Remote Patient Financial Advocate

UNC Health; Eastowne (NC); Remote; USD 28,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Health is seeking a detail-oriented patient financial counselor to perform pre-services, financial counseling, and customer service for hospital and physician billing. The role involves estimating, eligibility review, authorizations, and setting up payment plans within a remote work model.

The position requires 2 years of related experience, strong communication, and knowledge of UB-04/EOBs. Atención continua is expected across UNC Health’s shared services teams.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.
• Two (2) years of experience in Hospital or Physician Insurance related activities or Call Center Customer Service experience.

Responsibilities

• Create Hospital and Physician estimates using the Epic Patient Estimator, review eligibility and benefits utilizing RTE, and obtain authorization requirements.
• Contact patient pre-service providing benefit and patient liability education, explain the estimate cost, and attempt to secure payment and/or set expectation of payment at time of service.
• Provide estimates to patient shoppers and clinical areas across the healthcare system. Work with clinical areas to create estimate templates, determine workflow and process, and collaborate with ISD for template creation and rollout. Provide payment plans for POS collections.
• Train clinical areas on estimate usage and patient scripting for collections, audit and provide feedback on accuracy of estimates utilizing Epic estimate reports. Track and trend collection amounts and template accuracy utilizing hospital and physician EOBs and refine process to enhance accuracy. Screen and assist patients with financial assistance, Medicaid eligibility and/or other funding sources available.
• Monitor and track routine follow up with Medicaid and financial assistance approvals. Handles HB/PB patient inquiries to address any/all billing questions via inbound calls, MyUNCChart, patient correspondence and patient walk-ins.
• Fulfills patient requests for itemization of charges, adding/verifying/billing insurance, establishing payment plans, payroll deductions, process adjustments, request refunds, and explain charity care policy and guidelines.
• Initiate patient outreach on delinquent payment plans, adding accounts to existing payment plans and high risk/balance accounts. Investigate HB and PB Set off Debt Collection Act (SODCA) disputed accounts that have received a NC State Income Tax refund withhold using current and legacy billing and imaging systems. Meets with attorneys to record depositions, collaborate with the attorney general's office and attend/participate in hearings when needed.
• Work with Patient Relations, Risk Management for HB and PB patients who have escalated complaints or concerns. Oversee HB Client account billing and follow-up which includes validating charges and fee schedules, review and move charges, research and reconcile payments, communicate with multiple departments to answer client questions and collect payments. Work with external customers such as collection agencies, clinics to address any patient concerns

Skills

Communication skills

Listening skills

Organizational skills

Healthcare terminology

Customer service

MS Office

Insurance billing

Reimbursement knowledge

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Epic Patient Estimator

RTE

MyUNCChart

Job description

UNC Health is seeking a detail-oriented patient financial counselor to perform pre-services, financial counseling, and customer service for hospital and physician billing. The role involves estimating, eligibility review, authorizations, and setting up payment plans within a remote work model.

The position requires 2 years of related experience, strong communication, and knowledge of UB-04/EOBs. Atención continua is expected across UNC Health’s shared services teams.