Patient Access, Patient Financial Advocate on ChildBirth Center, 32 hours/pp, evenings, weekends and Holiday rotation

Hendricks Regional Health•Danville, IN

About The Position

The Patient Financial Advocate (PFA) is the hospital’s primary contact for patient billing inquiries, customer service, and financial assistance needs. The role serves as a liaison among hospital patients, providers, and payers for post-care account resolution. The PFA explains hospital billing practices, policies, and statements and helps patients understand statements and resolve outstanding balances. The position also assists patients with financial assistance applications, explains their financial responsibilities, and helps them identify ways to resolve balances. Communication takes place in person and over the phone, and the role requires a high level of customer service. The position is associated with the ChildBirth Center and requires evening work, weekends, and holiday rotation. The job description lists 32 hours per pay period in the heading and 16 scheduled weekly hours. Work shifts are varied.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent.
Experience of 1–2 years with patient billing and account payment procedures within a health care organization is preferred.
Ability to provide a high level of customer service and communicate with patients in person and by phone.

Nice To Haves

1–2 years of experience with patient billing and account payment procedures within a health care organization.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact for customer account questions and requests received by phone, on-site walk-in, email, Epic MyChart, or other websites.
Provide estimates to patients who are price shopping, whether uninsured or seeking to understand potential balances with current insurance coverage.
Answer inbound calls from patients, physician offices, insurance carriers, and others within the specified response-to-call timeframe, aiming to resolve concerns immediately.
Respond promptly to patient inquiries about hospital billing procedures, policies, and statements.
Use available resources to resolve inquiries during calls or while preparing or reviewing billing correspondence.
Collect patient payments and follow levels of authority for posting adjustments, refunds, and contractual allowances.
Understand payer regulations and explain Explanation of Benefits (EOB) information to patients.
Document account activity concisely, including future steps needed for resolution.
Prepare written responses regarding account resolution and complaint recovery.
Coordinate with administrative departments and hospital service areas to facilitate patient account resolution.
Identify barriers to efficient departmental operations and participate in developing effective solutions.
Ensure financial assistance applications are complete and accurate, apply appropriate adjustments, and follow HRH application-processing guidelines for approvals.
Work with an on-site state social worker or outside eligibility vendor to assist with Medicaid applications and maximize this funding source based on patient eligibility.
Help patients develop plans to resolve liabilities, including setting up payment plans according to HRH guidelines.
Provide coverage for most departmental positions during vacations or illnesses.
Perform other duties as assigned.