Patient Financial Services Denial Specialist

Alameda Health System; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Alameda Health System is seeking a PFS Denial Specialist to validate dispute reasons after EOB/Remittance review and to escalate payment variance issues to management. The role includes generating appeals for denied or underpaid claims and coordinating with Revenue Integrity, HIM, and related departments.

The ideal candidate has 3-5 years in hospital billing/collections and strong Excel, Word, and Zoom skills, with a thorough understanding of HIPAA and billing regulations.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; some higher education preferred.
• Strong data collection and analysis skills with ability to identify trends and transport insights to leadership.
• Excellent communication across stakeholders via in-person, email, and Zoom.
• Proficient with Excel and Word; comfortable with standard office software.

Responsibilities

• Validate dispute reasons and ensure EHR coding reflects denial reasons.
• Escalate denial or payment variance trends to management for payer escalation.
• Generate appeals based on dispute reasons and payer terms (including online disputes).
• Follow payer guidelines and deadlines for appeals submissions.
• Coordinate with Revenue Integrity, HIM, and ancillary departments as needed.

Skills

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Communication

Zoom

Education

High school diploma/GED

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

Summary

The PFS Denial Specialist is responsible for validating dispute reasons following an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) / Remittance Advice review, escalating payment variance trends and/or issues to management, and generating appeals for denied and/or underpaid claims.

Duties & Essential Job Functions

NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Escalate denial or payment variance trends to the management team for payer escalation.
• Escalate exhausted appeal efforts for resolution.
• Follow specific payer guidelines for appeals submissions, paying close attention to the timelines for appeals.
• Generate an appeal based on the dispute reason and contract terms specific to the payer. This includes online provider disputes and reconsiderations.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Perform research and makes determination of corrective actions and takes appropriate steps and route account appropriately.
• Research contract terms/interpretation and compile necessary supporting documentation for appeals, Terms & Conditions for adjudication issues, and referrals to the lead or Supervisor for refund of overpayments.
• Validate denial reasons and ensures coding in the EHR is accurate and reflects the denial reasons. Coordinate with Revenue Integrity, HIM, and the ancillary departments where necessary.
• Work payer projects as directed.

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum Experience: 3 - 5 years of experience in a hospital business environment performing Facility (HB) or Professional/Physician (PB) billing and/or collections.
• Strong ability to effectively and efficiently manage multiple work queues during day-to-day operations
• Strong ability to work and complete assigned responsibilities
• Strong ability to analyze and identify trends, root cause opportunities, and process improvements and report same to leadership
• Strong ability to communicate relevant information to various stakeholders and functional teams in-person, email and Zoom
• Knowledge of HIPPA requirements
• Working kkowledge of clinical and billing regulations
• Strong ability to perform data collection and demonstrate effective payer relations
• Demonstrate proficient skill sets in Excel and Word
• Strong Zoom meeting presentation skills including regular contributions and attendance
• Strong ability with mathematical analysis
• Strong ability to investigate patient charges, payments, and adjustments in a highly productive & deadline-driven environment
• Required Education: High school diploma/GED or some higher education preferred.

PAY RANGE: $33.95 - $41.12 / per hour

The pay range for this position reflects the base pay scale for the role at Alameda Health System. Final compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to a candidate’s experience, education, skills, licenses and certifications, departmental equity, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and the operational needs of the organization. Alameda Health System also offers eligible positions a generous comprehensive benefits program.