Patient Benefits Coordinator - Barbara McInnis House

Who We Are:
Since 1985, BHCHP’s mission has been to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in greater Boston. Over 10,000 homeless individuals are cared for by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program each year. We are committed to ensuring that every one of these individuals has access to comprehensive health care, from preventative dental care to cancer treatment. Our clinicians, case managers, and behavioral health professionals work in more than 30 locations to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable—and most resilient—citizens.

From our earliest days as a program, we have always sought to do work that is transformational: recognizing our shared humanity; centering dignity, compassion, mutual respect and supporting the right of every individual to access the highest levels of health care and every staff member to reach their fullest potential. We continue to be committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers, including systemic racism which harms us all. We provide community-based health care services that are compassionate, dignified, and culturally appropriate, incorporating social determinants of health, with the goal of breaking down the physical and systemic barriers that our patients face.

Job Summary:
Hours: Full-time; 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
Union: Yes
Union Name: 1199SEIU
Patient Facing: Yes

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) is looking for a Patient Benefits Coordinator (PBC) to join our team. The PBC will be responsible for collecting demographic and insurance information for each patient that is admitted to the program’s respite facility, the Barbara McInnis House. This includes helping patients apply for health insurance, obtaining copies of documentation, and providing other related patient benefits assistance. The position is crucial to the accurate registration of patient’s insurance eligibility and submission of insurance pre-authorizations.

Responsibilities:

• Utilize the EPIC system to confirm and add demographic information for each patient
• Review insurance eligibility on all patients presenting upon admission in order to provider patient benefits assistance and process required documentation in a timely manner
• Accurately complete and appropriately process health insurance applications including enrollment into MassHealth and Medicare
• Outreach to insurance programs for potential patient enrollment
• Present patient insurance options and work with the assigned team to find the programs that are best suited for the patient’s needs
• Work with the patient’s respite team to ensure that patient questions are answered and discharge plans can be implemented
• Respond quickly to billing department to resolve any issues
• Work closely with the Director of Patient Finance to ensure that registration and enrollment details are entered accurately and timely so that billing can be done in a timely fashion
• Timely and accurate completion of out-of- state birth certificate applications for patients who require them
• Submit and keep current insurance pre-authorizations for applicable respite facility stays
• Cover for other Benefits and clinic front-desk staff on an as needed basis
• Successfully complete MassHealth Certified Application Counselor exam (CAC) within 60 days of hire and maintain active certification status

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalency required
• Associate's or bachelor's degree in a related field and/or have attained the requisite skills from prior work experience (1-2 years experience in a patient benefits or health insurance support capacity) required
• 2 years experience in a clinical environment preferred
• Familiarity with EPIC (electronic medical record) preferred
• Knowledge of health insurance and entitlement benefits programs preferred
• Ability to work with minimal supervision successfully
• Bilingual in Spanish/English and/or Haitian Creole/English preferred
• Strong computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite including Excel

Compensation and Benefits:

• The compensation increases based on years of experience and ranges from $22.25 - $35.60 per hour.
• BHCHP full time employees are eligible for our competitive time off program, health, dental and vision insurance, 403B retirement savings plan, pre-tax MBTA pass program with 40% discount, additional compensation for demonstrated bilingual proficiency and more. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees.

Does this amazing opportunity interest you? Then we'd love to hear from you.

As an equal opportunity employer, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Covid-19 Vaccination: Proof of Covid-19 vaccination(s) is optional for employment. Candidates who are offered employment will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination if they choose to.

Please Note: Employment at Boston Health Care for the Homeless is at-will. Boston Health Care for the Homeless does not sponsor work authorization visas.