Self Pay Collector 1

Carle Health•Champaign, IL

About The Position

The Self Pay Collector 1 manages accounts receivable for hospital and professional accounts in accordance with compliance, regulatory, billing, and payer-specific guidelines. The role is responsible for collecting outstanding receivables, maintaining accurate and confidential records in compliance with HIPAA and organizational policies, and meeting daily productivity and quality expectations. The collector participates in departmental audits and reviews to ensure work meets established standards. The position involves contacting patients by phone, email, and mail; explaining the self-pay billing process; arranging payment plans; validating insurance coverage; and attaching insurance to claims. The collector responds to and documents patient inquiries, provides financial counseling and assistance with applicable financial assistance or discount programs, and guides patients through their financial responsibilities with empathy and professionalism.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Healthcare work experience.

Responsibilities

Contact patients by phone, email, or mail to collect outstanding balances.
Work account queues to conduct collection activities, investigate balances, request money transfers, ensure statement delivery, and send inquiries about outstanding self-pay receivables.
Initiate and follow up on patient contact to resolve outstanding balances.
Resolve patient underpayments, nonpayments, overpayments, and undistributed payments through proper allocation.
Set up and monitor payment plans in accordance with established guidelines.
Provide financial counseling and assistance with the Carle Financial Assistance program and other applicable discount opportunities.
Identify and resolve billing and insurance errors to support accurate and timely billing.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA regulations.
Provide customer service and handle sensitive financial conversations with empathy and professionalism.
Recommend applicable adjustments or refunds for overpayments to insurance carriers or patients, with appropriate documentation.
Identify problem accounts and escalate them as appropriate.
Clearly inform patients of their obligation to pay for services and accurately document accounts.
Update patient demographic, insurance, and billing information accurately.
Identify and report account corrections needed for guarantor number changes, double registrations, and other account-build issues in the practice management system.
Meet or exceed departmental productivity and quality assurance standards.
Perform other duties as assigned.