Patient Access Services Representative (NY HELPS) - FT - Evening Shift

Erie County Medical Center Corporation; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 33,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Erie County Medical Center Corporation seeks a Ny Helps clerical specialist to register patients, schedule appointments and verify insurance for multiple hospital departments. You will collect co-pays and input information into hospital systems while ensuring patient privacy and accuracy.

The role requires strong customer service, attention to detail, and the ability to handle complex eligibility issues in a fast-paced setting.

Qualifications

• Sixty college credits or an associate degree.
• High school diploma with one year clerical healthcare experience.
• Medical Assistant or related certificate accepted.

Responsibilities

• Pre-registers and registers patients for locations using computer information systems.
• Schedules patient appointments and gathers demographic and payer information.
• Verifies insurance eligibility and handles preauthorization where needed.
• Collects co-payments at registration and issues receipts.
• Inputs data into electronic systems and communicates with diverse staff.

Skills

Customer service

Interviewing skills

Data entry

Medical terminology

Communication

Attention to detail

Education

60 college credits

Associate degree

High school diploma + 1 year clerical experience

Medical Assistant certificate

Tools

Electronic health records

Job description

Ny Helps

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

HOURLY RANGE: $23.58 - $29.21

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non‑competitive appointment, which means NO EXAMINATION IS REQUIRED, but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non‑competitive employment status converted to competitive status, WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE A CIVIL SERVICE TEST.

Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State.

While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Distinguishing Features of the Class

The work involves performing a variety of clerical functions related to the registration of patients for clinical, surgical, inpatient and ancillary departments at the Erie County Medical Center Corporation (ECMCC). The incumbent performs tasks such as obtaining and reviewing patient information, scheduling patient appointments, verifying benefits eligibility, calculating and receiving patient co‑pay, and inputting information into computer information systems. The work is performed under the direct supervision of a higher‑level Revenue Cycle or Ambulatory Services employee. Supervision is not a function of this position. Does related work as required.

Typical Work Activities

• Pre‑registers and/or registers patients for various locations throughout ECMCC such as Emergency Room, clinics, inpatient, surgical and ancillary services using computer information systems.
• Schedules patient appointments, gathers demographic information including payer information and inputs into computer information systems.
• Obtains insurance information required for hospital billing, including completion of the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire; performs work related to patient health insurance eligibility such as obtaining and verifying preauthorization approval for procedures, receiving authorization errors and making corrections to errors; inputs information into the electronic computerized system.
• Verifies third party payers using telephone or online verification systems.
• Determines insurance co‑payments due from patient at time of service; collects required amounts at time of pre‑registration and/or registration and issues receipts.
• Identifies and interview patients without insurance to assess qualifications for government entitlement programs or uncompensated charity care programs in accordance with hospital policy.
• Obtains signatures on various forms.
• Provides feedback to appropriate person of missing/incorrect information so it can be obtained at the point of service.
• Provides patients with information and responds to inquiries regarding appointment scheduling, registration, payment, repayment services, etc.
• Identifies related issues and works with other departments and outside entities to resolve.
• Refers patients to staff responsible for developing contractual payment plans.
• Operates bed board system assigning beds appropriate to cohort specifications, hospital transfers, direct admissions and various bed board functions.
• Complies with applicable federal and state regulatory agency guidelines, including Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy standards, established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality assurance, safety, environmental, infection control standards, etc.
• Performs a variety of related clerical duties as required.

Full Performance Knowledges, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics

Good knowledge of the principles and practices of patient registration, patient scheduling, health insurance eligibility and health insurance verification and eligibility in a hospital setting; good knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations and accreditation standards as they relate to patient registration, patient scheduling, health insurance eligibility and health insurance verification and eligibility in a hospital setting; good knowledge of third party payers and the respective guidelines associated with respective payers; working knowledge of medical terminology; strong customer service skills; good interviewing skills; ability to use an alpha‑numeric keyboard; ability to apply basic mathematical functions; ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse constituency; ability to utilize a variety of electronic software applications; sound professional judgment; capable of performing the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a minimum of sixty (60) college credit hours* or an Associate’s Degree*; or:
• Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and one (1) year of clerical experience* in: patient admissions, patient registration, patient appointment scheduling, health insurance verification, health insurance eligibility or health insurance processing in a healthcare setting or third party payer setting.; or:
• Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and possession of a Medical Assistant, Medical Administrative Assistant or Certified Medical Office Assistant certificate.

NOTE*: Your degree or college credit hours must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.