Patient Services Representative

Douglas County Health Department•Tuscola, IL

16d•$16 - $19•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Services Representative supports clinic operations by coordinating patient registration, insurance eligibility verification, checkout, and payment collection. The position uses Athena to maintain accurate patient and insurance information and support timely, accurate billing. The representative works closely with clinical and billing staff while providing welcoming, respectful, and confidential patient service. The position is 35 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with flexibility within clinic hours. It is nonexempt and pays $16.00–$19.00 per hour as the anticipated starting range, depending on directly related experience, education, licensure, certifications, overall qualifications, internal equity, and available funding. The full approved salary range is $16.00–$21.00 per hour. The Douglas County Health Department is a certified health department responsible for public health programs and services grouped into nursing, environmental health, and health education divisions. Its mission is to protect and promote healthier lifestyles through prevention and education.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Regular, predictable attendance is required.
Strong communication, organizational, and customer service skills.
Accurate data entry, basic math, and payment-handling skills.
Ability to discuss financial matters professionally and sensitively.
Ability to manage competing priorities, maintain confidentiality, and follow through on unresolved issues.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with insurance terminology and patient financial responsibility.
Experience in customer service, a medical office, patient registration, insurance verification, or payment collection.
Experience with Athena or another electronic health record or practice management system.
Bilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Verify insurance eligibility and benefits before appointments, update information as needed, and identify copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, coverage limitations, referral requirements, and authorization requirements.
Notify patients of coverage concerns and anticipated financial responsibilities before services whenever possible.
Assist patients with financial assistance or sliding fee applications, including collecting required income documentation.
Complete patient checkout, schedule follow-up appointments as directed, and provide dental checkout coverage when assigned.
Review account information and collect applicable copayments, patient payments, and outstanding balances according to department procedures.
Explain account balances and payment expectations clearly and respectfully; communicate payment options and refer payment-arrangement requests to appropriate staff.
Enter payments accurately in Athena, provide receipts, reconcile daily collections, promptly report discrepancies, and document payments, collection attempts, and follow-up needs.
Review registration and insurance information for completeness and accuracy to support timely billing.
Monitor assigned Athena billing work queues and resolve missing or incorrect patient or insurance information in a timely manner.
Correct demographic and insurance errors that delay claim processing.
Respond to routine billing questions and refer complex account disputes, insurance denials, aging balances, and unresolved claims to designated billing staff.
Coordinate with clinical staff, the Office Manager, and designated billing staff to resolve routine billing issues and support accurate, timely claim processing.
Greet patients, answer telephone calls, schedule appointments, and respond to routine questions as needed.
Verify and update patient demographic, contact, and insurance information in Athena; obtain required registration forms, signatures, insurance cards, and supporting documentation.
Communicate scheduling changes, patient needs, and registration concerns to appropriate staff.
Protect patient confidentiality and handle health and financial information according to department policies and applicable requirements.
Collaborate with clinical, administrative, and billing staff; participate in required training and maintain proficiency in assigned Athena workflows.
Provide front desk coverage across department programs as assigned and perform other related duties as assigned.
Complete assigned checkout and routine billing tasks accurately and within established timeframes; balance and document daily patient collections and promptly escalate discrepancies to the Office Manager.
Participate in training and performance reviews covering payment accuracy, assigned billing queues, and medical/dental cross-training; maintain clear documentation of patient communications and account updates.