Patient Advocate Specialist (bilingual Spanish) - UPMC Hamot

Patient Funding Alternatives•Erie, PA

1d•$55,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Advocate Specialist identifies, educates, and enrolls eligible hospital patients into the Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) program. HIPP helps medically complex Medicaid beneficiaries access employer-sponsored coverage alongside Medicaid, providing broader networks and more comprehensive care. This is a full-time, five-day-per-week, on-site role at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Hamot, representing Patient Funding Alternatives (PFA) within the hospital. The role involves proactive patient outreach from hospital referrals and daily census reviews. Specialists explain the program, address hesitation and questions, gather required authorizations and documentation, and manage each case from first contact through enrollment. The work is independently managed and metrics-driven, with weekly and monthly targets tied to patient contacts, applications, conversion, turnaround time, accuracy, compliance, and ongoing eligibility renewals. The specialist also coordinates employer coverage with Medicaid, verifies ongoing eligibility, helps patients resolve insurance issues, and hands off completed cases to PFA's State Operations and Benefit & Advocacy teams. The position requires secure handling and documentation of patient information, use of PFA's CRM and Apple mobile devices, and relationship-building with hospital and community partners. 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.
Comfort working 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.
Ability to meet and work toward weekly and monthly activity and performance targets.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare-setting experience.
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.

Responsibilities

Identify and approach eligible patients and families using 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 required to advance applications.
Build trust with patients while maintaining professional boundaries.
Collect complete and accurate application information, including employer, plan, premium, and dependent details.
Resolve issues that could delay cases, such as 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.
Manage a caseload 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 according to HIPAA and internal compliance standards.
Use an iPad and iPhone throughout the workday.
Serve as PFA's primary on-site contact for hospital staff.
Build working relationships with case managers, social workers, financial counselors, state agency contacts, and community partners.
Represent PFA professionally within the health system.

Benefits

Incentive bonus tied to enrollment performance.
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.