Financial Counselor - Star Community Health

St. Luke’s University Health Network; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Luke's University Health Network is seeking a Financial Counselor to provide prompt, courteous reception and processing of all customer/patient inquiries, and to approve or deny sliding fee discount program applications in accordance with HRSA requirements.

The role involves meeting patients to review the Sliding Fee Discount Program, ensuring audit readiness, guiding enrollment in Medicaid programs, and connecting patients with financial assistance and charity care options; strong customer

Qualifications

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills required (office setting preferred).
• General computer experience with data entry required.
• Insurance background preferred.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Meet with all patients at or before first appointment to review Sliding Fee Discount Program and determine financial needs.
• Meet yearly with all Sliding Fee Discount Program patients to review income and eligibility for continued enrollment.
• Process, review, approve/deny applications according to HRSA requirements.
• Ensure all applications are audit ready.
• Explain patient’s responsibility in clear terms to patients.
• Review expiring sliding fee applications 60 days prior to expiration and contact patient to renew.
• Utilized PA Compass to assist patients with enrollments into Medicaid Programs.
• Research for alternative government funding programs.
• Utilized Pennie.com to assist patients in obtaining affordable insurance coverage.
• Complete tasks assigned through work queues timely according to department expectations.
• Connect patients to local hospitals financial assistance/charity care programs.
• Also, assist patients in submitting the financial assistance applications.

Skills

Customer service

Interpersonal skills

Bilingual (preferred)

Insurance knowledge

Data entry

Education

High school diploma

Job description

St. Luke's is proud of the skills, experience and compassion of its employees. The employees of St. Luke's are our most valuable asset! Individually and together, our employees are dedicated to satisfying the mission of our organization which is an unwavering commitment to excellence as we care for the sick and injured; educate physicians, nurses and other health care providers; and improve access to care in the communities we serve, regardless of a patient's ability to pay for health care.

The Financial Counselor is responsible for prompt, courteous reception, and processing of all customer/patient inquiries as well as accurate and timely processing and approving the sliding fee discount program applications.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Meet with all patients at or before first appointment to review Star Community Health Sliding Fee Discount Program and determine financial needs
• Meet yearly with all Sliding Fee Discount Program patients to review income and eligibility for continued enrollment in the Sliding Fee Discount Program
• Process, review, approve/deny applications according to HRSA requirements
• Ensure all applications are audit ready
• Explain patient’s responsibility in clear terms to patients
• Review expiring sliding fee applications 60 days prior to expiration and contact patient to renew
• Utilized PA Compass to assist patients with enrollments into Medicaid Programs.
• Research for alternative government funding programs
• Utilized Pennie.com to assist patients in obtaining affordable insurance coverage.
• Complete tasks assigned through work queues timely according to department expectations
• Connect patients to local hospitals financial assistance/charity care programs.
• Also, assist patients in submitting the financial assistance applications

Physical and Sensory Requirements:

• Sitting up to 8 hours per day, 4 hours at a time.
• Frequent use of hands/fingers for data entry.
• Occasional walking and ability to push up to 250 pounds in a wheelchair.
• Ability to occasionally carry or lift up to 10 pounds.
• Hearing as it relates to normal conversation.
• Seeing as it relates to general vision.

Education:

• High school graduate or equivalent required.

Training and Experience:

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills required (office setting preferred).
• General computer experience with data entry required.
• Insurance background preferred.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Bilingual preferred.

St. Luke's University Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 23,000 employees providing services at 16 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites. With annual net revenue in excess of $4 billion, the Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. The Network’s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Premier 13 times total and eleven years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. In 2021, St. Luke’s was identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally. St. Luke’s is the ONLY health care institution in the Lehigh Valley to be named a Top Workplace regionally repeating the exclusive honor for the third year in a row. Also, for the third straight year, St. Luke’s has been a Top Workplaces in the Philadelphia Region by the Philadelphia Inquirer, ranking 9th in the large employer category for 2025 and the only health care system in PA to receive this award. In 2025, St. Luke’s was recognized as a national Top Workplaces by USA Today, three years in a row, including the 3rd best health care system in the nation in 2023 and 2024. Lastly, in 2025, St. Luke’s was named a Top Workplace in New Jersey for the third year in a row.