Patient Financial Advocate

Erlanger Health System; Conway (AR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Erlanger Health System seeks a Financial Counselor to help patients understand insurance benefits, financial obligations, and payment options while ensuring accurate financial clearance. The role involves counseling, upfront collections, and assisting with financial assistance screening within the revenue cycle.

You will verify insurance, educate patients on deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and available programs, and collaborate with clinical teams to resolve financial issues impacting

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate's degree preferred in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum of three years of experience in healthcare financial counseling, patient access, patient accounting, medical billing, collections, or related revenue cycle function.
• Experience working with Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid insurance programs required.
• Five or more years of healthcare financial counseling, collections, or revenue cycle experience preferred.
• Knowledge of Commercial Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and patient financial responsibility requirements.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex insurance and financial information clearly and compassionately.
• Proficiency in patient accounting systems, EHRs, and Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Verify insurance eligibility, benefits, authorizations, and coverage information to support accurate patient financial responsibility estimates.
• Audit admission and registration documentation for accuracy and compliance.
• Maintain patient demographic and insurance information in accounting systems.
• Educate patients and guarantors on insurance benefits, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and payment options.
• Collect patient financial responsibility amounts per organizational policies.
• Facilitate payment arrangements and assist with financial assistance programs.
• Complete financial assistance applications and verify required income/expense documentation.
• Prepare charity care and payment plan documentation as appropriate.
• Maintain logs for collections, charity care, financial assistance, and adjustments.
• Analyze account information to support timely reimbursement and resolution.
• Collaborate with admissions, revenue cycle, and clinical teams to resolve insurance/financial issues.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Customer service

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

High School Diploma

Associate's degree in Business Administration/Healthcare Administration/Accounting/Finance

Tools

Microsoft Office

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Job description

Erlanger Health System seeks a Financial Counselor to help patients understand insurance benefits, financial obligations, and payment options while ensuring accurate financial clearance. The role involves counseling, upfront collections, and assisting with financial assistance screening within the revenue cycle.

You will verify insurance, educate patients on deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and available programs, and collaborate with clinical teams to resolve financial issues impacting