PATIENT FINANCIAL COUNSELOR - Jackson, TN Location

Job Description

Job Description

About Christ Community Health Services

Since 1995, Christ Community Health Services (CCHS) has provided high-quality healthcare to the underserved in the context of distinctively Christian service. As a faith-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we serve approximately 60,000 patients each year across our Memphis health centers, offering primary care, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and specialty services to the communities that need them most.

About the Role

We are seeking a compassionate, detail-oriented Patient Financial Counselor to help patients understand and access financial assistance programs like Medicaid and sliding fee scales, assist with applications, and provide education on healthcare costs — ensuring equitable access to care for vulnerable populations. In this role, you ensure accurate verification of benefits, grant eligibility, and third-party payer authorization for services rendered. As a Certified Application Counselor (CAC), you'll help patients enroll in Medicaid and Marketplace plans while keeping account information accurate and compliant with CCHS policy. You make sure every patient is financially cleared and screened for financial risk before they receive care.

Our Core Values — and What They Look Like in This Role

At CCHS, how the work is done matters as much as what is done. Our core values aren't wall art — they are performance expectations, and here is what they mean for a Patient Financial Counselor:

• Intentional Love — Love here is a choice, not a feeling. In this role it means meeting every patient with patience and respect as they navigate confusing insurance options or difficult financial circumstances, and responding to their calls and concerns about balances, billing, and coverage in a timely, professional way. People should leave every interaction with you feeling respected — even when the news about their coverage was hard to hear.
• Devoted Service — We are go-getters who take initiative instead of waiting for someone else to act. In this role it means owning your patients' path to coverage end to end — tracking every Medicaid and Marketplace application until enrollment is complete, actively reaching out to self-pay patients to establish payment arrangements, and never letting an account or authorization fall through the cracks.
• Humble Excellence — Excellence is not perfection, but we reject mediocrity. In this role it means accurate, well-documented accounts, sound independent judgment, and pursuing the highest standard of service — while staying teachable: welcoming feedback, admitting mistakes early, and asking for help before something breaks.

What You'll Do

• Verify insurance eligibility and benefits, and secure appropriate authorizations for clinic procedures; promptly and accurately record all payer communications, reference numbers, and authorization details in patient records.
• Accurately process patient sliding fee applications in line with Federal Poverty Guidelines, and provide cost-of-care estimates when needed.
• Help uninsured patients navigate their insurance options and eligibility for programs such as A Step Ahead Foundation, Ryan White, and the Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program (TBCSP).
• Review aged accounts receivable balances for self-pay patients; initiate and manage outreach to establish and document payment arrangements.
• Serve as a Certified Application Counselor (CAC), assisting patients and families with Medicaid and Marketplace applications, renewals, and eligibility determinations, providing step-by-step guidance and tracking application status until enrollment is complete.
• Actively work to transition self-pay patients into Medicaid or other eligible coverage programs to reduce out-of-pocket burden for patients and financial risk to CCHS.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

What You'll Bring

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Health Services, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience preferred.
• 1–3 years of experience in financial counseling, healthcare registration, billing, collections, or a related field (required).
• Working knowledge of insurance providers, their portals, and their authorization approval expectations.
• Willingness to complete the Certified Application Counselor (CAC) certification exam within 90 days of hire.
• Knowledge of Medicare, TN Medicaid, Commercial, and Sliding Fee payment methods.
• Working familiarity with FQHC policies, procedures, and compliance requirements, to ensure all financial counseling, billing, and enrollment activities align with federal and organizational standards.
• Excellent computer and keyboarding skills, including familiarity with Windows, along with strong verbal and written communication and customer service skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, maintain confidentiality, and communicate effectively with all levels of personnel.
• Reliable, punctual attendance, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Comfort with an office and clinic environment, including some exposure to individuals with potentially contagious infections (low–moderate risk of injury), and prolonged periods seated at a desk working on a computer.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous Paid Time Off (120 hours in your first year) plus paid holidays.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Annual paid Restorative Day supporting wellness and work-life balance.
• Mission-driven culture, employee recognition programs, and the opportunity to do work that directly expands healthcare access in Jackson.