Patient Financial Counselor

OUR CULTURE OF PERSON-CENTERED CARE At Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, our mission, vision, and values serve as the foundation for how we care for patients, support our practitioners and co-workers, and engage with our community. We follow the “Planetree” methodology of “Person-Centered Care”. These guide our decisions, shape our culture, and define the expectations for every member of our team. Our Mission: Compassionate care for every life we touch Our Vision: To be our community’s trusted healthcare leader Our Values: Be Kind - Demonstrating compassion, consideration, and thoughtfulness Be Respectful - Being mindful of individual perspectives, priorities and needs Be Accountable - Taking responsibility for our commitments, behaviors, and actions Work Collaboratively - Cooperating with and encouraging each other to achieve a common goal Embrace Excellence - Dedicated to setting standards that meet and exceed expectations JOB SUMMARY The Patient Financial Services (PFS) Financial Counselor serves as a liaison between patients and the Patient Financial Services team by providing compassionate, person-centered financial guidance and support throughout the billing process. This role reviews patient accounts, answers billing questions, and helps identify and reduce financial barriers to care by assisting with Medicaid and hospital charity applications, providing cost estimates for proposed services, and educating patients on available payment options and third-party financing programs. The Financial Counselor ensures required statements and forms are completed accurately, accepts and posts patient payments as applicable, and collaborates with billers and collectors to support timely account resolution, appropriate financial classification, and achievement of departmental collection goals while maintaining strict confidentiality and compliance standards. JOB QUALIFICATIONS Education: High School diploma or equivalent required. Certifications/Licenses: Revenue cycle or healthcare access certifications (e.g., CRCR, CHFP, CRCP, CPAT/CHAA), preferred. Job Knowledge and Skills: Working knowledge of hospital revenue cycle workflows impacting patient balances, including billing, follow-up, collections, and account resolution. Knowledge of financial assistance and eligibility processes, including Medicaid application support and hospital charity/financial assistance guidelines. Understanding of common payer requirements and reimbursement basics for commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and other governmental programs as related to patient responsibility and account follow-up. Ability to explain estimates, charges, statements, and payment options clearly to patients while demonstrating empathy, professionalism, and strong customer service skills. Skill in obtaining, verifying, and documenting required information and forms accurately and comprehensively, ensuring completeness to support timely determinations and account resolution. Ability to calculate patient discounts (including self-pay discounts) and assist with establishing payment arrangements in accordance with hospital policy. Proficiency in point of service and back-office functions such as accepting/posting payments, processing adjustments and refunds, and maintaining accounts in the correct financial class. Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and confidentiality when handling protected health information and sensitive financial information. Working knowledge of HIPAA and applicable compliance requirements, with consistent adherence to policies, procedures, and service standards. Ability to manage an assigned account workload, prioritize competing demands, and meet individual performance and collection goals in a highvolume environment. Effective verbal and written communication skills for interactions with patients, families, internal departments, and third parties. Ability to use computerized patient accounting/billing systems and Microsoft Office applications to document activity, run reports, and track outcomes. Commitment to advancing the mission, vision, and personcentered care values of Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. Preferred Skills Patient Financial Services (PFS) Financial Counselor Prior experience in patient financial counseling, customer service, billing, collections, or healthcare revenue cycle operations. Experience assisting patients with Medicaid eligibility screening and application support and/or charity/financial assistance processes. Familiarity with price estimation tools, charge description master (CDM) concepts, and communicating estimates in a patientfriendly manner. Experience setting up payment plans and supporting enrollment into approved thirdparty financing programs. Demonstrated ability to deescalate challenging conversations and resolve billing concerns with empathy and professionalism. Strong documentation skills and attention to detail to support accurate account notes, financial class assignment, and audit readiness. Experience running basic reports, tracking work activity, and identifying trends to share with the SME/Lead. #J-18808-Ljbffr