Financial Counselor - onsite in Greenbrae, CA

Description - External

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best.   Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale.   Join us to start  Caring. Connecting. Growing together.  

Combine two of the fastest-growing fields on the planet with a culture of performance, collaboration and opportunity and this is what you get. Leading edge technology in an industry that's improving the lives of millions. Here, innovation isn't about another gadget, it's about making Healthcare data available wherever and whenever people need it, safely and reliably. There's no room for error.

This position is full-time (40 hours / week). Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our 8-hour shift schedules Monday - Friday. Once hours are set, they will remain the same unless the needs of the business change. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime and weekends.

The  Financial Counselor is responsible for assisting patients with navigating their insurance benefits, cost of service and financial assistance needs. Individuals in this role serve as a liaison between medical staff, patient financial services, insurance payers, patients, family members and other team members to ensure excellent patient care. This includes, but is not limited to the information outlined below:

• Insurance
  • Verification of insurance eligibility, benefits, and authorizations
  • Notifying insurance payers of patient admissions
  • Ensure appropriate insurance coverage is listed within a patient's account
• Financial Assistance
  • Point of contact for uninsured patients
  • Collaborate with Patient Financial Services and Med Data to screen patients for financial assistance
  • Provide estimates to patients for upcoming/current services
• Collections
  • Contact patients prior to their procedures and collect payments
  • Work with patients to set up payment plans and loan programs
  • Act as a liaison between patients and BCH upper management to create special payment arrangements
• Customer Service
  • Collect confidential and sensitive information in a respectful manner
  • Assist patients, departments and providers with eligibility, benefits and authorization questions and cost information
  • Remain knowledgeable with changing workflows
• Training
  • Orienting and onboarding new team members
  • Testing and developing new workflows
  • Updating reference guides as needed
  • Collaborating with department trainers on new materials and training strategies
• Leadership
  • Navigate difficult conversations resourcefully and respectfully
  • Communicate protocols and complex terminology in a manner easy to understand
  • Motivate teammates to achieve goals set by department
• Complete Revenue Cycle Overview Training to Include:
  • Basic understanding of how each part of the Revenue Cycle is integrated
  • Shadow multiple parts of the Revenue Cycle (Scheduling, Authorizations, Registration, Billing)
  • Ability to direct patients to the appropriate resource for questions regarding scheduling, authorizations, billing etc.
  • Teach new hires Revenue Cycle Basics and how their job impacts the cycle overall

Primary Responsibilities:

• Greeting & registering patients
• Responsible for obtaining all demographics and insurance information
• Point of service collections
• Authorizations / NOA's from patients (or their representatives) and physicians in a courteous and efficient manner for billing
• Providing general information support
• Answering phones
• Other duties pertinent to optimal patient experience, patient flow and efficient staff utilization are also expected

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma/GED (or higher)
• 1+ years of customer service experience
• 1+ years of experience in an office or medical environment

  Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent computer skills to include Microsoft Outlook, (scheduling meetings and sending e-mails), Microsoft Word (create and send documents) and ability to navigate Window and have excellent keyboarding skills
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Comfortable handing cash transactions
• Comfortable with Electronic Medical Records
• Knowledge of insurance, coding, authorizations and revenue cycle 

Soft Skills:

• Oral and Written Communication Skills
• Confidentiality
• Multi-tasking
• Listening
• Integrity
• Attention to detail
• Problem Solving 
• Able to use common office equipment with ease (credit care machines, copies/ scanners)

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The hourly pay for this role will range from $20.38 to $36.44 per hour based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.  

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

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