Patient Account Specialist I-Admissions

Driscoll Children's Hospital•Edinburg, TX

About The Position

The Patient Account Specialist I is responsible for creating patient accounts in the EMR patient accounting system to support patient care departments and the revenue, billing, reporting, and reimbursement cycle. Duties include patient accounting, referral order record management, scheduling, pre-registration and registration, admission, insurance-benefit verification and documentation, authorization procurement, cost estimates, consent collection, MyChart or proxy access, and documentation of actions and discharge tasks. The role promotes service excellence and works cooperatively with patients, families, and hospital staff. The position reports to the department manager. It requires maintaining confidentiality, following hospital policies and procedures, and adhering to ethical, compliance, customer-service, and dress-code standards. Rotating shifts may be required, the position may participate in the hospital disaster plan, and occasional travel may be required.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
One year of related experience and/or training preferred.

Nice To Haves

One year of related experience and/or training.

Responsibilities

Answer department telephone calls promptly and greet patients and families courteously, listening to their needs and taking appropriate action.
Cooperate with staff across departments and care settings to support desired care outcomes.
Process patient accounts according to established workflows, including expected emergency department admissions, direct admissions, transfers, and applicable CCT or HBRT encounters.
Process provider orders and search for or create referral records as needed.
Create accurate patient records and encounters in patient accounting systems using appropriate search criteria, naming conventions, and interview methods.
Gather patient demographic and financial information and verify and document insurance benefits within the appropriate timeframe, following EMTALA guidelines for emergency department arrivals and services.
Follow payer workflows for authorization procurement and admission notification; obtain authorization for planned services as required.
Schedule procedures, reschedule appointments at patient request, notify physicians, and manage waiting and cancellation lists.
Request and follow up on required questionnaires and documents, including H&P, PCP referrals, and CPS consents.
Complete emergency visit arrival events promptly and add concise, relevant notes to patient encounters.
Refer cases for financial screening when necessary.
Upload clear copies of picture identification and both sides of insurance cards to the patient's EMR.
Explain business forms, obtain signatures, provide patient rights and privacy notices as indicated, and issue identification cards or wristbands as appropriate.
Ensure patients and families are escorted to the appropriate service area; contact the Patient Intake Nurse for direct admissions and manage admissions and discharge workflows as directed.
Manage visitor volume at welcome desks or in the admitting office as indicated.
Review work queues for potential duplicate referrals, hospital account records, or medical record numbers, and address missing registration items.
Review patient demographic and financial data for accuracy.
At discharge, review notes for payment requirements, explain quoted insurance benefits and billing workflows, and provide estimates of charges.
Prepare receipts for payments, validate and update patient contact information, ensure paperwork and identification and insurance copies are complete, and document discharge actions in the patient accounting system.
Keep petty cash balanced, receipt and reconcile payments daily per shift, and follow cash-handling procedures.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with hospital policies, ethical and corporate compliance guidelines, customer-service standards, and dress code.
Perform other reasonably related duties as assigned; rotating shifts, disaster-plan participation, and occasional travel may be required.