Patient Access Specialist

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois.

📋 Description

• Adhere to the Patients First philosophy while upholding exceptional customer service standards.

• Address patient inquiries and concerns, escalating any extraordinary issues as necessary.

• Ensure patient confidentiality in compliance with HIPAA regulations.

• Accurately identify and gather patient demographic information.

• Schedule and guide patients through the Northwestern Medicine systems.

• Reach out to patients to arrange appointments.

• Conduct medical necessity evaluations and communicate available options when appointments cannot be fulfilled.

• Inform patients regarding financial-account issues and supply out-of-pocket estimates.

• Provide necessary training and education as required.

• Manage schedules efficiently and complete tasks punctually.

• Participate in cross-training across departments to ensure adequate coverage.

• Engage in Quality Assurance reviews to maintain the integrity of patient data.

• Utilize service recovery skills to address and resolve service disruptions.

• Communicate information regarding physician referrals, insurance referrals, and consultations.

• Collect authorization numbers within the appropriate systems.

• Collaborate with various departments to troubleshoot and resolve operational challenges.

• Verify orders, insurance eligibility, and benefit levels using online resources and telephone communication.

• Provide accurate handoff instructions and document them in Epic.

• Conduct real-time eligibility checks and adhere to out-of-network policies.

• Send clear, grammatically correct messages and log telephone encounters in Epic.

• Prevent visit-related issues by confirming tests, preparations, schedules, locations, orders, and avoiding duplicate records.

• Complete and update patient registration information as needed.

• Analyze account activities and initiate appropriate resolutions.

• Propose and engage in process and quality improvement initiatives.

• Monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification in line with quality standards.

• Act as a training resource for new team members and colleagues.

• Carry out other responsibilities as assigned by the manager.

⛳️ Requirements

• High School diploma or equivalent required.

• 2-3 years of experience in customer service or a medical office setting.

• Outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

• Proficient in computer data entry and typing.

• Ability to effectively read, write, and communicate in English.

• Basic computer skills are necessary.

• Capable of typing at least 40 words per minute.

• Strong multi-tasking abilities.

• Customer service-oriented mindset.

• Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Additional education is preferred.

• Proficiency in additional languages is a plus.

• Experience in healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance is preferred.

• Knowledge and experience in a healthcare environment, particularly in patient scheduling and/or registration, are preferred.

• Required to complete an authorization and disclosure form for a criminal-history background check if the position is offered.

🏝️ Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement.

• Loan forgiveness.

• 401(k) matching.

• Lifecycle benefits.

• Competitive benefits package.

• Equal employment opportunity protections.

• Background check process evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable laws.