Patient Financial Counselor, Fin Counselors

DHR Health - US:TX:Edinburg - Varies

Summary

POSITION SUMMARY

This position is responsible for admitting activities which include collection of accounts receivable, and cashier duties, and visiting with patient and family for assistance.

POSITION EDUCATION/ QUALIFICATIONS­

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Customer service skills
• Must be able to multi-task.
• Comprehensive knowledge of healthcare reimbursement.
• Good written and verbal communication skills required.
• Ability to read, write and speak English required
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely with all levels of nursing, administration, and physicians
• Prefer hospital experience

JOB KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE­

• Communication – communicates clearly and concisely
• Customer orientation – establishes and maintains long-term customer relationships, building
• trust and respect by consistently meeting and exceeding expectations
• Interpersonal skills – able to work effectively with other employees, patients and external parties
• PC skills – demonstrates proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and others as required. Must be able to type at least 35 WPM.
• Document Imaging - demonstrates proficiency in document imaging.
• Policies & Procedures – demonstrates knowledge and understanding of organizational policies, procedures and systems.
• Basic skills – able to perform basic mathematical calculations, balance and reconcile figures, punctuate properly and spell correctly.
• Medical Terminology
• ICD-9 Codes
• CPT Codes
• HCPCS Internet Usage- Third Party Payers billing Access

Responsibilities

POSITION RESPONSIBILITES

• Promotes the facility mission, vision and values by effectively communicating them to others. Considers mission, vision and values in developing services, standards and practices
• Responsible for screening all private pay patients to determine if patient is eligible for prompt pay rates local, state, federal or charity:
• Meets with patients to inform them of financial responsibility or potential financial programs available.
• Prompt pay rate
• Payment reduce rates
• Financial programs available
• Contacts and interviews patients and completes the patient screening charity form to determine the financial status of patients.
• Assists patients in completing eligibility applications to include gathering and copying of necessary documents required for TDH or County applications.
• Schedules appointments with appropriate offices (i.e. TDHS and/or County etc.) and provides list of necessary documents needed for interviews.
• Performs maintenance on account, modifies I‑Plan accordingly upon reviewing status and transfers to appropriate work(i.e. pending, approval, denial).
• Follows up with TDHS workers, County to see if patients qualify for an assistance programs.
• Reviews and follows up accounts for status updates, (i.e. approval or denial) through worklists and/or ATB reports.
• Calls patients prior to appointment to remind them of scheduled appointments and/ or required documentation.
• Reschedules appointments if necessary.
• Will request claim and forward to biller for all approved accounts.
• Denied accounts; transfers accounts to appropriate F/C agency and/or processes accounts for charity with supporting documentation.
• Ensues that the established collection protocol is followed so that private pay accounts are routinely contacted by telephone or by written notice until the accounts are collected and/or referred to management for other collection means or disposition.
• Assists admitting or discharge personnel with collection of accounts that are not fully covered by third party payers.
• Ensures patients fully understand the need to pay balances when due on all current or delinquent accounts.
• Following department procedures to insure all collection activities are accurately followed on a current basis.
• Making various types of changes as indicated, i.e., name change, telephone, address, employee, etc.
• Preparing Charity accounts.
• Monitoring pending accounts.
• Obtaining accident details on patients involved in a motor vehicle accidents.
• Accurately maintaining records on all pending accounts for TPA’s for Charity assistance if a denial for assistance arises.
• Performs financial class changes and adjustment reversals on a timely basis Perform other duties as assigned.

Other information:

LINES OF REPSONSIBILITES :

(Chain-of-command)

• (Financial Counselor Supervisor) → 2. (Financial Counselor Manager)

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Provide excellent customer service to all DHR customers. All employees are required to attend the DHR C.A.R.E.S program which outlines the Customer Service Principals including: Commitment, Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Service.

