Patient Service Rep Hospital I

Advocate Health•Milwaukee, WI

1d•$21 - $31

About The Position

The Patient Service Rep Hospital I creates and maintains the initial electronic health record, supports accurate patient identification, and helps prevent duplicate medical records. The role registers patients, verifies demographic, guarantor, and insurance information, discusses and collects patient financial responsibilities, and maintains confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA. The representative understands common insurance plans and organizational contracting, explains financial obligations, and refers patients to Financial Advocates when appropriate. The position enforces required forms, rules, and questions to support compliance with applicable government regulations and accrediting requirements, and obtains patient or guarantor signatures when required. Duties may include scheduling appointments and coordinating cancellations, reschedules, wait lists, and recalls, as well as providing patients with accurate preparation and arrival instructions. The representative creates a welcoming, professional environment by assisting patients and visitors, answering calls, providing information, and coordinating needs such as transportation, directions, wheelchairs, and interpreter services. The role also monitors and works assigned electronic health record work queues according to department procedures. The position is part-time, with an every-other-weekend schedule of 15:00–23:30 and a holiday rotation. It is based in a normal office environment with significant patient and public contact and may involve exposure to ill or contagious patients. Travel may be required. The role requires frequent transitions between sitting and standing, mobility during the workday, occasional lifting and assisted pushing or pulling, and fine motor skills for keyboard use. A flexible schedule may occasionally be required to meet departmental needs.

Requirements

High school graduation.
Demonstrate Advocate Health’s purpose, values, and behaviors.
Ability to work independently in a high-profile, high-stress, fast-paced environment; set and meet deadlines; multitask; prioritize; and manage interruptions and large workloads without direct supervision.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Excellent customer-service and service-recovery skills.
Independent thinking, problem-solving, and judgment to triage issues and concerns.
Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate professionally with patients, visitors, staff, and physicians.
Ability to educate patients about insurance coverage, including discussing services that may not be covered by their health plan.
Strong computer-system proficiency and comfort with technology.
Knowledge of basic medical and insurance terminology and abbreviations used in scheduling and registration.
HIPAA knowledge and ability to handle sensitive and confidential information according to internal policies and applicable state and federal rules.
General understanding of Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and commercial health insurance; ability to explain Medicare, HIPAA, and EMTALA requirements and comply with updated insurance pre-certification requirements.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to act as a resource to other staff.
Ability to respond quickly to medical status and emergency situations in clerical areas.
Ability to transition frequently between sitting and standing, remain mobile throughout the workday, and stand and sit for extended periods.
Ability to lift up to 10 lbs. frequently and 20 lbs. or more occasionally, and to push or pull up to 50 lbs. with assistance.
Vision, hearing, touch, clear speech, and fine motor skills for keyboard data entry.
Ability to operate equipment necessary to perform the job.
CPR certification may be required depending on service location.
Notary training or licensure may be required depending on service line or facility.

Nice To Haves

Experience with insurance verification or eligibility tools, EPIC electronic medical record, patient liability estimation tools, email, Microsoft Office, internet, and phone technology.

Responsibilities

Create the initial electronic health record and help prevent duplicate medical records.
Positively identify patients before care is delivered and follow applicable patient-safety and accrediting requirements.
Check in and register patients; obtain and verify demographic, guarantor, and insurance information.
Discuss and collect co-pays and other patient financial responsibilities while protecting confidential information.
Explain insurance coverage and financial obligations, determine when a statement of financial responsibility is needed, and refer patients to Financial Advocates when appropriate.
Enforce required rules, forms, and questions for compliance with applicable government agencies and regulations; obtain required patient or guarantor signatures.
Schedule appointments as needed and coordinate cancellations, reschedules, wait-list requests, and recall requests.
Provide accurate instructions about test preparation, arrival times, medication, food and beverage guidelines, check-in procedures, and facility directions.
Greet and assist patients and visitors, answer telephone calls, screen calls, take messages, and respond to routine information requests.
Arrange or coordinate assistance such as transportation, directions, wheelchairs, and interpreter services.
Monitor and work assigned electronic health record work queues according to department procedures.
Respond quickly to patient medical status changes and emergencies occurring in clerical areas.
Interact with physicians and their staff to resolve issues related to patient care.
Collect and manage payments, including cash, and follow cash-handling security procedures.
Escort patients to nursing units or outpatient departments when necessary.