Patient Access Specialist

Emerus•Aledo, TX

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist serves as a liaison between patients and families, payers, Patient Financial Services, and other members of the healthcare team. The role facilitates patient tracking and billing by obtaining and verifying accurate demographic information, financially securing accounts, and collecting guarantors’ out-of-pocket responsibility to maximize hospital reimbursement. The position also supports patient safety, customer service, medical-record handling, and compliance with applicable hospital and government regulations.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Knowledge of various insurance plans and payers, including HMO, PPO, POS, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Basic understanding of medical terminology.
Excellent customer service skills.
Fluency in English, including written and oral communication.
In the El Paso Market, fluency in both English and Spanish is required.
Pennsylvania candidates must have completed Act 33 (Child Abuse History Clearance) and Act 73 (FBI Fingerprint Criminal History Clearance) within the last five years, or obtain them before the start date.

Nice To Haves

Two years of patient registration and insurance verification experience in a healthcare setting.
Emergency Department registration experience.
Working knowledge of MS Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Responsibilities

Maintain compliance with EMTALA, DNV, HIPAA, and other regulations applicable to admissions and medical-record handling.
Provide excellent customer service by meeting customer needs, understanding who the customers are, and building quality relationships.
Help protect patient safety by ensuring each patient is properly identified and triaged upon arrival.
Answer telephone calls professionally and courteously, record messages, and communicate them to appropriate medical staff.
Provide and obtain signatures on required forms and consents.
Obtain, verify, and enter complete and accurate demographic information on patient accounts.
Verify insurance benefits for all plans associated with each patient and enter the correct payer and plan into the patient accounting system.
Obtain insurance authorizations as required by individual insurance plans, where applicable.
Pursue collections at the time of service in a customer-service-oriented manner.
Scan registration and clinical documentation into the system and maintain medical records.
Assist with coordinating patient transfers to other hospitals when necessary.
Respond to medical-record requests from patients, physicians, and hospitals.
Maintain the cash drawer according to policies.
Maintain logs of patients, payments received, transfers, and hospital admissions.
Maintain the visitor/vendor log.
Maintain a clean facility environment, including the front desk, restroom, waiting room, break area, and patient rooms when medical staff need assistance.
Receive deliveries, including mail, and forward them to appropriate departments as needed.
Notify the appropriate contact about malfunctioning equipment or maintenance needs.
Attend required staff meetings and other company-sponsored or mandated meetings.
Assist medical staff as needed.
Perform additional duties as assigned.