AGE SPECIFIC :

Employees must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in his/her assigned unit. The individual must demonstrate knowledge of principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirement relative to his or her age.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: (ADA) :

A. Essential Duties : Indicated by bold print within performance standards, preceding individual numbered criteria.

The following table provides physical requirements that will be associated with, but not limited to, this position:

• Light/moderate lifting up to 20 lbs, from the floor to shoulder height.
• Yes
• Kneeling
• Yes
• Must be able to assist other employees with lifting more than 20 lbs.
• Yes
• Walking
• Yes
• Light/moderate carrying up to 20 lbs.
• Yes
• Standing/Squatting
• Yes
• Straight pulling
• Yes
• Sitting
• Yes
• Pulling hand over hand
• Yes
• Pushing
• Yes
• Repeated bending
• Yes
• Stooping/Bending
• Yes
• Reaching above shoulder
• Yes
• Climbing Stairs
• Yes
• Simple grasping
• Yes
• Climbing Ladders
• No
• Dual simultaneous grasping
• Yes
• Depth Perceptions needed
• Yes
• Ability to see
• Yes
• Identify Colors
• Yes
• Operating office equipment
• Yes
• Twisting
• Yes
• Operating mechanical equipment
• Yes
• Crawling
• No
• Ability to read and write
• Yes
• Ability to Count
• Yes
• Ability to hear verbal communication without aid
• Yes
• Operating Personal Vehicle
• Yes
• Ability to comprehend written/verbal communication
• Yes
• Other: Ability to deal with stress
• Yes
• OSHA Category
• III

·

B. Working Conditions : The individual spends over 95% of his/her time in an air-conditioned environment with varying exposures to noise. There is protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. The position does have low exposure to malodorous, infectious body fluids from patients and some minimal exposure to noxious smells from cleansing agents.

C. Occupational Exposure: This position has minimal to no exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues and is an OSHA Category III (although situations can be imagined or hypothesized under which anyone, anywhere, might encounter potential exposure to body fluids). Person who performs these duties are not called upon as part of their employment to perform or assist in emergency medical care or first aid or to be potentially exposed in some other way.

D. Aptitudes : HIGH 1 2 3 4 5 6 LOW

Intelligence: General learning ability: The ability to “catch on” or understand instructions and underlying principles. Ability to reason and make judgments. 3

Verbal: Ability to understand meanings of words and ideas associated with them, and to use them effectively. To comprehend language, to understand relationships between words, and to understand meanings of whole sentences and paragraphs. To present information or ideas clearly. 3

Numerical: Ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and accurately. 2

Spatial: Ability to comprehend forms in space and understands relationships of plane and solid objects. Frequently described as the ability to “visualize” objects or two or three dimensions, or to think visually of geometric forms. 2

Form Perception: Ability to perceive pertinent details and objects or in pictorial or graphic material to make visual comparisons and discriminations and see slight differences in shapes and shadings of figures and widths and lengths of lines. 3

Clerical Perception: Ability to receive pertinent details and verbal or tabular material. To observe differences in copy, to proofread words and numbers, and to avoid perceptual errors in arithmetic computation. 2

Motor Coordination: Ability to coordinate eyes and hands to fingers rapidly and accurately in making precise movements with speed. Ability to make a movement response accurately and quickly. 3

Finger Dexterity: Ability to move hands easily and skillfully. To work with fingers in placing and turning motions. 3

Manual Dexterity: Ability to move hands easily and skillfully. To work with hands in placing and turning motions. 3

Eye-Hand-Foot Coordination: Ability to move the hand and foot coordinately with each other in accordance with visual stimuli. 3

Color Discrimination: Ability to perceive and respond to similarities or differences in colors, shapes, or other values of the same or different color. To identify a particular color, or to recognize harmonious or contrasting color combinations, or to match color adequately. 3

I have read and reviewed my job description with my supervisor or designee and I understand the job I am expected to perform.

If applicable ____________ certification will be completed within _________ time frame of hire/transfer date.

Employee Signature: ________________________________ Date: ____________________

Transfer/Hire Date Effective: ________________________.