Hospital Care Investigator

Patient Financial Counseling

NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan is the community hospital of choice for residents of East Harlem, northern Manhattan, and neighboring communities. The hospital provides culturally-sensitive care in a welcoming and hospitable setting, emphasizing primary care medicine and utilizing the latest advances in medical science. Metropolitan delivers high quality health services with compassion, dignity, and respect to all, without exception. Since its founding in 1875, the hospital has been affiliated with New York Medical College, representing the oldest partnership between a hospital and a private medical school in the United States. Metropolitan is a part of the NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal hospital and health care system in the country. At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

Work Shifts

9:00 A.M 5:00 P.M Standard work Hours 35

Duties & Responsibilities

Purpose of Position: Under direct supervision, conducts investigations in a health care setting to determine the eligibility of applicants for medical assistance payment programs or the ability of patients and their legally responsible relatives to pay for hospital or health care charges and takes the necessary actions to bill and collect for these services; explores alternative sources for payment for health care setting services rendered; codes, verifies and modifies demographic and insurance data obtained from source documents and enters such data into a computerized system; performs billings and collections functions in order to obtain maximization of health care setting's revenue; all personnel perform related work. Examples of Typical Tasks: 1. Informs patient of health care setting rates; performs in-depth interviews with patients, families, relatives and friends in an office setting or the health care setting, during field investigations, and/or by telephone to determine patients' and/or legally responsible relatives' ability to pay for services rendered. 2. Contacts outside agencies, organizations, insurance carriers and employers to obtain necessary information about potential sources of revenue. 3. Acts as a liaison with social services and home care agencies. 4. Refers patients to various health care setting departments and outside agencies, such as Medicaid, New York State Unemployment Insurance, Social Security and Public Assistance for possible benefits. 5. Facilities processing of patients' applications for third-party benefits, including but not limited to Medicaid and Medicare. 6. Reviews and abstracts medical charts to obtain pertinent information for accurately coding and completing third- party billing forms, indicating treatment given, discharge diagnoses and overall patient information for computerization purposes. 7. Reviews patient account records to ensure patients are properly billed; verifies and corrects patient bills and codes information for computerized system. 8. Verifies accuracy of patient information stored in computer and codes changes and modifications, as necessary. 9. Responds to complex inquiries from patients and third-party payers and resolves disputes concerning bills submitted for payment. 10. Follows-up on collections to ensure maximization of revenue.

Minimum Qualifications

1.A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; or 2.An Associate's degree from an accredited college or university; and completion of an accredited certificate program in medical billing; or 3.A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent; and completion of an accredited certificate program in medical billing; and two (2) years of full-time experience in interviewing, investigation, or a related field, such as credit and collection follow-up or bookkeeping, or as a customer service representative providing comprehensive customer service entailing the dispensing of information or listening to and resolving customer's concerns, problems and complaints or troubleshooting; or 4.A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent; and four (4) years of full-time experience, as described in #3 above, at least two years of which must have been in interviewing, investigations, or a related field such as credit and collection follow-up or bookkeeping; or 5.Education and/or experience which is equivalent to (1), (2), (3) or (4) above. College education may be substituted for experience on the basis that thirty (30) semester credits are equivalent to one (1) year of experience and candidates must have completed an accredited certificate program in medical billing or have at least two years of full-time experience in interviewing, investigations, or a related field such as credit and collection follow-up or bookkeeping. In addition, all candidates must have at least a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.

Benefits

NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes: Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week Retirement Savings and Pension Plans Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees' Collectively bargained contracts Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities College Savings Program Union Benefits for eligible titles Multiple employee discounts programs Commuter Benefits Programs