Patient Access Representative - Admitting

CHRISTUS Health•Athens, TX

About The Position

Patient Access Representatives facilitate a welcoming and easy access to the facility and establish an encounter for patients who meet the guidelines for hospital service. They ensure accurate data entry, including demographic and financial information, and follow procedural requirements for data elements, insurance verification, service authorizations, and collection of patient portions, including prior balances. Patient Access staff are responsible for the financial outcomes of patient services and for helping the hospital maintain compliance with Federal regulations, JCAHO, and Department of Health and Hospital compliance standards. The role communicates directly with patients and families, physicians, nurses, insurance companies, and third-party payers. It requires professional appearance and behavior, good communication and organizational skills, dependability, flexibility, and teamwork. The representative enters scheduling and registration information, verifies insurance eligibility, obtains authorizations, estimates and collects patient payments, and performs financial assessments for assistance programs. The representative explains hospital documents and obtains required signatures. They support departmental workflows and performance targets, complete required training, follow standard processes, and help maintain an efficient, clean, and orderly workplace. They may be reassigned within the department or have a shift change to accommodate patient volume, and must assist the hospital during internal or external disasters. The position also requires adapting services to patients’ physical, psychosocial, cultural, age-specific, and developmental needs; complying with applicable policies and regulations; and protecting patient confidentiality.

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 and organizational skills, dependability, flexibility, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

Accurately enter required scheduling and registration data, including patient demographic, financial, and guarantor information and relevant encounter notes.
Verify insurance eligibility and obtain necessary authorizations for services.
Calculate and collect estimated patient portions based on benefits and contract reimbursement, as well as prior balances.
Perform financial assessments for appropriate program assistance.
Explain the purpose of hospital documents and obtain required signatures from patients or legal guardians.
Represent the Patient Access department professionally and courteously.
Assist the hospital in the event of an internal or external disaster.
Support departmental flexibility to accommodate patient volume, including assignment to another area or a shift change.
Support the department in achieving established performance targets.
Complete required training and 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 workflows and tasks to manage fluctuating volumes.
Provide feedback to help identify educational and mediation needs by reporting issues, problems, and opportunities.
Adapt assigned assessment, treatment, or service methods to accommodate patients’ physical, psychosocial, cultural, age-specific, and other developmental needs.
Comply with policies, procedures, and standards promulgated 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.