Patient Service Representative

Advocate Health

8d • $21 - $31

About The Position

A Patient Service Representative (PSR) is often a patient’s first impression of Advocate Health and provides the starting point for Revenue Cycle functions. The role accurately captures patient demographic, insurance coverage, and financial responsibility information, helping prevent revenue loss and billing issues while supporting regulatory compliance and patient satisfaction. The PSR connects departments to support patients’ experiences and the organization’s financial success, and often works without direct supervision.

The position checks in and registers patients, verifies information, discusses and collects patient payments, supports scheduling when needed, and provides a welcoming, professional experience for patients and visitors. It also involves managing electronic health record work queues, maintaining patient confidentiality, and following applicable organizational, state, and federal requirements. The role is part time, scheduled Monday through Friday from 2400 to 0400 each week, with 1–2 rotating holidays per year, and is based in a normal office environment with significant patient and public contact.

Requirements

• High school graduate.
• Demonstrate Advocate Health’s purpose, values, and behaviors.
• Ability to work independently, set and meet deadlines, multitask, and prioritize in a high-profile, high-stress, fast-paced environment with interruptions and without direct supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent customer service and service recovery skills.
• Independent thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use judgment to triage issues and concerns.
• Excellent written, verbal, customer-service, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to communicate professionally with patients, visitors, staff, and physicians.
• Ability to explain insurance coverage and discuss services that may not be covered by a patient’s health plan.
• Ability to collect and manage payments, including cash, and follow cash-handling security procedures.
• Strong understanding of and comfort with computer systems and technical proficiency.
• Understanding of basic medical and insurance terms 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 rules and comply with changes to insurance pre-certification requirements.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to act effectively as a resource to other staff.
• Ability to transition frequently between sitting and standing, remain mobile through the workday, and sit or stand for extended periods.
• Ability to frequently lift up to 10 pounds, occasionally lift 20 pounds or more, and push or pull up to 50 pounds with assistance.
• Ability to use fine motor skills for keyboard data entry and to meet the position’s vision, hearing, touch, and clear-speech requirements.
• Ability to operate equipment necessary to perform the job.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule at times to meet departmental needs.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with insurance verification or eligibility tools, EPIC electronic medical record, patient liability estimation tools, electronic email, Microsoft Office, internet browsers, and phone technology.
• CPR certification may be required depending on service location.
• Notary training or licensure may be required depending on service line or facility.

Responsibilities

• Create initial electronic health records and help prevent duplicate medical records.
• Use required identifiers to positively identify patients before care is delivered.
• Check in and register patients; obtain and verify demographic, guarantor, and insurance information.
• Discuss and collect co-pays and other patient financial responsibilities while maintaining confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA.
• Recognize insurance plans, understand contracted plans and financial responsibility requirements, and refer patients to Financial Advocates when appropriate.
• Follow applicable regulations and processes, including HIPAA, EMTALA, consent requirements, patient rights, Medicare notices, MSPQ, and ABN; obtain patient or guarantor signatures as required.
• Schedule appointments as needed and coordinate cancellations, reschedules, wait-list requests, and recall requests.
• Provide accurate information about test preparation, arrival times, medication, food and beverage guidelines, check-in procedures, and facility directions.
• Greet patients and visitors, respond to routine information requests, answer and screen telephone calls, and take messages.
• Assist patients with transportation arrangements, directions, wheelchairs, interpreter services, and other needs.
• Monitor and work assigned electronic health record work queues according to approved departmental processes.
• Educate patients about insurance coverage and services that may not be paid by their health plans.
• Interact with physicians and staff to resolve patient-care-related issues.
• Collect and manage payments, including cash, and follow cash-handling security procedures.
• Respond quickly to patient medical-status changes and emergencies in clerical areas.
• Escort patients to nursing units or outpatient departments as necessary.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs.
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
• Adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
• Educational Assistance Program.
• Competitive compensation, premium pay for select circumstances, incentive pay for select positions, and potential annual performance-based increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED