Patient Access Specialist - Full-time Day shift

Emerus•San Antonio, TX

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist serves as a liaison among 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 responsibilities to help maximize hospital reimbursement. The position supports patient safety and an effective revenue cycle by properly identifying and triaging patients on arrival, ensuring accurate registration and insurance information, obtaining required authorizations and signatures, and maintaining patient and clinical records. It also provides customer service, assists with patient transfers and medical-record requests, and performs administrative and facility-support duties.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Knowledge of various insurance plans, including HMO, PPO, POS, Medicare, and Medicaid, and their payers.
Basic understanding of medical terminology.
Excellent customer service.
Fluency in English, with written and oral communication skills.
Fluency in both English and Spanish is required in the El Paso Market.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Comply with EMTALA, DNV, HIPAA, and other applicable hospital and government regulations for admissions and handling medical records.
Provide excellent customer service by meeting customer needs and building quality relationships.
Help protect patient safety by ensuring patients are properly identified and triaged on arrival.
Answer telephone calls professionally, 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 all accounts.
Verify insurance benefits, confirming the correct payer and plan in the patient accounting system.
Obtain insurance authorizations when required by individual insurance plans.
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, 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.
Notify the appropriate contact of malfunctioning equipment or maintenance needs.
Attend required staff and other company-sponsored or mandated meetings.
Assist medical staff as needed and perform additional duties as assigned.