Needs Advocate

Samaritan Ministries International; Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 24,659 - 33,544; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401K Retirement plan with employer

Life Insurance

Short-term disability

Paid holidays and leave

Job summary

Samaritan Ministries International is seeking a dedicated Membership Advocate to assist members by delivering Christ-centered service and clear guidance on member benefits, billing, and care delivery.

You will respond to inquiries through calls and emails, document interactions, and uphold privacy while navigating the organization's guidelines to foster compassionate, practical support for members in Peoria and beyond.

Qualifications

• Two-year degree required or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Active listening and decision-making skills; ability to ask appropriate questions and bring resolution.
• Strong work ethic, adaptability in a fast-paced environment, and ability to learn new software quickly.
• Compassionate, professional attitude with ability to build rapport and maintain confidentiality.
• Willingness to grow in skills, knowledge, and capability per supervisor goals.
• Maintains a Christ-centered, team-focused attitude.

Responsibilities

• Provide biblical counsel, prayer, and encouragement while upholding local church authority.
• Participate in ongoing training and attend meetings; mentor less tenured colleagues.
• Meet quality assurance requirements and other key performance metrics.
• Handle member problems and complaints with professionalism and Christ-centered compassion.
• Help members navigate the interaction between church-based membership and insurance-centric care.
• Answer questions about Samaritan Ministries, care sharing, and policy guidelines.
• Deliver Christ-compassionate service to resolve member issues and enhance experience.
• Assess member situations to determine effective communication and support.
• Communicate sensitive medical information with privacy and document interactions in the membership system.
• Guide members through medical bill issues and provider interaction processes.
• Manage long-term member interactions to achieve satisfaction and resolution.
• Perform specialized Membership Advocate functions as assigned by Team Lead.
• Handle inbound/outbound calls, emails, and tasks with timely issue resolution.

Skills

Two-year degree

Excellent communication

Active listening

Strong work ethic

Compassionate attitude

Team player

Willingness to grow

Education

Two-year degree from an accredited university

Job description

Samaritan Ministries is a Biblical solution to health care. It is not insurance. We deliver authentic, compassionate, and personal service in the name of Christ to enable and inspire members to provide for one another’s medical needs through prayer, encouragement, and financial support.

From demonstrating Christ-centered compassion to modeling best practices in health care sharing, Samaritan Ministries is committed to keeping Jesus at the center of everything we do. The way we interact with our colleagues and engage with our members is a testament that we are ultimately serving Christ and His Kingdom.

Summary

To serve the members of Samaritan Ministries International (SMI) by compassionately and efficiently communicating with members through designated service delivery channels, identifying and addressing member needs with timely and accurate information while working within established procedures and ministry guidelines with a focus on delivering solutions and value regarding their membership with SMI.

*Training Hours will be 8am-4:30pm central. Once training has been completed the hours will be 9am-5:30pm central.

• Digital Literacy
• Product and Technical Knowledge
• Fostering Communication
• Problem Solving
• Acting with Integrity, Empathy, and Compassion
• Collaborating with Others
• Neighbor Focus
• Pursuing Excellence
• Attention to Detail
• Professionalism
• Initiative

Key Responsibilities

• When appropriate, provide biblical counsel, prayer, and encouragement, while also upholding the authority of the member’s local church.
• Participating in ongoing training with a joyful and teachable attitude in the following ways: attending all prayer, team, department and staff-wide meetings; Proactively reviewing training materials on a regular basis and asking a trainer or supervisor for guidance or instruction when necessary; answering questions of less tenured advocates in both a timely and patient manner.
• Meet quality assurance requirements and other key performance metrics as specified by Team Lead.
• Handle all member problems and complaints with professionalism and courtesy demonstrating Christ centered compassion.
• Help members navigate the interaction between membership in a health care sharing ministry and an insurance-centric health care field.
• Answer member questions about Samaritan Ministries, health care sharing, the need sharing process, Samaritan Ministries’ Guidelines, policies, and other processes.
• Focus on solving member issues in a Christ-compassionate way, with a focus on delivering an excellent member experience.
• Assess member situations to discern the most effective manner to communicate with them and deliver Christ-compassionate care and service.
• Communicate sensitive medical information to members with discernment while upholding the privacy and security of member data and information; documenting each member interaction within the membership database.
• Help members understand how to resolve medical bill issues, guiding members through the provider interaction process, and interpreting basic accounting oriented information to communicate to members how much money they will be receiving from other members for medical bills.
• Manage long-term interactions with specific members, as assigned, to bring resolution and a positive member satisfaction and experience.
• Perform specialized functions as a Membership Advocate when assigned by Team Lead
• Handle inbound and outbound phone calls, emails, and tasks from members and other departments with a focus on resolving member issues in an effective and timely manner.

Qualifications and Experience

• Two-year degree from an accredited university or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Staff are required to possess applicable knowledge to bring value to SMI in this role, know and utilize resources well, ask questions to ensure full understanding. gain and retain knowledge to keep up with changes, and accept and engage with training to grow knowledge for current and future responsibilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills with an ability to present complex information in an understandable manner.
• Active listening and decision-making skills and the ability to ask appropriate questions, understand concerns, and bring resolution.
• Strong work ethic and self-starter, able to adapt to change within a fast-paced environment,and learn and navigate new Software quickly.
• A compassionate and professional attitude with an ability to quickly develop a rapport and trust with members and maintain confidentiality.
• Willingness to grow in skills, knowledge and capability, in line with goals agreed upon with supervisor.
• Maintains a humble, Christ-centered, and others-focused 'team player' attitude.

Additional Information

• Tasks are normally conducted in a regular office environment, requiring use of computer and mouse and other standard office equipment. Staff usually remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Staff will observe safety principles while performing the duties of the position
• May need to lift and move items up to 35 lbs on occasion
• Onsite staff will be required to travel to office and have a valid driver’s license.
• Disclaimer: This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel in the classification. Work hours may be irregular including performing duties on evenings or weekends.
• This position requires an active commitment to the mission and values of SMI. In the course of performing job duties, the employee will act in a manner that is Christ-honoring as well as Christ-like, demonstrating a personal Christian faith and witness in all interpersonal interactions.

Pay Range: $17.90-$24.35 Starting pay usually falls within the lower half of the pay range and is determined by experience, skills, and education.

Benefits Include:

• Performance-based incentive pay
• SMI Membership with monthly healthcare bonus
• Health Insurance: MEC plan with employer HSA contribution
• 401K Retirement plan with employer contribution
• Life Insurance
• Short-term disability
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Time Off: 9 company paid holidays, 5 missions days accrued annually, maternity and paternity leave, FMLA, Bereavement, and weekly accrued PTO (40 hours to use after 30 days + 80 hours accrued for 48 weeks)
• Health club or home workout benefits for participating staff
• Formal staff development and leadership training
• Spiritual support and counseling through our staff support office
• Repeatedly certified as a Best Christian Workplace