work effectively with colleagues and patients from diverse backgrounds.
Commitment to ethical conduct, patient-centered care, and organizational policies.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, specifically Outlook, Teams, and Excel, the electronic telephone and text platform, and accurate data entry.
Knowledge of medications, standard medical procedures, and insurance and prior authorization processes, or ability to learn payer requirements quickly.
Active listening, attention to detail, and ability to multitask and remain calm and professional while managing high call volumes and competing priorities.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare experience in a medical clinic setting.
Prior phlebotomy experience.
Prior authorization or call center experience.
Bilingual English/Spanish abilities.
Current Medical Assistant or phlebotomy certification.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Responsibilities

Answer inbound patient calls and text messages through the designated platform, resolving or routing inquiries promptly, accurately, and empathetically.
Schedule and update patient appointments as needed.
Research, submit, and track prior authorization requests with payers, completing at least eight per day while remaining available for calls and texts.
Communicate prior authorization status and determinations to providers and patients.
Review and respond to telephone encounters and process incoming documents in the EMR during phone downtime while remaining available on the phone system.
Meet phone line performance expectations, including accepting at least 80% of offered calls and texts, being available 6.5 hours per day on each line, maintaining an average handle time of 3 to 4 minutes, and achieving schedule adherence of at least 90%.
Document call, text, and prior authorization activity accurately and promptly in the EMR in accordance with policy.
Cross-train as backup for Medical Technician duties, including assisting with interventional treatments, patient observation, vital signs, laboratory procedures such as drug screens and venipuncture once trained and competent, and maintaining clean, organized patient spaces.
Collaborate with providers, nurses, and clinic staff.
Recognize and escalate urgent clinical or crisis concerns to the appropriate clinician according to protocol.
Provide regular updates to supervisors and peers and participate in team meetings, training, and coaching.
Comply with policies and procedures, patient confidentiality requirements, and regulatory requirements, including OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA, and Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services requirements.
Perform other duties as assigned.