Patient Access Specialist - Daytona Admitting

Halifax Health•Daytona Beach, FL

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist performs scheduling, pre-registration, registration, insurance verification, and financial counseling duties. The role creates accurate patient registration records, obtains required documents and signatures, verifies insurance eligibility and benefits, identifies and collects patient balances, and helps patients understand the hospital’s financial policies. The specialist also coordinates admission reservations and bed placement with nursing and serves as a primary documentation source for access and billing staff. The position requires compassionate, customer-focused interactions with patients, representatives, families, colleagues, physicians, and other hospital departments. It includes handling confidential patient records, explaining financial obligations, assisting with financial assistance and coverage applications, and following applicable organizational, payer, and regulatory policies.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED equivalent required.
Must complete Revenue Cycle Orientation courses within six months of hire.
Two years of related work experience preferred, preferably in healthcare or a customer service environment.
Ability to communicate effectively with people from varying socioeconomic backgrounds and obtain pertinent information.
Familiarity with medical terminology.
Ability to accurately verify demographic information and insurance benefits.
Ability to operate office equipment, such as a fax machine.
Knowledge of computer programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
Organizational and time-management skills to complete multiple tasks.
Customer-service orientation and ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with team members at all levels.
Professional verbal and written communication skills with colleagues, physicians, and ancillary department personnel.
Ability to handle confidential patient records and information appropriately.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
EPIC EHR experience.
Two years of related experience, preferably in healthcare or a customer service environment.

Responsibilities

Schedule patient visits accurately and promptly, following scheduling criteria and coordinating appointments with other departments as needed.
Answer phones and provide excellent customer service.
Pre-register scheduled accounts by contacting patients, physicians, payers, or other appropriate information sources.
Obtain and document authorizations, pre-certifications, referrals, and other information required before scheduled services.
Collaborate with patients, patient access staff, clinical departments, and referring physician offices to obtain necessary information.
Create complete and accurate registration records and collect, analyze, and record demographic, insurance, financial, and clinical information.
Enter arriving patients into the patient tracking system and interpret physician orders to determine service needs.
Collect or verify complete and valid physician orders and obtain required patient or representative signatures and documents.
Explain registration forms and financial policies to patients and their representatives.
Verify insurance eligibility, benefits, medical necessity requirements, authorizations, pre-certifications, and referrals.
Update demographic and insurance information in the system as needed.
Identify patient financial obligations and collect balances, payments, or establish payment arrangements according to department policy.
Refer uninsured, underinsured, low-income, or other patients to financial advocates or counselors when appropriate.
Assist patients with required paperwork and applications, including Medicaid and Halifax Health’s charity program.
Coordinate admission reservations and bed placement with nursing.
Maintain confidentiality when handling patient charts, records, and scheduling information.
Secure collected monies, turn them over to appropriate associates, and balance cash drawers before closing.
Comply with organizational ethics, corporate compliance policies, EMTALA, HIPAA, payer rules, and other applicable regulations and standards.
Complete annual learning requirements and participate proactively in patient-safety activities and risk identification.
Maintain a positive, professional, respectful, and friendly demeanor, including in stressful situations.