Financial Counselor

Community Health Systems; Foley (AL); On-site; USD 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Health Systems in Foley, AL is seeking a Financial Counselor I to support patient access and revenue cycle operations by verifying insurance coverage, securing financial arrangements, and coordinating patient account management. This role serves as a key resource for patients by providing financial counseling and facilitating assistance applications.

The position requires strong communication, familiarity with insurance verification, and the ability to collaborate with multiple

Qualifications

• Knowledge of healthcare billing and insurance verification processes.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a customer service focus.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and negotiates payment arrangements with patients per department policy.
• Completes and submits financial assistance applications and follows up on documentation.
• Verifies insurance eligibility and benefits; obtains authorizations where applicable.
• Reviews daily reports to ensure accounts have valid payment sources or counseling documentation.
• Responds to patient inquiries about balances, billing concerns, and coverage.
• Records all actions and communications in the system with proper comment types.
• Maintains communication with patients throughout care continuum including pre-admission and post-discharge follow-up.

Skills

Healthcare billing

Insurance verification

Communication skills

Customer service

Microsoft Office

EHR systems

Education

Experience in healthcare billing/registration (0-2 years)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Job description

Job Summary

The Financial Counselor I supports patient access and revenue cycle operations by verifying insurance coverage, securing financial arrangements, and coordinating all aspects of patient account management. This role serves as a key resource for patients by providing financial counseling, facilitating assistance applications, and ensuring accounts are processed accurately and in a timely manner. The Financial Counselor I interacts regularly with patients, insurance payors, and internal departments to promote account resolution and ensure a positive patient financial experience.

Essential Functions

• Establishes payment arrangements with patients according to departmental policies and procedures.
• Accurately completes and submits financial assistance applications and follows up on required documentation.
• Verifies insurance eligibility and benefits, and ensures appropriate authorizations are obtained when applicable.
• Reviews daily admission and missed opportunity reports to ensure all accounts have a valid payment source or financial counseling documentation.
• Responds to patient inquiries regarding account balances, billing concerns, and insurance coverage; returns all patient calls in a timely and professional manner.
• Reviews and processes adjustment requests and monitors approved adjustments for accuracy.
• Maintains account documentation by recording all actions and communications in the appropriate system using correct comment types.
• Establishes and maintains communication with patients throughout the continuum of care, including pre-admission, point-of-service, and post-discharge financial follow-up.
• Coordinates with other departments as needed to resolve account issues and ensure account accuracy.
• Retrieves and responds to voicemails from departmental customer service lines and ensures timely follow-up.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Maintains regular and reliable attendance.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications

• 0-2 years of experience in healthcare registration, billing, collections, or a related field required
• 2-4 years of experience in financial counseling or insurance verification preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of healthcare billing and insurance verification processes.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a customer service focus.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and electronic health record systems.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all patient interactions.