Financial Counselor 1

Job Description

Job Summary

The Financial Counselor I under the leadership and guidance of the Customer Service Manager, communicates with guarantors and collection agencies, as necessary, to obtain settlement of outstanding balances for hospital services. Provides support in assisting patients and family members with resolution of their financial needs by establishing payment arrangements or financial assistance determination. Includes payment-in-full settlements, charity application processing. Serves as a liaison on behalf of hospital and patient.

Essential Functions

• Assists customers with resolving financial needs, including payment arrangements per hospital policies.
• Facilitates payment-in-full settlements, obtaining manager approval for higher dollar amounts.
• Determines Financial Assistance eligibility by completing charity applications and maintaining patient communication (via phone and written correspondence).
• Processes account close and return reports from Eligibility Screening Services (ESS) and take appropriate next steps based on insurance eligibility.
• Reviews self-pay financial class reports and change reports to evaluate accounts for charity eligibility and ensure proper account handling (notes, financial class, payments, adjustments).
• Verifies that self-pay discounts have been applied accurately and review overall account status in the revenue cycle.
• Assists with special projects and reports as assigned
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Maintains regular and reliable attendance.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications

• H.S. Diploma or GED required
• 0-2 years of experience in hospital, physician business office or revenue cycle center required
• of experience in hospital, physician business office or revenue cycle center preferred
• Experience in call center with background of productivity expectations with high call volumes including customer correspondence preferred
• Experience with medical revenue cycle processes from scheduling through agency placement and final account disposition preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of insurance collection follow-up or self-pay collections experience
• Knowledge about EOB, Remits, and UB-04s.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office tools or Google platforms
• Excellent communication skills
• Customer service background
• Excellent date entry skills
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Willingness to exercise judgment and independence
• Ability to work independently and as a team
• Demonstrates knowledge of adding insurance, ordering instant adjustments, initiating rebills, and collaborating with relevant departments for claim resolution.