Patient Access Assistant - Dental

NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC•St. Joseph, MO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Access Assistant - Dental role at Northwest Health Services (NHS) involves working cooperatively with providers, supervisors, and personnel to achieve NHS goals and objectives. This position requires treating all individuals with respect, attending team huddles, and managing patient interactions from greeting to check-out. Key responsibilities include collecting payments, making reminder calls, balancing payment logs, assisting patients with billing and sliding fee inquiries, reviewing patient charts for necessary documentation, ensuring patient information is current and accurate in both physical charts and computer systems, and performing daily batch management. The role also involves informing patients about the Sliding Fee Scale Program, calculating and approving applications, scanning documents, maintaining a neat work area, and strictly adhering to HIPAA regulations. Essential functions include possessing cognitive skills for interpreting instructions, basic computer proficiency, light typing skills, accuracy, efficiency, effective communication, and the ability to perform physical tasks such as seeing, talking, hearing, reading, writing, kneeling, standing, sitting, reacting, and lifting/pulling/pushing up to 50 pounds. Maintaining patient confidentiality, a professional appearance and attitude, and excellent telephone etiquette are crucial. The ability to handle stressful situations and follow established procedures for managing incoming calls is also required.

Requirements

Possess cognitive skills necessary to read and interpret a variety of instructions furnished in oral or written form.
Must demonstrate basic computer skills.
Possess light typing skills, computer knowledge preferred.
Must demonstrate accuracy, proficiency, and efficiency.
Must possess ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from patients, and other individuals encountered in the course of employment.
Possess ability to see, talk, hear, read, write, kneel, stand, sit, react, and lift, pull and push up to 50 pounds.
Must insure confidentiality of all patient records and accounts.
Must respect and maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
Maintain a professional appearance and attitude at all times.
Demonstrate high standards in telephone etiquette, which includes but not limited to communicating in a clear, friendly and professional manner.
Must be able to handle stressful situations.
Follow established procedures for answering and screening incoming appointment-related telephone calls, scheduling interpreters, and directing calls to appropriate staff.
Must possess and maintain a valid Drivers License, and proof of insurance for personal vehicle used for business.
Possess high school diploma or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Work cooperatively with Northwest Health Services (NHS) providers, supervisors, and personnel to carry out the goals and objectives of NHS according to governing body requirements and established internal policies and procedures.
Treat others respectfully whether it is a patient, fellow employee, member of management, customer, vendor or visitor to our premises.
Attend weekly team huddles under the guidance of the clinic manager or designated representative.
Receive/Greets all patients and visitors pleasantly and effectively.
Collect co-pays and payments at the time of service and issue receipts as necessary.
Make reminder phone calls day prior to a scheduled visit and follow-up calls for no shows.
Accurately balances and maintain payment log, reconcile daily cash and copy all received checks daily.
Assist patients with billing questions, assist with sliding fee questions, and establish payment arrangements with patients if deemed necessary.
Review all medical charts prior to visit for current consent for treatment, insurance card copies and assignment forms.
Ensure all patient information is current and up to date at each visit. This is to include all insurance, Medicare or Medicaid cards being scanned, patient information sheet has been updated annually and scanned, and all information in the chart matches the information in the computer per policy and procedure.
Follow and complete check out procedures as directed and preforms daily batch management as assigned.
Inform and assist patients with the Sliding Fee Scale Program. Calculate and approve Sliding Fee Scale (SFS) applications. Accurately enter Sliding Fee information in computer.
Scan documents and assist in locating and filing reports.
Keep work area neat and organized for proper completion of work tasks.
Must comply with the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.
Perform related work as required.