Patient Advocate Specialist (Hybrid, bilingual Spanish) - Houston Methodist Hospital

Patient Funding Alternatives•Houston, TX

7d•$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, providing broader networks and more comprehensive care. This is a full-time hybrid role supporting Houston Methodist Hospital. The position begins fully remote and then transitions to a hybrid schedule of 2–3 days per week. The specialist serves as PFA’s on-site representative, engaging patients and families, managing enrollment cases, coordinating benefits, maintaining accurate records, and building relationships with hospital staff and community partners. The work is outreach- and metrics-driven, with weekly and monthly activity and results targets. Success requires persistence, comfort with rejection, empathy, professional boundaries, attention to detail, and the ability to manage a caseload independently. The role offers a base salary plus 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.
Ability to work independently on-site with limited daily supervision.
Working proficiency with a CRM or case management system, an iPad, and an iPhone.
Ability to pass hospital credentialing, including required vaccinations and drug/alcohol screening.

Nice To Haves

3 to 5 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, benefits summary, or medical bill.
Healthcare experience; retention, enrollment, collections, member services, and inside sales backgrounds are also described as transferable.

Responsibilities

Identify and approach eligible patients and families through hospital referrals and daily census reviews.
Explain HIPP clearly and compassionately, adapting communication to each family's circumstances.
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 stall cases, including unresponsive employers, missing paperwork, and eligibility questions.
Hand off applications to PFA's State Operations and Benefit & Advocacy teams for submission, approval, and post-enrollment support.
Manage each case 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 patient interactions in accordance with HIPAA and internal compliance standards.
Use an iPad and iPhone throughout the workday.
Represent PFA on-site as the primary contact for hospital staff.
Build working relationships with case managers, social workers, financial counselors, state agency contacts, and community partners.
Represent and protect PFA's reputation through interactions within the health system.

Benefits

Employer-subsidized medical coverage.
Supplemental cost-offset benefit to help reduce 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.