Dental Patient Coordinator

SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium; Petersburg (AK); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision benefits

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Job summary

SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium seeks a Registration Clerk to greet patients and families at the dental clinic, collect demographic, financial, and insurance information, and process payments with courtesy and professionalism.

The role also involves verifying eligibility, addressing billing questions, coordinating benefits, and guiding patients to payment options to ensure timely service delivery.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• BLS certification required within 3 months of hire.
• 1-2 years of office/business experience or customer service experience.
• 3 years of healthcare or dental setting experience with 2 years in customer service preferred.
• Knowledge of general office functions and office equipment.
• Electronic Health Record, registration, insurance, and billing requirements.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and maintain multi-provider dental schedules (Dentist, Hygiene, DHAT).
• Direct incoming calls and manage voicemail with proper delegation.
• Assist patients with registration and benefit verification; coordinate Medicaid/VA authorizations.
• Answer billing questions and resolve accounts; process payments and discounts.
• Post payments and manage daily financials; balance clinic finances.
• Coordinate referrals, assist Benefit Specialist, and support financial counseling.

Skills

Problem solving

Interpersonal communication

Time management

Customer service

Team collaboration

Independent work

Reading/writing basics

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS certification

Job description

Pay Range:This position is the first line of customer service and access to the dental clinic by greeting patients and family members in a professional and courteous manner, obtaining, and verifying demographic, financial, and insurance information during the registration process, accepting and posting point of service payments or providing guidance for payment options, and clearing the patient for service delivery.SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health insurance, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.Key Essential Functions and Accountabilities of the JobScheduling AccountabilitiesResponsible for filling and maintaining multi-provider (Dentist, Hygiene, DHAT) schedules.Maintains and creates specialty clinic schedules.Maintains patient scheduling.Directs phone calls to appropriate care provider. Maintains voicemail system with proper delegation of patient needs/tasks.Follows SEARHC Dental guidelines of reminder systems, utilizing patient reminder software.Financial AccountabilitiesAnswers patient billing questions and takes necessary action to resolve accounts.Recommends accounts for placement with bad debt agencies or charity write-off.Responsible for coordination of benefits.Performs insurance eligibility/benefit verification and documents information within the patient accounting system.Receives and posts payments to patients’ accounts at check-in.Posts all cash, credit, checks, and electronically transferred funds to beneficiary and non-beneficiary accounts within 3 business days of cash deposit or escalates non-postable deposits for resolution.Creates treatment estimates for patients and reviews with patient prior to rendering service.Applies first level patient discounts including prompt pay discount.Calculates, reviews, and follows up on payment plans for patients.Refers patients to Benefit Specialist as appropriate and collaborates with financial counselors to identify alternative funding sources for patients.Generates Service Authorization for Medicaid and Veterans Affairs.Balances clinic financials daily, including transactions posted to source system and daily batch deposits.Administrative AccountabilitiesProvides primary receptionist services including receiving and directing incoming calls and provides assistance /information to callers.Distributes and collects patient registration paperwork, ensuring all demographic and insurance information is communicated and properly entered.Accepts medical authorization or referral forms, if appropriate, and manages patient referrals to outside agencies.Other FunctionsOther duties as assigned.Education, Certifications, and Licenses RequiredHigh school diploma or equivalent preferred.Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required within 3 months of hire.Experience Required1-2 years of office/business experience or customer service experience3 years of experience in a healthcare or dental setting or equivalent with 2 years progressively responsible experience in customer service is preferredKnowledge ofGeneral office functions and office equipmentElectronic Health RecordRegistration, insurance, and billing requirementsSkills inProblem solving and decision makingExcellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communicationStrong time management, organizational, and customer service skillsAbility toPrioritize work in a fast-paced environment with many interruptionsWork independentlyRead comprehend, and write simple instructions, short correspondence, and memosWork flexible hours with limited unplanned absenceLearn new concepts and adapt to changing regulatory/payor billing and follow-up rulesWork in a team setting and collaborate within cross-functional teams.Required Certifications:Basic Life Support (BLS) - American Heart AssociationIf you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!