Patient Account Specialist I

Driscoll Children's Hospital•Corpus Christi, TX

About The Position

The Patient Account Specialist I creates patient accounts in the EMR patient accounting system to support patient care departments and the revenue, billing, reporting, and reimbursement cycle. The role may include patient accounting, referral order record management, scheduling, pre-registration and registration, admission, insurance benefit verification, authorization procurement, cost estimates, consent collection, MyChart access, documentation, and patient financial discharge tasks. The position promotes service excellence and works cooperatively with staff across care settings. The specialist processes patient accounts and provider orders, creates or updates patient records and encounters, gathers demographic and financial information, verifies insurance benefits, follows payer authorization requirements, schedules services, manages waiting and cancellation lists, and completes admission, registration, and discharge workflows. The role also reviews work queues and patient data for accuracy, supports financial screening, explains estimates and billing workflows, collects and reconciles payments, and follows cash-handling procedures. The position reports to the department manager. Rotating shifts may be required, occasional travel may be required, and the role may be part of the hospital disaster plan team.

Requirements

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) required.
One year of related experience and/or training preferred.

Nice To Haves

One year of related experience and/or training.

Responsibilities

Maintain confidentiality and adhere to hospital policies, ethical practices, corporate compliance, customer service standards, and dress code.
Answer department telephone calls promptly and greet patients and families courteously, listening to their needs and taking appropriate action.
Work cooperatively with staff across departments, staffing levels, and care settings to support care outcomes.
Process patient accounts according to established workflows, including expected ED admissions, direct admissions, and transfers.
Process provider orders, search for referral orders, and create referral records when needed.
Create 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.
Follow payer authorization procurement and admission notification requirements, and obtain authorization for planned services as required.
Schedule procedures and services, 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 in a timely manner and add concise, relevant notes to patient account encounters.
Refer cases for financial screening when indicated.
Add copies of picture identification and insurance cards to the patient's EMR.
Explain business forms, obtain signatures, issue patient rights and privacy notices, and provide patient identification cards or wristbands as appropriate.
Ensure patients and families are escorted to the appropriate service area and contact the Patient Intake Nurse for direct admissions as indicated.
Manage admissions to service areas, follow discharge workflows, and manage visitor volume at welcome desks or admitting offices as directed.
Review work queues for potential duplicate referral numbers, HARs, 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 estimates, and describe billing workflows.
Prepare hospital receipts for payments, validate and update patient contact details, ensure paperwork and copies of insurance and identification cards are complete, and document discharge actions.
Keep department petty cash balanced, receipt and reconcile payments daily per shift, and follow cash-handling procedures.