Patient Access Representative - Patient Access Center

CHRISTUS Health•Alexandria, LA

About The Position

Patient Access Representatives facilitate a welcoming, easy access to the facility and establish encounters for patients who meet the guidelines for hospital services. They ensure accurate entry of demographic, financial, guarantor, and other encounter information; verify insurance and authorizations; and collect patient portions and prior balances. The role supports the successful financial outcome of patient services and helps maintain compliance with federal regulations, JCAHO, and Department of Health and hospital standards. The representative communicates with patients and families, physicians, nurses, insurance companies, and third-party payers. The role requires professional conduct, effective communication and organizational skills, dependability, flexibility, and teamwork. Representatives may support patient volume across hospital areas, including through reassignment or shift changes, and must assist the hospital during internal or external disasters.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent experience preferred.
1–3 years of experience preferred.
No licenses, registrations, or certifications required.
Professional appearance and behavior, good communication skills, effective organizational skills, dependability, flexibility, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

Meet the expectations of applicable OneCHRISTUS competencies: Leader of Self, Leader of Others, or Leader of Leaders.
Accurately enter required scheduling and registration data, including demographic, financial, and guarantor information and relevant encounter notes.
Verify insurance eligibility and obtain necessary service authorizations.
Calculate and collect estimated patient portions based on benefits and contract reimbursement, as well as prior balances.
Perform financial assessments for appropriate assistance programs.
Explain the purpose of hospital documents and obtain required patient or legal guardian signatures.
Represent the Patient Access department professionally and courteously.
Assist the hospital in the event of an internal or external disaster.
Support departmental flexibility and patient-volume needs across hospital areas, including reassignment and shift changes when needed.
Support the department in achieving established performance targets and complete required training.
Follow established standard processes.
Work with High Performance Work Teams to maintain an efficient, clean, and orderly workplace using 5S principles and practices once implemented in the work unit.
Coordinate, communicate, and assist in monitoring workflow and work tasks to manage fluctuating volumes.
Provide feedback to the team on educational and mediation needs by reporting issues, problems, and opportunities.
Demonstrate competence and adapt assessment, treatment, or service methods to meet members' population-specific, physical, psychosocial, cultural, age-specific, and developmental needs.
Comply with policies, procedures, and standards issued by state and federal agencies, the hospital, and other regulatory entities.
Protect patient confidentiality and disclose confidential information only when necessary to perform assigned duties.
Perform other duties as assigned.