Patient Account Specialist

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health; Seattle (WA); Remote; USD 37,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle, WA is seeking a Patient Account Specialist to serve as a financial educator and billing expert for patients navigating our revenue cycle.

You will handle a high-volume queue of inquiries, provide cost estimates and charity guidance, and collaborate with clinical and billing teams to maximize reimbursement while maintaining compassionate patient support. Remote 100% for WA residents with on-site meetings as needed.

Qualifications

• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Knowledge of insurance concepts and billing processes.
• Ability to work in a high-volume call center environment and multi-task.
• Experience with medical terminology and healthcare billing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Respond to patient billing inquiries and provide clear explanations.
• Offer financial counseling, cost estimates, and charity program assistance.
• Collaborate with clinical and billing teams to resolve issues and improve access.
• Support patients remotely and coordinate on-site visits when required.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Organization

Problem solving

Insurance concepts

Telephone skills

Teamwork

Adaptability

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Excel

Job description

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Patient Account Specialist, you will be a vital financial expert and compassionate educator, serving as the central point of contact for patients navigating the complexities of healthcare billing. You will be instrumental in facilitating, educating, and communicating our organization’s revenue cycle policies and procedures, ensuring clarity, maximizing reimbursement, and alleviating financial stress for our patients.

Every day you will expertly respond to a broad range of patient billing inquiries, often in a high call volume setting, providing in-depth clarification and research on insurance regulations, processing protocols, charge coding discrepancies, benefit interpretation, and adjudication. You will provide essential financial counseling both in advance and post-receipt of services, including cost estimates and bedside counseling, and proactively assist un- or under-insured individuals in accessing charity programs or state-sponsored plans to maximize reimbursement.

To be successful in this pivotal role, you will leverage your deep understanding of healthcare finance, exceptional communication skills, and unwavering patient advocacy to demystify complex billing issues and empower patients to manage their financial responsibilities. You will collaborate seamlessly with clinical teams, billing departments, and external agencies, fostering transparency and ensuring equitable access to care.

This position has the ability to work remote 100% for Washington residents; however will have to go on-site (Seattle - Virginia Mason Campus) for in person meetings and/or if experiencing Internet or computer issues.

Job Requirements

Required

• Proven excellent customer service, communication, verbal and written skills with an emphasis on organization and attention to detail
• Ability to problem solve and multi-task; keep confidences
• Knowledge of insurance concepts
• Demonstrated basic telephone skills (transfer, conference, placing a patient on hold)
• Excel in a team based environment with a positive attitude
• Comfortable with ambiguity and the ability to be flexible

Preferred

• Knowledge of financial or Medicaid application assistance
• Six (6) months previous call center
• Health care experience and medical terminology
• High school diploma or GED

Where You’ll Work

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health brings together two award winning health systems in Washington state - CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason. As one integrated health system with the most patient access points in western Washington our team includes 18,000 staff and nearly 5,000 employed physicians and affiliated providers. At Virginia Mason Franciscan Health you will find the safest and highest quality of care provided by our expert, compassionate medical care team at 11 hospitals and nearly 300 sites throughout the greater Puget Sound region.

Pay Range

$26.58 - $41.00 /hour

We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.