Patient Financial Counselor

Job Overview The Patient Financial Counselor supports and provides backup coverage for hospital registration, prior authorization, and payment posting functions to ensure continuity of patient access and revenue cycle operations. This role assists with maintaining accurate patient financial workflows, insurance verification, authorization processing, reimbursement activities, and reporting functions in accordance with hospital policies and regulatory guidelines. The position is responsible for managing payer, Medicare, county assistance, and charity care reporting logs while collaborating closely with Patient Financial Services, clinical departments, and administration to support efficient operations and positive patient financial outcomes. The position will serve as a mentor and trainer for registration staff and provide operational support and leadership presence within the department as needed. Supervisory Responsibilities This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. However, it provides support, assistance, guidance, and mentoring for front desk registration, prior authorization, and payment posting. Additionally, it assists leadership with workflow coordination and departmental coverage as needed. Duties and Responsibilities Revenue Cycle Support Support and provide backup coverage for hospital registration, prior authorization, insurance verification, and payment posting functions. Assist in maintaining efficient patient access and revenue cycle workflows. Collaborate with Patient Financial Services to monitor patient account status and reimbursement processes. Ensure compliance with hospital financial policies, HIPAA regulations, and payer guidelines. Assist with departmental workflow coordination and operational coverage. Patient Registration / Patient Access Register and pre-register patients accurately within the hospital information system. Verify demographics, insurance eligibility, coverage, and benefits. Obtain required patient documentation, signatures, and consents. Receive patient payments and ensure proper receipt documentation for payment posting. Work registration error queues and resolve account discrepancies. Answer phones, direct calls, and assist patients and visitors appropriately. Direct patients to proper departments and service areas. Assist with handling patient complaints and escalating concerns appropriately. Train and mentor new registration staff on department procedures and best practices. Provide registration department coverage as needed. Prior Authorization and Insurance Support Provide backup support for obtaining prior authorizations and pre-certifications in accordance with payer requirements. Process authorizations through payer portals, telephone communication, and facsimile submission methods. Coordinate with providers, clinical departments, and patients to ensure timely authorization completion. Research insurance benefits and communicate patient financial responsibility when applicable. Assist with retro authorizations and denied authorization requests as needed. Support authorization activities for diagnostic testing, surgeries, specialty procedures, infusions, chemotherapy, pain management, and other hospital services. Payment Posting and Financial Counseling Provide backup support for payment posting and reconciliation processes. Assist patients with payment arrangements and financial assistance resources. Support review and monitoring of collection accounts and outstanding balances. Assist with processing bad debt write-offs and collection agency reporting as directed. Maintain timely communication regarding payments, credits, and account updates. Charity Care and Payer Reporting Review accounts for charity care eligibility in accordance with the hospital Financial Assistance Policy and indigence guidelines. Counsel patients regarding available medical assistance programs, including Medicaid, county assistance, and other applicable programs. Maintain and manage charity care, Medicare, payer, and county assistance logs. Prepare required payer and financial assistance reports for leadership and year-end reporting processes. Assist with estate claims, bankruptcy notices, and county assistance documentation within required filing deadlines. Attend county commissioner meetings when necessary to support appeals and assistance requests. General Department Support Participate in departmental meetings, in-services, and training activities. Provide verbal and written reports to administration, committees, or leadership as requested. Promote positive customer service and professionalism when interacting with patients, visitors, payers, and staff. Support departmental quality improvement initiatives and productivity standards. Perform additional duties as assigned. Qualifications High school diploma or GED. Minimum of two (2) years of experience in healthcare registration, patient access, medical billing, revenue cycle, or financial counseling. Knowledge of insurance verification, prior authorization, and patient financial processes. Experience with EMR/EHR and healthcare billing systems. Understanding payer guidelines, Medicare, Medicaid, and financial assistance processes. Strong organizational, communication, and customer service skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality and manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced healthcare environment. Education and/or Experience Associate's degree (A.A.) or equivalent from a two‑year college or technical school; or six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Application Statement To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Benefits At Steele Memorial Hospital we prioritize maintaining a healthy work‑life balance, allowing our employees to enjoy their personal lives while pursuing their professional goals. As part of our benefit package, employees can access certain services at our facility free of charge and participate in our wellness initiatives to earn significant health deduction savings – potentially up to $1,100 annually. #J-18808-Ljbffr Steele Memorial Medical Center