Customer Service Associate - Respiratory

Customer Service Associate

The CSA has the primary responsibility of handling initial customer contact either in person or over the telephone and at times via the web. These customer contacts may be with the patient, a caregiver, a referral source, or a commercial account. They are there to receive, qualify, and process all customer orders in a timely, efficient, accurate, and courteous manner. They often are involved in investigating and responding to customer inquiries regarding shipments, products, deliveries, and complaints.

This department handles all complex respiratory orders that are received by doctor offices and hospitals. The orders are mainly for Cpap/Bipap orders to assist OSA patients. This department handles all life sustaining equipment orders. This requires following the insurance qualifications for each device that is ordered and getting the patient scheduled with an RT on call to get the patient settled right after discharge.

Actively promotes a lean work culture by performing team member duties to encourage consistent use of LEAN principles and processes, including continually seeking work process improvements. Recognizes the necessity of taking ownership of one's own motivation, morale, performance, and professional development. Strives for behavior consistent with being committed to MedCare's missions, vision, and values.

Job Duties / Essential Functions:

• Service Recovery
  • Solicits customer feedback to improve service
  • Responds to requests for service and assistance in a timely manner
  • Provides appropriate documentation of customer satisfaction comments
• Customer Focus
  • Receives customers and/or answers phone calls courteously
  • Assesses customers' needs and considers customer in decision making processes to ensure customer satisfaction
  • Maintain logged into phone queue to reduce customer wait time and facilitate timely processing of orders
  • Greets customers in a polite and professional manner. Determine customer's needs and process orders timely and accurately
  • Adhere to the department's attendance and scheduling requirements, which includes working rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays
• Customer Service Education
  • Assist with the education and customer service teaching within MEC
  • Assist with customer service training as requested by departments/managers
• Fiscal Accountability
  • Process orders in a timely and accurate manner and collect copayments upfront to facilitate prompt turnaround of accounts receivable
  • Understand payer specific billing/payment requirements and state and federal mandated standards to ensure orders are dispensed appropriately and reduce possibilities of write offs
  • Perform thorough and accurate verification of insurances
  • Ensure all appropriate documentation is received; script, PAR's, qualifying SAT's, F2F and WOPD prior to dispensing orders to ensure reimbursement and reduce opportunities for financial recoupment (where applicable)

Specialty Essential Functions:

II. Specialty Essential Functions:

1. CSA Overview

• Adhere to all state and federally mandated documentation standards.
• Enter all documentation in the computer system accurately on a daily basis accurately as required.
• Perform thorough verification of insurance.
• Open new customer computer files and complete required documents before passing on account to billing department.
• Accurately and efficiently, create the appropriate delivery, billing, and collection paperwork.
• Enter and confirm work orders and monitor open orders for accuracy and completion.
• Navigate through multiple software systems to get the patient scheduled and pushed to the Respiratory Therapists
• Follow up on the patient's compliance goals and make sure they are using the unit as needed per doctor's request and the insurance guidelines to continue to pay for device.

2. Telephone Orders

• Answer phones by the third ring, using all features of the phone effectively and using hold only for short times and with good follow up.
• Speak clearly and provide excellent customer service over the phone, through tone and style, when handling the initial customer contact with home care patients and referral courses.
• Gather complete data and accurately take orders.
• Communicating with patients over via MedChat (system that is used to help patients via web chat)

3. Intake and Insurance Verification

• At intake, prepare patient paperwork and enter all patient data correctly, including demographic information, physician, diagnosis, and payer. Enter data into the computer based on customer interviews.
• Determine the best method for providing service while evaluating reimbursement and cost impact to the company. Make those decisions based on customer need, vendor pricing, and third-party reimbursement possibilities.
• Verify insurance as required, with both primary and secondary payers, and determine if request for product or service can be fulfilled within parameters of insurance coverages or if the request requires management review and approval. In certain case by case situations and with Manager's approval, negotiate levels of service and discounts.
• Learning and following the most up to date billing processes for each insurance.

4. Customer Service-Customer Inquiries

• Ensure compassionate and positive interactions with customers.
• Respond quickly and professionally to customer inquiries (patients and referral sources), both in the store and on the phone, with regard to appropriateness, availability, and coverage guidelines of equipment/supplies.
• Receive, investigate, and respond to all customer inquires regarding shipments, products, deliveries, and complaints.
• Resolve customer concerns and complaints by identifying problems and coordinating appropriate corrective action - Maintain accurate and complete documentation of complaints and resolutions.
• When unable to respond to any of the above inquiries or questions, refer patients and referral sources to the office manager or personnel best suited to handle them.
• Provide skilled responses to grieving, upset, or difficult customers.
• Exhibit excellent verbal and written communication skills.

5. Patient Assistance

• Assist patients in selection of and instruction regarding equipment, supplies, and services.
• Be able to accurately and clearly instruct the customer or caregiver in the proper and safe use of all equipment delivered in the store and provide each customer with the appropriate instructional material.
• Be able to solicit sales of new or additional products or services by suggesting additional follow-up items relative to the patient's diagnosis.
• Where applicable and appropriate, based on training, provide specialized fitting of items such a compression hosiery.

6. Walk-In and Retail Sales (Where applicable)

• Greet walk-in customers promptly, courteously, and above all, in a friendly manner.
• Consult with walk-in customers as to their equipment and service needs. Use open-ended questions effectively as part of the sales process.
• Prepare order form and all documentation needed for intakes.
• Obtain required signatures and provide the customer with a new patient packet.
• Provide the customer complete documentation and instruction.
• Make certain area is picked up and neat after helping customer.
• Be able to solicit sales of new or additional products or services by suggesting additional follow-up items relative to the patient's diagnosis.

7. Confidentiality and Compliance

• Treat all information and data within the scope of the position with appropriate confidentiality and security.
• Understand and practice the rules regarding patient confidentiality, HIPAA, and compliance, and safety. Adhere to all state and federally mandated standards regarding confidentiality and patient rights.

Skills / Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Previous experience in healthcare or durable medical equipment and supplies preferred.
• Demonstrated PC skills with proven data entry experience.
• Proficient in MS Office, especially Word and Excel.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Previous experience dealing with insurance guidelines, medical terminology/diagnosis, and extracting data from EMR's to expedite order processing preferred.

MedCare Equipment Company