Patient Access Representative 1 - ED (7p-7a)

FMOLHS•Baton Rouge, LA

About The Position

The Patient Access Representative 1 (PAR 1) registers patients presenting to the Emergency Department, including trauma, stroke, disaster-response, behavioral health, direct inpatient admissions, surgery, radiology, and prisoner cases. Registration includes validating identity, collecting ED-specific screening information, coordinating with ED nurses for timely triage, verifying insurance, calculating and collecting patient financial responsibility, determining in-network and out-of-network status after stabilization, and balancing cash. The position works in a fast-paced, high-stress environment and requires professional communication with patients, families, physicians, and nurses. The PAR 1 responds to patient and visitor concerns during traumas and disasters and follows applicable federal and state registration regulations, with particular attention to EMTALA and the No Surprises Act. Team members must adapt to changing circumstances and respond to disaster activation, working on-site until the activation concludes.

Requirements

One year of customer service experience or a related certification, such as Certified Coder or Certified Medical Assistant.
High school diploma or equivalent.
Advanced clerical and computer skills.
Critical thinking skills.
Ability to work in high-stress situations.
Professional appearance and behavior.
Good communication skills.
Dependability, flexibility, and teamwork.
Ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment.
Ability to respond to disaster activation and work on-site until the activation concludes.

Responsibilities

Provide courteous, professional, accurate, and timely customer service throughout the registration process; identify and respond to patients' special needs.
Accurately identify patients who present to the Emergency Department without proof of legal identification, in accordance with EMTALA regulations.
Collect and enter patient demographic, insurance, and guarantor information; locate existing records and verify their information.
Use critical thinking and knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations to complete compliant registrations tailored to individual patient circumstances.
Manage the needs of patients, family members, and visitors during traumatic situations and disaster events.
Coordinate registration intake for trauma, stroke, and heart alerts to support timely triage.
Ensure each patient is assigned only one medical record number.
Explain and obtain patient or legal guardian signatures on required hospital documents, including consent forms, assignment of benefits, and patient rights documents.
Document encounters in account notes to support communication across teams.
Ensure orders are received and consistent with tests and procedures.
Monitor the waiting room, facilitate patient flow, and resolve issues involving orders or missing or conflicting information.
Communicate effectively with patients, families, visitors, EMS, nurses, and providers, including simultaneously when needed.
Understand insurance plans and payer rules and requirements related to coverage.
Verify insurance eligibility, use online eligibility tools when possible, and obtain required service authorizations.
Select the correct insurance plans in registration software and enter them in the correct primary and secondary order.
Explain required forms, including the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire.
Use payment-estimator software and critical thinking to calculate and verify patient financial responsibility.
Identify patients who may qualify for financial assistance and direct them to appropriate resources.
Use customer-service techniques and scripting to collect patient financial obligations at or before service and negotiate deposits in accordance with policy.
Explain out-of-pocket calculations and collect patient responsibility at the bedside when required, including when benefit information is not available in advance.
Review current and previous account documentation to explain balances to patients.
Complete account acknowledgement forms when appropriate.
Collect cash, print receipts, and balance cash drawers.
Perform other duties as assigned.