Financial Counselor

The Financial Counselor reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

Responsibilities

Consistently practices Patients First philosophy and adheres to high standards of customer service; Responds to questions and concerns; Forwards, directs and notifies Team Lead or Operations Coordinator of extraordinary issues as necessary; Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA regulations; Provides exceptional customer service to consumers; Identifies and works to minimize potential financial risk of patient accounts; Identifies and counsels financially unsecured patients regarding payment options or financial assistance programs; Assists patients with completing financial assessment applications, makes eligibility determinations, and promptly notifies patients of outcome; Requests and collects patient deposits for self-pay patients receiving future services; Works closely with Facility MANG Representatives, Insurance Verification Team, Case Management, Central Scheduling, Ambulatory Registration, Admitting and Registration Departments, and Physician Practices to resolve patient accounts; Identifies patients with potential insurance coverage issues; Follows department policies and procedures regarding financial deposits, in-network providers, and communication with clinical team(s) and/or patients; Provides walk-in availability for patients with financial concerns, facilitates payment arrangements, and accepts payments as necessary; Handles phone calls within scope and provides price estimates as appropriate; Adheres to all financial counseling and collection guidelines as established by Northwestern Memorial HealthCare; May conduct in-person interviews of patients receiving care while on-site; Performs telephone follow-up with unsecured patients who were not interviewed during their visit; Communicates with unsecured patients with identified patient liabilities; Complies with 501R Regulations, Fair Billing Act, and Hospital Uninsured Discount Program; Other duties as assigned; Reports on activities, issues, and action items to management and staff; Ensures responses to patient and customer inquiries are complete, accurate, and timely; Works collectively to meet established Dept. goals; Documents all patient interactions in Billing System; Meets and/or exceeds departmental, divisional, and institutional goals; Adheres to quality standards and participates in process improvement activities; Creates work that is consistently accurate and reliable; Identifies barriers to processes and performs corrective action to reduce or eliminate errors; Shows attention to detail and organization to produce quality work

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent; 2-3 years customer service or medical office experience; Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; Proficiency in computer data-entry/typing; Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English; Basic Computer Skills; Ability to type 40 wpm; Ability to multi-task; Customer service oriented; Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem solving skills

Nice to have

Bachelor's Degree; Additional language skills; Healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance experience; Knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration

Benefits

Tuition reimbursement; Loan forgiveness; 401(k) matching; Lifecycle benefits; Wide range of benefits supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being; Protection for unexpected life events