Collections Officer II - Self Pay Collections - Bilingual Required

County of Ventura, CA; Montalvo (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Ventura seeks a Collections Officer II in the Health Care Agency to manage hospital and clinic accounts, recover delinquent charges, and coordinate with patients to arrange payment plans. The ideal candidate will be bilingual (English/Spanish) with strong customer service, accurate record-keeping, and experience with Cerner or similar EHR systems in a high-volume healthcare setting.

Responsibilities include reviewing balances, negotiating settlements, applying financial assistance

Qualifications

• Two years medical account collections experience.
• Bilingual English/Spanish required.

Responsibilities

• Manage a hospital/clinic accounts caseload and recover delinquent charges.
• Review self-pay accounts and payment histories to determine balances.
• Contact debtors, explain obligations, negotiate arrangements, and modify plans.
• Document all activity in the patient accounting system.
• Monitor aging and process discount program adjustments.
• Resolve billing inquiries and process payments by phone and mail.
• Update insurance information and verify balances before statements.
• Identify accounts requiring escalation.
• Perform other related duties.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Customer Service

Communication

Financial analysis

Multitasking

Tools

Cerner

Microsoft Excel

Job description

THE POSITION

The current vacancy is within Patient Financial Services with the Health Care Agency. Under general direction, the Collections Officer II collects monies owed the County for services rendered and/or taxes/fines/ fees levied; and performs related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Collections Officer II is the journey level classification of this series. Incumbents manage a full caseload within an area of account specialization (e.g., medical collections); and may return cases to court or initiate property liens for failure to pay.

The ideal candidate

is bilingual (English/Spanish) and will possess excellent customer service skills and the ability to communicate effectively with clients, coworkers, and other stakeholders while exercising sound judgment and professionalism in sensitive financial situations. They will have experience analyzing financial information to determine appropriate collection actions, evaluating eligibility for self-pay and financial assistance programs, and processing related recommendations and account adjustments. The ideal candidate will also maintain accurate records, prepare routine correspondence and reports, identify opportunities to improve collections, and demonstrate strong attention to detail while managing multiple priorities in a high-volume environment. Experience handling high-volume phone calls, working with Microsoft Excel reports, and using electronic health record systems such as Cerner is highly desirable.

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT

Health Care Agency - Administration

Collections Officer II is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra-Help vacancies for this position only.

There is currently one (1) vacancy for this position only.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

OPENING DATE: 8/20/26

CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive enough qualified applications to meet business needs. It is to your advantage to apply as soon as possible.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages a caseload of hospital and clinic accounts by reviewing patient financial records, establishing collection strategies, and recovering delinquent charges for medical services;
• Reviews assigned self-pay accounts, payment histories, and financial information to determine balances, verify debtor information, and assess changes in financial status;
• Locates and contacts debtors to obtain updated information, explain payment obligations and consequences of non-payment, negotiate payment arrangements, and modify payment plans as appropriate;
• Analyzes patient accounts to determine appropriate collection actions and accurately documents all account activity in the patient accounting system;
• Maintains accurate manual and automated payment records, prepares routine correspondence and reports, monitors account aging, and processes qualified discount program adjustments;
• Resolves patient billing inquiries, processes payments received by phone and mail, and reviews patient accounts to identify and process credits within required timeframes;
• Updates patient accounts with insurance information, verifies patient addresses, and confirms account balance accuracy before statement generation;
• Collects patient payments while maintaining confidentiality and identifies accounts requiring escalation or additional review; and
• Performs other related duties as required.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE

Collections Officer II: Two (2) years medical account collections experience.

Substitution: Two (2) years of related education/training may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be bilingual (English/Spanish)

DESIRED

• Experience in health care patient collections
• Intermediate skills working with Microsoft Excel
• Experience working with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), such as Cerner

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES

• Collection practices for delinquent accounts, including financial assessment, debtor location techniques, and applicable laws, and regulations, strong communication and problem-solving skills
• Applying financial interviewing techniques and account processing procedures to screen patients for financial assistance eligibility
• The functions and operations of the Cerner (or similar EHR) patient accounting system and healthcare revenue cycle
• Insurance denials, self pay workflows and financial assistance programs

Working ability to

• Interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies, professional standards, and hospital and clinic billing practices governing collections
• Analyze financial information, exercise sound judgment, and determine appropriate collection actions while maintaining professional and compassionate customer service
• Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with individuals from diverse backgrounds using tact, diplomacy, and de-escalation techniques to resolve patient concerns respectfully
• Establishes effective working relationships, collaborates with clinic and hospital staff to resolve account issues, and handles difficult or stressful situations professionally
• Maintain accurate records and prepare routine correspondence and reports. Identify opportunities for increased collections
• Understand self pay program guidelines and evaluate financial assistance applications by analyzing financial information to determine eligibility and process appropriate recommendations and adjustments
• Organize and prioritize work, perform routine mathematical calculations, and produce accurate written work using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Maintain the confidentiality of patient medical and financial information in accordance with applicable policies and regulations

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record may be required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.