Patient Access Specialist I (63270)

Union Community Care; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Union Community Care in Lancaster, PA is seeking a Patient Access Specialist I to deliver excellent customer service, register patients, and schedule appointments across sites using Athena.

You will verify demographics and insurance, collect co-pays, and maintain accurate records while ensuring HIPAA compliance and a welcoming environment for patients.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Exhibits excellent communication skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in data entry.
• Good basic computer skills and familiarity with EHR systems.
• Strong team player with HIPAA compliance knowledge.
• English proficiency required.

Responsibilities

• Greet patients and visitors warmly; set a positive tone for the care experience.
• Provide superior telephone customer service and assist with Call Cloud as needed.
• Verify patient demographics and insurance information; apply sliding fee discount.
• Verify insurance coverage when needed and update records in Athena.
• Handle check-in/check-out, collect fees or co-pays at registration.
• Schedule and reschedule appointments; monitor appointment queues and portals.
• Prepare daily batch reports and reconcile cash drawer.
• Complete daily import/scan of paperwork and routing in Athena.
• Perform other duties as assigned by team leads.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Computer skills

Team player

HIPAA compliance

English proficiency

Interpersonal skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Administrative Assistant Degree or Medical Assistant Degree

Tools

Athena EHR

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Water Street - Lancaster, PA, Salary Range: Undisclosed,

At Union Community Care, our purpose is at the forefront of all that we do: we stand for whole health to help you live your fullest life.

We envision vibrant and healthy communities supported by inclusive healthcare that embraces each member’s unique culture, needs, and values, and emboldens them to make healthful choices that fuel their well‑being and the well‑being of others.

We believe in whole health. This means we address and heal disease but equally important, we work at the causes of the causes, the social ills that must be addressed to achieve true equity.

We listen, learn, and embrace the complex lives and unique strengths of our patients, and we work hard to break down all barriers to care. This means we look through a grassroots lens. We connect with our communities because we are our communities. Each of us is a neighbor, a friend, and a family member, and together, we are a trusted community health center.

Qualifications: JOB SUMMARY

The Patient Access Specialist I functions as part of the clinical care team and is responsible for delivery of excellent customer service and accurately and efficiently performing patient registration, exit and appointment scheduling.

SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES

• 1. Ensure all patients and visitors feel warmly welcomed at all Union Community Care sites. Set the tone for a superb care experience.
• 2. Provides superior telephone customer service for patients seeking access or assistance. This can include rotation through Call Cloud.
• 3. Verifies all patient demographic and insurance information and applies predetermined sliding fee discount.
• 4. Verifies coverage of insurance if needed (must keep password current for PROMISe, Navinet, Department of Public Welfare and other insurances).
• 5. Answers incoming phone calls (at site or in Call Cloud) professionally and knowledgably about Union Community Care access and services.
• 6. Fully understands and can apply the Sliding Fee Discount Policy and Procedures. Offers Sliding Fee Discount to all patients. Applies sliding fee in Athena.
• 7. Works buckets including appointments to schedule and reschedule. Checks the Portal Bucket for appointment requests. Contracts patients to reschedule cancelled appointments.
• 8. Monitors Solution Reach appointment communication platform and cancels, schedules and changes appointments as requested by patients.
• 9. Collects applicable fees or co-payments at the time of registration, prior to the scheduled visit.
• 10. Performs patient check-in ensuring that all consents are current, patient account is current, and all demographic data is up to date and accurate in the e-HR.
• 11. Prepares daily batch report and reconciles cash drawer using the registration collection closing procedure.
• 12. Performs daily importing and scanning of necessary paperwork and forms, labels and routes documents to the appropriate recipient in Athena, deletes duplicate documents and cover sheets.
• 13. Performs patient exit, scheduling any necessary follow up appointments and providing patients with orders and care instructions.
• 14. Helps with other team duties including cleaning rooms, printing labels, work follow-up buckets, reviews team buckets and handles anything that can be appropriately handled by medical reception including labeling and routing of documents and other tasks as needed.
• 15. Performs other work‑related duties as assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• High School Diploma or G.E.D., Administrative Assistant Degree or Medical Assistant Degree
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills
• Exhibits excellent communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Good basic computer skills
• Strong team player
• Compliance with HIPAA regulations
• Knowledge of medical terminology a plus
• English proficiency required

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

In order to fulfill the requirements of this position, duties 1-15 are considered essential functions of the job.

ORGANIZATIONAL INVOLVEMENT

This position is required to participate in mandatory all staff meetings, team meetings and trainings.