Patient Financial Advocate

Patient Financial Advocate

Join the Cleveland Clinic team, where you will work alongside passionate caregivers and provide patient-first healthcare. Cleveland Clinic is recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation. At Cleveland Clinic, you will receive endless support and appreciation and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.

Patient Financial Advocates assist patients in navigating financial responsibilities when they are uninsured or when their insurance is not accepted at Cleveland Clinic. In this role, you will provide exceptional customer service while resolving patient account disputes and outstanding balances through establishing payment arrangements, financial assistance options, or charity care programs. Your work will help ensure timely payment for services rendered while providing compassionate support to patients and their families. This position offers a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting impact on the patient experience and the community.

A caregiver in this role works remotely from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

To be considered for this position, caregivers must reside within a local driving distance of a Cleveland Clinic location in Florida and be able to report onsite as needed.

A caregiver who excels in this role will:

• Act as a liaison between the PFS and clinic operations to resolve customer inquiries specifically related to billing and customer satisfaction in a timely manner.
• Communicate with those individuals/departments for problem resolution and documentation.
• Track and document each patient issue obtaining resolution within 24 hours.
• Answer all patient incoming calls timely and courteously and log each call in an established tracking format, ensuring timely response.
• Courteously assist walk-in customers from clinical areas and the cashier office.
• Resolve issues and concerns within 24 hours to meet patient's satisfaction.
• Identify and respond to account errors, omissions, refunds, transfers and charge reversals, and keep patients abreast of account disposition.
• Accurately and efficiently correct account errors, adjustments, refunds, transfers and charge reversals within the established PFS policies.
• Prepare and complete adjustments and account corrections within established clinic policies and enter the adjustments and corrections into SIGNATURE.
• Collect patient account balances by entering and accepting payment installment agreements, discount, cash, money orders and credit card payments according to PFS policies and procedures.
• Review day sheets of daily appointments as appropriate and identify incoming patients carrying a large balance.
• Establish agreement and plan with patients for payment and resolving outstanding balances.
• Evaluate and determine appropriateness for implementing the charity care program for eligible patients according to established CCF guidelines within one billing cycle of discovery.
• Collaborate with support team members and provide guidance, instruction and support when completing team projects as directed by supervisor and administration.
• Participate in special projects and effectively cross-covers in areas as requested by the supervisor.
• Generate good suggestions to ensure an effective and streamlined patient accounting process.
• Follow appropriate channels to implement new ideas.
• Communicate areas of compliance concerns to supervisors, Department Directors and compliance officers immediately upon recognition of such.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• High School Diploma/GED and four years of related experience
• OR Associate's Degree in Accounting, Communication, Marketing or related field and two years of experience
• Experience in high volume customer service telephone or direct contact environment specifically in a health care environment
• In depth knowledge of patient accounts which includes collections, insurance regulations and reimbursement techniques
• Knowledge of third-party payers, Medicare, physician billing and pricing
• Knowledgeable of CPT and ICD coding requirements and the utilization and applications of both manuals' insurance verification

Preferred qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Associate's Degree

Physical Requirements:

• Well lit, air conditioned space in the hospital, noise level is moderate; will spend time sitting at a desk at a workstation and some filing/lifting.
• Ability to perform work in a stationary position for extended periods
• Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment
• Ability to communicate and exchange accurate information

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows Standard Precautions using personal protective equipment as required for procedures.

The policy of Cleveland Clinic Health System and its system hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Health System) is to provide equal opportunity to all of our caregivers and applicants for employment in our drug free environment. All offers of employment are followed by testing for controlled substances.

Cleveland Clinic Health System administers an influenza prevention program. You will be required to comply with this program, which will include obtaining an influenza vaccination on an annual basis or obtaining an approved exemption.

Decisions concerning employment, transfers and promotions are made upon the basis of the best qualified candidate without regard to color, race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran or any other characteristic protected by law. Information provided on this application may be shared with any Cleveland Clinic Health System facility.

If applying for a Florida position, please see the following website for more information on the background screening requirements required by the Agency of Health Care Administration:

Please review the Equal Employment Opportunity poster.

Cleveland Clinic is pleased to be an equal employment opportunity employer.