Patient Accounts Coordinator - Auth and Elig Specialist

gbmc; Cockeysville (MD); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

GBMC is seeking an Insurance Authorization Specialist to support infusion, oncology, and Dance Center patients. You will verify eligibility, obtain authorizations, and coordinate with billing and care teams to ensure coverage and timely approvals.

You will maintain up-to-date payer requirements, communicate with patients and providers, and support process improvements in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Epic experience desired.
• Progressive insurance authorization experience preferred.
• Knowledge of ICD-10 and CPT coding practices.
• Understanding of complete revenue cycle.

Responsibilities

• Verify patient insurance eligibility, benefits, and authorization requirements for treatment plans.
• Collaborate with care teams to resolve commercial insurance issues and minimize denials.
• Obtain insurance authorization for treatment plans and document discussions in Epic.
• Coordinate with Infusion staff, Pharmacy Team, and Patient Financial Services to ensure timely authorizations.
• Review medical records for submission of payer requirements and medical necessity criteria.
• Maintain payer knowledge for pre-authorizations, certifications, and verifications.
• Respond to patient and staff inquiries promptly with professionalism.

Skills

Authorization processes

Insurance policies

Detail oriented

Team collaboration

Revenue cycle

ICD-10 CPT coding

EMR knowledge

Data analysis

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Planning and prioritization

Process development

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Epic

Microsoft Office

Job description

Under direct supervision, performs all eligibility, verification and authorization requests required for all infusion, oncology and Dance Center patients. Responsible to obtain ongoing authorizations to secure reimbursement of services. Acts as liaison with insurance companies' utilization review departments to ensure all insurance company policies are met. Works collaboratively with the billing team to ensure coverage for dates of service for all patients. Ensures monthly re-verification of all infusion patients.

Continuously reviews and remains compliant with ever-changing information from insurance companies. Provides ongoing reporting to management regarding status and challenges encountered.

Education:

High School Diploma or GED

Licensures/Certifications:

Not Applicable

Experience:

3 years of progressive insurance authorization experience preferred. Epic experience desired.

Skills:

• Thorough knowledge of authorization processes
• Basic understanding of insurance policies/procedures
• Detail oriented with excellent telephone, analytical, organization and time management skills
• Collaboration with clinical staff regarding challenging patient needs
• Basic understanding of complete revenue cycle
• Knowledge of ICD-10 and CPT coding practices
• Strong computer skills, including EMR knowledge and Microsoft Office
• Skill in data analysis and interpretation
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet frequent deadlines
• Ability and initiative to plan for and complete daily activities with minimal direction
• Ability to assist with process and procedure development

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contacts insurance carriers to verify patient's insurance eligibility, benefits, and authorization requirements for specific treatment plans.
• Collaborates with members of all care teams to ensure effective communication regarding all commercial insurance issues. Facilitates problem-solving with clinical departments, providers, referral sources, insurance companies, and authorization staff.
• Accurately obtains insurance authorization for patients whose status requires a change in medication dose and/or treatment plan. Comprehensively documents insurance discussions in the Epic referral to communicate up to date details with colleagues.
• Works closely with Infusion staff, Pharmacy Team, Patient Financial Services, Dance Center staff and Physician/APP to minimize denials and obtain authorizations in a timely manner. Prioritizes authorization requests according to medical urgency.
• Reviews medical records for submission to insurances, abstracting information from patient medical records pertaining to patient treatments, procedures, and guidelines as required.
• Reviews patient treatment plan including frequency and dosage prior to treatment and reviews the applicable payer reimbursement criteria to ensure that the specific payer's medical necessity criteria are met.
• Monitors approval, authorization, and/or pre-determination for all chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy infusion drugs administered when applicable. Reviews the department appointment report daily to ensure that all authorizations are valid and works to re-authorize any expired authorizations 3 days prior to scheduled appointment.
• Quickly and courteously responds to concerns from patients, staff, and others involved in patient care while maintaining a respectful demeanor. Conducts outbound calls to patients and providers for patient support. Accepts inbound calls from patients and providers to provide support. Follows departmental standards to document all calls.
• Promptly identifies and resolves all operational issues affecting insurance verification and authorization to ensure a smooth workflow from order creation to billing. Works closely with nursing staff to ensure that patients are scheduled in a timely manner.
• Maintains internal processes to comprehensively track authorization requirements by patient and follows up as appropriate utilizing established Epic work queues.
• Maintains current knowledge of payers' requirements for pre-authorizations, certifications and verifications.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

All roles must demonstrate GBMC Values:

• Respect I will treat everyone with courtesy. I will foster a healing environment. Treats others with fairness, kindness, and respect for personal dignity and privacy Listens and responds appropriately to others' needs, feelings and capabilities
• Excellence I will strive for superior performance in every aspect of my work. I will recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of others. Meets and/or exceeds customer expectations Actively pursues learning and self-development Pays attention to detail; follows through
• Accountability I will be professional in the way I act, look and speak. I will take ownership to solve problems. Sets a positive, professional example for others Takes ownership of problems and does what is needed to solve them