Patient Advocate Specialist (Hybrid, bilingual Spanish) - Mayo Clinic

Patient Funding Alternatives•Rochester, MN

11d•$55,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Patient Advocate Specialist identifies, educates, and enrolls eligible hospital patients into the Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) program. HIPP enables medically complex Medicaid beneficiaries to access employer-sponsored coverage alongside Medicaid benefits. This is a full-time hybrid role based at Mayo Clinic, with 2–3 days per week onsite. The specialist serves as PFA’s on-site representative and works in a metrics-driven environment with weekly and monthly activity and performance targets. The role involves outreach to patients and families who may be unfamiliar with the program, explaining HIPP compassionately, addressing questions and concerns without applying pressure, and following up persistently. The specialist owns cases from first contact through enrollment, coordinates accurate application information and documentation, and helps maintain patients’ ongoing eligibility and coverage. The position also requires maintaining patient records and secure documentation, complying with HIPAA and internal standards, and building relationships with hospital staff and community partners. Compensation includes a base salary and an enrollment-performance incentive bonus.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Full bilingual proficiency in Spanish.
At least 2 years of experience in a patient-facing or customer-facing role measured on activity or outcomes.
Comfort working independently onsite with limited daily supervision.
Working proficiency with a CRM or case management system, iPad, and iPhone.
Ability to pass hospital credentialing, including required vaccinations and drug/alcohol screening.

Nice To Haves

Three to five years of patient-facing experience in a hospital or health system.
Working knowledge of Medicaid and Medicare eligibility, employer-sponsored coverage, and coordination of benefits.
Direct HIPP or premium assistance experience, or experience with an eligibility and enrollment vendor.
Background in patient access, patient financial services, financial counseling, health plan member services, or benefits enrollment.
Full bilingual proficiency in Spanish.
Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, or a related field.
Training in motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, or medical billing and coding.
Ability to read and interpret an EOB, a benefits summary, or a medical bill.

Responsibilities

Identify and approach eligible patients and families through hospital referrals and daily census review.
Explain the HIPP program clearly and compassionately, adapting communication to each family’s situation.
Address hesitation, confusion, and mistrust without pressuring patients.
Gather authorizations and documentation needed to advance applications.
Build trust with patients while maintaining professional boundaries.
Collect complete and accurate application information, including employer details, plan information, premium costs, and dependent information.
Resolve issues that could delay a case, including unresponsive employers, missing paperwork, and eligibility questions.
Hand off cases to PFA’s State Operations and Benefit & Advocacy teams for submission, approval, and post-enrollment support.
Own caseloads from first contact through enrollment.
Explain how employer coverage and Medicaid work together.
Verify and update ongoing eligibility to help families maintain coverage.
Help patients resolve insurance issues.
Manage referrals and patient records in PFA’s CRM.
Upload, scan, and securely transmit documentation.
Document every patient interaction in accordance with HIPAA and internal compliance standards.
Use an iPad and iPhone throughout the workday.
Represent PFA onsite as the primary contact for hospital staff.
Build working relationships with case managers, social workers, financial counselors, state agency contacts, and community partners.
Protect PFA’s reputation through interactions within the health system.
Meet weekly and monthly targets, including patient contacts and screenings, applications started and completed, referral-to-enrollment conversion, application turnaround time, documentation accuracy and compliance, and eligibility renewals.

Benefits

Employer-subsidized medical coverage with a supplemental cost-offset benefit for out-of-pocket expenses at the point of care.
Dental coverage.
Vision coverage.
Company-paid life insurance effective day one.
Company-paid disability insurance effective day one.
401(k) retirement program with up to a $2,000 annual match.
Flexible spending accounts.
Employee Assistance Program.
Wellness benefit.
Base salary plus an incentive bonus tied to enrollment performance.