Patient Access Rep - Newburyport

Beth Israel Lahey Health, Inc.; Newburyport (MA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Beth Israel Lahey Health, Inc. is seeking an on-site Registration Specialist in Massachusetts to warmly welcome patients, verify demographic and insurance information, and collect co-pays during visits.

The role emphasizes accurate data handling and smooth patient flow in a fast-paced hospital setting. Responsibilities include registering patients, handling payments, confirming insurance via real-time eligibility, and coordinating scheduling with clinical departments.

Qualifications

• Education: High school degree or equivalent.
• Experience: Prior experience in a business setting providing customer service, while simultaneously processing and verifying electronic demographic, financial or other business-related information and data.
• Skills, Knowledge & Abilities: Able to work successfully in a fast-paced, multi-task environment, where some independent decision making is necessary. Able to process electronic information and data accurately and efficiently.

Responsibilities

• Registers patients presenting for visits.
• Processes co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles and balances due. Safeguards cash, checks and receipts and reconciles cash drawer at end of each business day.
• Completes the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire for each patient and adjusts patient coverage based on results.
• Instructs patients and obtains signatures on consent forms, financial forms and other documents required by the clinical department; distributes documents to patients; scans, processes and records receipt of all documents collected during registration encounter.
• Schedules patient appointments and manages cancellations and reschedules as needed.
• Verifies patient insurance coverage using real time eligibility and assigns guarantor accordingly.

Skills

Customer service

Multi-tasking

Data processing

Independent decision making

Education

High school degree or equivalent

Job description

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives. Please note this is an on-site role. Schedule: Tuesday (6:30 am - 3:00 pm), Thursday (6:30 am - 3:00 pm), Friday (6:30 am - 3:00 pm), and Saturday (7:00 am - 3:30 pm) Contributes to the Hospital’s mission by welcoming and registering patients in an efficient and empathetic manner. This administrative/customer service staff position may be the first face of the organization when a patient visits and can have a dramatic impact on making individuals feel welcomed and ease their anxiety by starting their hospital visit professionally. In addition this position impacts patient safety and clinical care by ensuring the patient identifiers are correct and on reimbursement by collecting accurate insurance information and co-pays.

Job Description:

Registration:

• 1. Registers patients presenting for visits. Explains the registration process to patients and responds to patient questions.
• 2. Processes patient co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles and balances due. Safeguards cash, checks and receipts and reconciles cash drawer at end of each business day. Assists patients with Kiosk check-in as needed.
• 3. Completes the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire for each patient and adjusts patient coverage based on results.
• 4. Instructs patients and obtains signatures on consent forms, financial forms and other documents required by the clinical department; distributes documents to patients; scans, processes and records receipt of all documents collected during registration encounter.
• 5. Counsels patients regarding non-covered services, obtaining signatures on Advance Notice Beneficiaries (ABNs), consents and waivers.
• 6. Monitors patient waiting area for a smooth, efficient registration flow. Advises patients of potential delays and takes steps to ensure a pleasant patient experience.
• 7. Completes registrations on inpatient units who may be missing information from their original registration.
• 8. Responds to patient concerns and potential patient safety issues accordingly. Recognizes health conditions that are a possible risk to others and adheres to appropriate established procedures to help contain risk.
• 9. Assures a neat, orderly registration desk and patient waiting area, securing all confidential patient information.

Scheduling:

• 10. Initiates patient scheduling activities by prioritizing and accessing a variety of sources, including patient phone calls and digital messaging, orders, scheduled order work queues and MyChart.
• 11. Utilizes a variety of information sources to schedule, reschedule and cancel patient appointments. Information sources include online questionnaires, offline materials and subgroup searches.
• 12. Establishes working relationship with staff of assigned clinical departments. Understands and correctly applies unique clinical department scheduling protocols.
• 13. Remains current on scheduling protocols and applies judgment, or seeks management assistance, to ensure safe patient care when clinical department scheduling protocols do not meet patient needs.
• 14. Ensures all required key patient scheduling and registration information is captured and verified. Key information includes referring physician information, insurance coverage, demographics and contact information.
• 15. Identifies and communicates to Patient Access management issues that may impact the timeliness and accuracy of patient appointments and subsequent patient care.
• 16. Strictly follows confidentiality and equipment security and safeguarding guidelines when working in a remote setting. Maintains productivity, quality and accuracy levels and communicates regularly with the Supervisor and Manager.

Pre-Registration:

• 17. Efficiently registers patients, capturing and verifying all required information in order to identify the patient, contact the patient, and receive proper reimbursement for services on initial claim submission.
• 18. Ascertains, creates and assigns the guarantor for each patient, including personal/family relations, workers compensation insurance, third parties, behavioral health or others as required.
• 19. Identifies records and verifies patient insurance coverage using real time eligibility (RTE); reviews the insurer’s response to each verification request and takes appropriate action based on this response.
• 20. Applies the appropriate guarantor and insurance to each patient visit.
• 21. Communicates financial clearance status to patients. Advises patients of contract status, self-pay status and payment responsibility and schedules patients with Financial Counseling as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: High school degree or equivalent

Experience: Prior experience in a business setting providing customer service, while simultaneously processing and verifying electronic demographic, financial or other business-related information and data.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities: Able to work successfully in a fast-paced, multi-task environment, where some independent decision making is necessary. Able to process electronic information and data accurately and efficiently.

Pay Range:

$20.50 - $27.59 The pay range listed for this position is the base hourly wage range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law. Compensation may exceed the base hourly rate depending on shift differentials, call pay, premium pay, overtime pay, and other additional pay practices, as applicable to the position and in accordance with the law.

Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment. More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled At Beth Israel Lahey Health, we are driving the change in health care that Massachusetts wants and needs. Our culture promotes continuous learning, growth, innovation and a sense of belonging. We make it a priority to offer comprehensive compensation and benefits and help you achieve a healthy and balanced life. While you're busy caring for and supporting our patients, we take care of you.