Patient Financial Counselor

Job description

Job Summary

nProvides financial counseling either in person or via telephone for all patients for designated areas; admissions-scheduled and/or elective, in/out surgeries and/or outpatient clinical services. Provides coordination and completion of patient billing and collection functions either at the time of the initial interview, prior to the services being rendered and/or after the insurance carrier has paid. Maintains a close working relationship with the staff of the assigned clinical departments to ensure clear communication and handling of all patients’ financial needs. Provides accurate and efficient service to patients. Completes collections including co-payments, deductibles, and remaining estimated balances at point of service (POS).

nJob Duties

nnnInterviews patients with inadequate and no insurance coverage to obtain suitable financial arrangements prior to the services being rendered, when applicable for admissions, in and out surgeries and outpatient clinical departments.

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nnFollows Revenue Management policies and procedures regarding financial matters and payment arrangements.

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nnConducts detailed discussion with patients, obtains information and completes required tasks to determine patient’s eligibility for Medicaid and other federal, state, and local government or private sources as appropriate.

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nnMeets with patients on a one-on-one basis to discuss the price of care and patient’s current financial situation, obtaining all pertinent demographic and financial data to ensure resolution of account. Serves as an advocate to the patient to educate them on what to expect regarding financial matters.

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nnResponsible to be personally available to answer patient questions pertaining to financial, billing, and account status. Takes ownership of a customer’s problem and ensures the matter is resolved timely and that the customer is satisfied with the solution.

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nnProvides oversight for assigned department and may be the first point of contact for the department regarding Patient Financial Services.

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nnAble to provide back-up support and coverage for any department as well as provide report analysis to departments and areas not covered by a Coordinator.

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nnActs as coordinator between all Revenue Management teams and departments including Practice Consultants, Utilization Management and Care Management, Providers, Geisinger departments, clinical departments, and the patients concerning financial counseling activity.

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nnCalculates patient’s outstanding balances and then discusses and finalizes the method of resolving those balances through pre-service financial counseling, point of service collections, payment plans, or other arrangements.

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nnPerforms accounts receivable review for special pricing packages and ensures appropriate allocation of funds.

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nnThis includes the ability to identify areas of opportunities and provide trending information and detailed documents outlining findings and recommendations.

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nnPrepares receipts for payments collected (both past and future). Promotes day of service cash collections and collections of outstanding balances system wide.

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nnRequests and assists patients by preparing pre-service price estimations, educating patients on insurance benefits, and arranging mutually agreeable payment terms.

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nnConducts research and follow-up activities on assigned accounts according to established procedures and time frames.

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nnAssists in maintaining control of self-pay accounts receivables.

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nnResolves accounts via charity, vendor referrals, financial status determination, and other options as defined by Revenue Management policies and procedures.

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nnPerforms troubleshooting activities surrounding Revenue Management financial advising and service issues and trends for assigned service lines.

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nnMaintains ability to manage assigned projects and tasks associated with these efforts.

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nnAssists physicians, insurance companies, employers, and others with requests concerning financial clearance and patient accounts to result in positive resolution.

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nnCoordinates efforts with other departments to resolve financial clearance, insurance, billing, collection, and other related concerns and issues.

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nnCompletes and updates Electronic Medical Record for all patients interviewed, via billing systems and Geisinger approved guidelines.

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nnAdvises supervisor of unusual situations, chronic financial, medical, and legal problems.

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nnEnsures compliance with federal, state, and other third-party billing requirements.

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nnPosition executes work functions while demonstrating a global knowledge of how their work interacts with other units in the revenue life cycle.

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n nWork is typically performed in a clinical and office environment. Travel may be required. Accountable for satisfying all job specific obligations and complying with all organization policies and procedures. The specific statements in this profile are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements considered necessary to successfully perform the job.

nPosition Details

nEducation

nHigh School Diploma or Equivalent (GED)- (Required), Associate's Degree- (Preferred)

nExperience

nMinimum of 3 years-Healthcare (Required)

nCertification(s) and License(s)

nOUR PURPOSE & VALUES: Everything we do is about caring for our patients, our members, our students, our Geisinger family and our communities. KINDNESS: We strive to treat everyone as we would hope to be treated ourselves. EXCELLENCE: We treasure colleagues who humbly strive for excellence. LEARNING: We share our knowledge with the best and brightest to better prepare the caregivers for tomorrow. INNOVATION: We constantly seek new and better ways to care for our patients, our members, our community, and the nation. SAFETY: We provide a safe environment for our patients and members and the Geisinger family We offer healthcare benefits for full time and part time positions from day one, including vision, dental and domestic partners. Perhaps just as important, from senior management on down, we encourage an atmosphere of collaboration, cooperation and collegiality. We know that a diverse workforce with unique experiences and backgrounds makes our team stronger. Our patients, members and community come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and it takes a diverse workforce to make better health easier for all. We are proud to be an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran.

nWe are an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.

Who can apply

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