Patient Access Representative III - 139969

UC San Diego Health; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego Health is seeking a Patient Access Representative III to support registration, pre-admission and admissions processes by phone or in person. You will gather demographics, interpret benefits, and obtain authorizations while guiding patients through cost estimates and payment options.

Responsibilities include coordinating with Medi-Cal/ CCS and hospital teams to ensure accurate reimbursement, while maintaining strong communication with patients and staff across multiple centers.

Qualifications

• Three (3) years of registration or medical front office experience.
• Thorough knowledge of third-party payers.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Highly proficient with MS Office applications (Excel, Word).
• Strong communication skills, with clear written and verbal ability.
• Professionalism, credibility, commitment to high quality standards, accountability.

Responsibilities

• Pre-registers, pre-admits, and admits patients by telephone and in person.
• Collects demographic information and interprets complex insurance benefits.
• Obtains prior authorizations and patient estimates; handles cash collections.
• Interacts with Medi-Cal/ CCS and Medicare requirements and with physicians and staff.
• Ensures correct and timely reimbursement by coordinating with hospital departments.

Skills

MS Office

Customer service

Communication skills

Medical terminology

Bilingual English/Spanish

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

Payroll Title

HOSP BLANK AST 3

Department

LA JOLLA ADMISSIONS/PAT ACCESS

Hiring Pay Scale

$27.49 - $34.17 / Hour

Worksite

Various

Appointment Type

Career

Appointment Percent

70%

Union

EX Contract

Total Openings

1

Work Schedule

Days, Variable, Variable

#139969 Patient Access Representative III

Extended Deadline: Wed 8/26/2026

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment: Apply by 06/05/26 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor.

Reassignment Applicants: Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

This position will all have interchangeable locations between Hillcrest, La Jolla and East Campus Medical Centers based on business needs.

Description

UC San Diego Health's Revenue Cycle department supports the organization's mission to deliver outstanding patient care and to create a healthier world — one life at a time. We are a diverse, patient-focused, high-performing team with a commitment to quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement that enables us to deliver the maximum standard of care to our patients. We offer challenging career opportunities in a fast-paced and innovative environment and we embrace individuals who demonstrate a deep passion for problem-solving and customer service.

Under the general guidance of the Access Manager, Patient Access Rep/HAIII; pre-registers, pre-admits, and admits patients by telephone and/or in person. Major duties include: efficiently collect accurate demographic information, review and interpret complex insurance benefits, obtaining prior authorizations, patient estimates, cash collections, interaction with public assistance programs (i.e., Medi-Cal, CCS) implementation of Medicare requirements, interaction with physicians/office personnel as well as other hospital personnel, units and departments, and referral of appropriate cases to other internal and external sources to assist patients with discharge/post-hospital care. Interact with hospital departments such as Utilization Review and Patient Business Services to ensure correct and timely reimbursement.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of three (3) years of registration or medical front office experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Thorough Knowledge of third-party payers. Demonstrated knowledge of medical terminology.
• Must possess excellent customer service skills.
• Highly proficient with MS Office applications (Excel, Word).
• Possess strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly both verbally and in writing to audiences at all levels.
• Possess the personal characteristics of professionalism, credibility, commitment to high quality standards, innovation, and accountability.
• Ability to interact effectively with the public, including patients, visitors, clinical and support staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• Patient Access experience in a hospital setting.
• UC San Diego - Extended Studies Intensive Revenue Cycle Course Certificate.
• Experience with insurance and authorization verification.
• Strong knowledge of third party payors including federal, state, and private health plans.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Knowledge and articulation of hospital patient forms, as required by JACAHO/GAD, etc.
• Prior cash handling experience.
• Experience completing Birth certificates.

Special Conditions

• Must be able to work various hours, days, shifts, on-call and various locations based on the 24-hour Medical Center's business needs.
• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $60,865 - $80,304 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $29.15 - $38.46

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement:

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health is the only academic health system in the San Diego region, providing leading-edge care in patient care, biomedical research, education, and community service. Our facilities include two university hospitals, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, the only Burn Center in the county, and dozens of outpatient clinics. We invite you to join our team!

Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.

UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.