Patient Advocate Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• High school graduate.
• Demonstrate Advocate Health's purpose, values, and behaviors.
• Ability to work independently in a high-profile, high-stress area, set and meet deadlines, multitask, and prioritize work.
• Ability to handle large workloads and frequent interruptions in a fast-paced environment 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; communicate professionally with patients, visitors, staff, and physicians.
• Ability to educate patients about insurance coverage and discuss services that may not be paid for by their health plan.
• Strong computer-system understanding and comfort; demonstrated technical proficiency with relevant computer and phone technology.
• Understanding of basic medical and insurance terminology and abbreviations used in patient scheduling and registration.
• HIPAA knowledge and ability to comply with applicable state and federal rules and regulations and handle sensitive information according to internal policies.
• General understanding of Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and commercial health insurance; ability to explain Medicare, HIPAA, and EMTALA rules and comply with updates to insurance pre-certification requirements.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• CPR certification may be required based on service location.
• Notary training or licensure may be required depending on service line or facility.
• Ability to operate equipment necessary for the job.
• Ability to transition frequently between sitting and standing, remain seated or standing for extended periods, and be physically mobile throughout the workday.
• Ability to lift up to 10 pounds frequently and 20 pounds or more occasionally, and to push or pull up to 50 pounds with assistance.
• Ability to use vision, hearing, touch, clear speech, and fine motor skills for keyboard data entry.
• May be required to work a flexible schedule to meet department needs.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

• Create accurate initial electronic health records and prevent duplicate medical records.
• Verify patient identity before care is delivered, following organizational requirements.
• Check in and register patients; obtain and verify demographic, guarantor, and insurance information.
• Discuss and collect co-pays and other out-of-pocket patient responsibilities, and manage payments including cash in accordance with security procedures.
• Maintain confidentiality of patient, personal, financial, and medical information in accordance with HIPAA and internal policies.
• Understand insurance plans and financial responsibility requirements, discuss financial obligations with patients, and refer patients to Financial Advocates when appropriate.
• Enforce applicable organizational, government, and regulatory rules, forms, and questions; obtain patient or guarantor signatures as required.
• Schedule appointments as needed and coordinate cancellations, rescheduling, wait lists, and recall requests.
• Provide accurate information about test preparation, arrival times, medication and food or beverage guidelines, check-in procedures, and facility directions.
• Welcome and assist patients and visitors; respond to routine information requests; answer and screen phone calls and take messages.
• Coordinate assistance such as transportation, directions, wheelchairs, and interpreter services.
• Monitor and work assigned electronic health record work queues according to approved departmental processes.
• Interact with physicians and their staff to resolve issues related to patient care.
• Respond quickly to patient medical status changes and emergencies occurring in clerical areas.
• Escort patients to nursing units or outpatient departments as necessary.
• Serve as a resource to other staff when needed.

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.
• Premium pay such as shift and on-call pay, based on teammate role.
• Incentive pay for select positions.
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance.
• Career development programs.