Patient Access Specialist I - Full time - Days

Wellstar Health System•Austell, GA

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist I is typically the first point of contact for patients and visitors and is responsible for providing a pleasant, professional experience. The role interviews patients or their representatives to collect accurate demographic, financial, and insurance information; completes patient registration and pre-admission arrangements; verifies insurance coverage and benefits; conducts screening for pre-certification and provider eligibility; obtains required consents and signatures; and coordinates collection of estimated patient liabilities. The specialist responds to questions about services and accounts, resolves customer concerns, maintains and updates records in the registration system, processes receipts and transactions, and provides hospital information and directions. The position also supports financial counseling and self-pay collections, identifies potential eligibility for assistance programs, documents account activity, and works with clinical and administrative departments to support accurate registration, reimbursement, and continuity of information. The role follows WellStar policies, maintains patient confidentiality, attends required training, and performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least one year of experience in a healthcare or institutional (corporate) work setting.
Computer and data-entry experience.
Ability to communicate with various members of the healthcare team.
Effective written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, self-direction, and a positive attitude.
Effective problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Complete Patient Access Services Operations Onboarding Training and achieve the required passing score on the final exam within 45 days of hire.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of patient registration systems.
Intermediate Microsoft Office Suite skills.
Epic experience.
After successfully completing the PAS onboarding exam, employees may pursue enrollment in the WHS Enterprise Membership–HFMA Certification program, subject to PAS leadership approval.

Responsibilities

Receive patient scheduling requests from physicians’ offices, make pre-admission arrangements, and advise staff about unavailable scheduling dates.
Interview patients or representatives to obtain complete and accurate demographic, financial, and insurance information.
Enter and update patient information in the registration system, including correcting account data and obtaining new medical record numbers when needed.
Obtain required patient signatures, consents, attestations, and payer-specific forms.
Review physicians’ orders to determine requested procedures and provide instructions to patients.
Escort patients or arrange escorts to procedure areas and assigned rooms.
Document explanatory notes concerning non-routine account circumstances and special billing processes.
Maintain knowledge of and use required information system capabilities and applications.
Apply WellStar and Patient Access Services policies and procedures and understand admission, outpatient, and emergency registration processes.
Maintain confidentiality of patient information in accordance with WellStar policy and HIPAA regulations.
Organize and prioritize work, complete duties productively, maintain data-entry proficiency, and avoid backlogs.
Assist physicians’ offices with scheduling, pre-admission, Medicaid screening, and pre-certification.
Resolve applicable errors and issues in Claim, DNB, and Patient WorkQueues, and identify and resolve payor denials as indicated.
Greet guests positively and professionally, answer incoming calls, and follow through on requests.
Receive patients’ valuables for safekeeping in the hospital safe.
Maintain courteous and cooperative working relationships with management, patients, physicians, professional contacts, and the public; handle difficult situations tactfully.
Present a professional image consistent with department and hospital dress codes.
Attempt to collect estimated self-pay balances for inpatient, outpatient, and emergency accounts at the earliest appropriate collection point.
Monitor in-house accounts and seek financial arrangements for self-pay balances before discharge or within ten working days afterward.
Complete financial evaluation forms documenting guarantors’ income, expenses, assets, and liabilities.
Identify patients with inadequate insurance, assess ability to pay non-covered charges, and determine potential eligibility for financial assistance, including Medicaid.
Maintain information about healthcare financial assistance programs and eligibility requirements, and refer patients or guarantors to outside funding sources as needed.
Contact scheduled patients at home to obtain pre-admission information, explain financial policies, estimate self-pay balances, and obtain payment commitments.
Interview inpatients and selected self-pay outpatients at registration or within 24 hours of admission to verify information, explain financial policies, and collect estimated self-pay balances.
Document collection activity, patient or guarantor interactions, collection efforts, and Medicaid referrals.
Coordinate financial counseling with Admitting, Outpatient Registration, Emergency Registration, Utilization Review, Nursing, Social Services, and Patient Financial Services.
Verify insurance coverage and benefits.
Meet or exceed monthly collection quotas and report self-pay collection results to the direct supervisor; provide feedback on collection and data-integrity issues.
Observe work hours, provide proper notice of absences or schedule changes, attend select departmental meetings, and complete required monthly, quarterly, and annual training.
Comply with WellStar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct, and perform other duties as assigned.