Patient Access Specialist - Temporary - Day

Hackensack Meridian Health•Montgomery, NJ

4d•$26

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist performs inpatient and outpatient patient access functions within the Patient Access Services Department at assigned Hackensack Meridian Health facilities. The role conducts patient interviews, verifies identity and demographics, screens insurance coverage and coordination of benefits, obtains consents and attestations, and supports scheduling, bed planning, pre-registration, registration, insurance verification, pre-certification, point-of-service collections, and financial clearance. The specialist works under the direction of the Supervisor, Manager, or Director for designated areas and follows Medical Center quality standards while maintaining a positive patient experience. The position supports patients throughout access and registration processes, ensures compliance with patient-safety requirements and applicable state and federal regulations, and helps resolve coverage, authorization, scheduling, and payment issues. It requires work across Patient Access Services areas and may involve rotating shifts based on departmental needs.

Requirements

High school diploma, GED, or equivalent GED program.
Ability to work rotating schedules or shifts based on operational needs.
Ability to work every other weekend.
Ability to work three out of six holidays.
Good written and verbal communication skills.
Customer-service orientation.
Basic knowledge of medical terminology.
Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite platforms.
Successfully complete EPIC Cadence and Prelude training and pass the assessment within 30 days after network access is granted.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree and/or related experience.
At least one year of experience in a hospital setting.
Patient financial services experience in a professional or hospital setting.
Prior registration or insurance verification experience.
Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
Proficient knowledge of medical terminology.
Knowledge of insurance specifications, ICD-10, and CPT-4 codes.
Bilingual ability, such as Spanish or Korean.
Experience with EPIC HB, Cadence, and Prelude.

Responsibilities

Greet patients and visitors promptly, courteously, respectfully, and helpfully in person and by phone.
Implement scheduling, pre-registration, pre-certification, referral procurement, and insurance verification policies and procedures for assigned outpatient service areas.
Follow patient identification policies and perform accurate patient searches to protect patient safety and prevent duplicate medical record numbers.
Check in patients and track their location and arrival or processing time to support prompt service within departmental time frames.
Ensure regulatory forms and required consent forms are completed and signed.
Perform bed-planning functions, including reservations, pre-registration, and bed assignments; prioritize assignments according to policy and ensure patients are assigned to the appropriate unit and status or level of care.
Initiate and review real-time eligibility queries, assign the correct plan code, coordinate benefits, and complete Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaires accurately.
Verify inpatient and outpatient insurance, benefits, coverage, and pre-authorization requirements; follow up with referring physicians and payers to ensure authorizations are on file before services.
Use the EPIC Financial Estimator to determine patients’ out-of-pocket responsibility and pursue upfront collections where appropriate.
Explain financial responsibility and available financial resources, take payments, and comply with patient financial responsibility and collection policies.
Submit treatment and procedure data promptly and accurately to support authorization and reimbursement; ensure registration diagnosis data meets medical necessity criteria.
Provide patients with appropriate administrative information and ensure compliance with federal and state requirements.
Register patients manually during system downtime and follow registration input procedures when systems become available.
Address daily scheduling, pre-registration, pre-certification, and registration issues; escalate matters that cannot be resolved independently.
Complete assigned work queue accounts efficiently and on time.
Identify the needs of the patient population and adapt communication and service to patients’ age, culture, language, hearing, vision, developmental, educational, and literacy needs.
Provide excellent customer service and comply with procedural workflows, departmental policies, and HMH standards of behavior.
Scan documents and correspondence from patients and payers.
Coordinate daily Patient Access Department activities to promote patient comfort and trust; schedule patients as needed and handle a high volume of calls professionally and accurately.
Notify payers of admissions in a timely manner and refer accounts to Case Management for timely submission of clinical information.
Access and navigate payer websites, such as Navinet, to confirm insurance coverage and benefits.
Financially clear patient accounts according to policy at least three days before procedures, resolve coverage issues, escalate complications, and refer patients to Financial Counselors when appropriate.
Process acceptable payment types accurately, reconcile cash drawers or shift transactions, deposit daily cash and checks, and provide receipts or service estimates.
Complete appropriate patient pre-registrations in Epic, clear checklists, and set account status to Confirmed pre-reg.
Contact patients and physicians’ offices about Pre-Admission Testing scheduling and obtain, type, and process scheduling information, including copying, filing, and faxing.
Work in all Access Services areas within the hospital and rotate shifts as needed.
Check email daily for process and task updates and meet departmental productivity and process standards.
Perform other assigned duties and projects.