Financial Counselor

EyeCare Partners is the nation's leading provider of clinically integrated eye care. Our national network of over 300 ophthalmologists and 700 optometrists provides a lifetime of care to our patients with a mission to enhance vision, advance eye care and improve lives. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, over 650 ECP-affiliated practice locations provide care in 18 states and 80 markets, providing services that span the eye care continuum. For more information, visit Job Title: Financial Counselor Must reside in the following states: AL, AZ, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, OH, OK, PA, TX, VA Job Summary The Financial Counselor plays a vital role in assisting patients with understanding and managing the financial aspects of their healthcare. This position involves providing personalized financial advice and support to patients regarding their medical bills, ensuring they are informed about payment options, insurance coverage, and financial assistance programs. In addition to advising patients on payment plans and eligibility for financial assistance, the Financial Counselor serves as a liaison between patients and billing departments, ensuring accurate and transparent communication regarding costs. This role requires strong interpersonal and analytical skills to empathetically address patients' concerns while maintaining compliance with organizational policies and applicable regulations. Duties and Responsibilities --- Monitors changes in insurance plans and policies. Inform management of such changes on an immediate basis --- Provide financial counseling to patients regarding procedures, surgeries, patient past due balances --- Collects and properly posts any pre-payments, deductibles, co-pays and balances due from patients within departmental timelines. --- Properly informs management/physician of the patient's inability to pay for services rendered --- Establishes outside financing or internal payment plans for patients as needed --- Answers incoming telephone calls from patients regarding billing/collection matters in a timely and efficient manner --- Accurately post payments from the patient visit within 24 hours --- Verify and document cash collected --- Reconcile all cash, credit cards and balance postings to encounters and payments --- Enters memos on patient ledger regarding information sent or received from insurance patients --- Professional and Personal Development/Goals and Objectives --- Always exhibits professional demeanor with a positive enthusiastic attitude when representing the practice --- Maintains certification, where applicable, and continues to improve skills --- Must attend all in-services and webinar training seminars as directed by the Accounts Receivable Manager --- Sets goals and objectives for professional growth. Reviews and revises goals on an ongoing basis --- Provides input on how to improve customer service, decrease costs and increase revenues for the practice --- Customer Service --- Supports the practice core values and mission statement to develop, enhance and promote quality customer service through team effort --- Exhibits flexibility, sensitivity and respect while maintaining an effective working relationship with all team members --- Initiates and completes various funding applications to assist patients with balances --- Appropriately documents and reports payment information --- Educates patients about payment options and financial assistance --- Processes financial assistance applications from patients --- Consistently interacts, with sensitivity, to patients/their families and is responsive to individual patient needs --- Adheres to all safety policies and procedures in performing job duties and responsibilities while supporting a culture of high quality and great customer service. --- Performs other duties that may be necessary or in the best interest of the organization. Education, Licensure & Certification Requirements High School Diploma or GED Experience Requirements --- Experience and/or training, including customer service; or equivalent combination of education --- Experience with medical terminology, medical insurance experience (Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial). Ophthalmic experience preferred. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Requirements --- Must have a working knowledge of ICD- 10 and CPT codes for ophthalmology --- Must have a working knowledge of all forms associated with the patient medical record (paper and electronic) --- Self-directed, highly motivated, able to multi-task and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment --- Must be able to accurately and efficiently handle multiple projects at one time --- Professional in appearance and actions --- Logical and Critical thinking skills --- Enjoys learning new technologies and systems --- Detail oriented, professional attitude, reliable --- Exhibits a positive attitude and is flexible in accepting work assignments and priorities --- Meets attendance and tardiness expectations --- Management and organizational skills to support the leadership of this function --- Ability to follow or provide verbal & written instructions with sufficient grammar and spelling skills to avoid mistakes or misinterpretations --- Interpersonal skills to support customer service, functional, and teammate support need --- Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing --- Ability for basic to intermediate problem solving, including mathematics --- Basic to intermediate computer operation --- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook --- Specialty knowledge of systems relating to job function --- Knowledge of state and federal regulations for this position; general understanding of HIPAA guidelines Location/Work Environment: For on-site team members, work takes place in a normal office/clinical environment. Travel to other locations may be necessary to fulfill the essential duties and responsibilities of the job. Thus, those needing to travel for work must have access to dependable transportation, and their driving record must meet company liability carrier standards. For remote team members, HIPAA compliant home office environment. Ability to work in a remote environment while performing required duties and remaining patient focused. Able to work varying shifts including early mornings/evenings to attend meetings and cross training or support other initiatives. If you need assistance with this application, please contact [phone removed] Please do not contact the office directly - only resumes submitted through this website will be considered. EyeCare Partners is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. NOTE: Job descriptions are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job elements essential for making fair pay decisions about jobs. Nothing in this job description restricts management right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Employment Type: Full Time