Patient Services Associate I - Minneapolis, MN

Planned Parenthood North Central States

Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Patient Services Associate I – Minneapolis, MN

Pay: The anticipated salary range for this position is $19-$23 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Compensation is determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant work experience, the skills required for the role, internal equity, market competitiveness, and budget considerations. We are committed to ensuring fair and competitive pay for all employees.

Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week

Shift times: Primarily Monday – Friday with a start time between 8am – 10am. Rotating evening shifts ending at 8pm, and rotating weekend shifts 1-2 times per month. Hours flexed the following week if more than 40 hrs. worked one week.

Location: Hybrid work schedule. Work remote and 2-3 days/week from Planned Parenthood Minneapolis (1200 Lagoon Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55408)

Job type: Non-Exempt

Union Membership: This position is represented by SEIU.

Questions? Contact View email address on aiapply.co.

Job Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Patient Services Manager and general supervision of the Patient Services Senior Manager, the Patient Services Associate I will provide the highest level of customer service, while demonstrating respect, integrity, compassion and dignity to all patients and customers. The Associate I will use a team approach and work cooperatively to ensure all calls and voicemails are answered in a timely manner. Patient Services Associate I’s spend about 85% of their time answering inbound calls and voicemails. Patient Services Associates are advocates in implementing our mission of “Advancing and protecting sexual and reproductive healthcare for all.” They may perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance with equity-based premium tiers
• Free, virtual primary care for all employees enrolled in a medical plan:
  • NICE HEALTHCARE. A free, virtual primary care for entire household (in-home available for qualifying locations). Services include: 80 free labs, free x-rays, and physical tests, live, virtual physical therapy, 550+ free medications and more!
  • HealthiestYou – Virtual Care for employees outside of NICE Healthcare’s network.
• Proximal Health – Helps members access high quality, cost-effective, providers for certain services and offers $1,500 tax free benefit when members choose a designated provider for eligible services
• Employee Assistance Program
• Continued Education Reimbursement: up to $500 per year & 2 paid CEU days.
• Flex Spending Account
• Life Insurance
• Eligibility for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness
• Paid time off: PTO starting at .05769 accrual rate per hour worked.
• 8 hours volunteer paid time off annually.
• 8 paid federal holidays & 2 paid floating holidays.
• 403(b) retirement plan
• 8 weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Bereavement Leave
• Earned Extended Leave
• Free subscription to Headspace App
• Time off to vote.
• Employee discounts for electronics, appliances, hotels, gift cards, apparel, cars, fitness memberships, groceries, and at Office Depot, Verizon, AT&T, Dell & more.

We also offer:

• Start date flexibility.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3+ years fast-paced customer experience
• Experience with problem-solving through effective communication in customer interactions
• Technology skills, including typing skills, the ability to navigate multiple computer programs and websites at once

Your Day-to-Day Responsibilities:

Customer Service:

• Greet all callers professionally
• Provide information to all callers in a non-directive, non-judgmental manner
• Offer options and information based on the specific caller’s situation and needs without interjecting personal opinions or counseling callers
• Accurately identify the reason for each call
• Effectively communicate verbally and in writing (i.e. email, instant messaging)
• Work collaboratively with interpreters to serve callers whose preferred language is not English

Call Handling – Patient Interactions: Registration and Financial Interview:

• Comply with protocols and workflows to accurately collect demographic information for new patients and register them in the electronic medical record system
• Comply with protocols and workflows to verify patient/caller identities for established patients and update demographic info as appropriate
• Accurately assess patient eligibility for multiple funding sources
• Collect and enter in electronic medical record system and verify all required insurance information
• Educate patients on basic insurance information and practices
• Collect income and household size; document in electronic medical record system
• Quote patients a cost for services requested and effectively communicate payment requirements and policies

Appointment Scheduling – Abortion Care Services:

• Schedule abortion care appointments for clinics in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska
• Maintain a comprehensive knowledge base on and comply with abortion care laws, regulations and protocols for the four states listed above, including additional laws for minor individuals seeking services
• Educate patients on the legal requirements for their state
• Complete basic medical intake and determine which procedure(s) patients are eligible for
• Explain procedure options to patients
• Fully prepare patients for their appointment by providing all relevant financial information and appointment instructions

Appointment Scheduling – Family Planning Services:

• Schedule family planning appointments for clinics in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska
• Maintain a comprehensive knowledge base on and comply with family planning laws, regulations and protocols in for the four states listed above, including additional laws for minor individuals seeking services
• Use the Patient Services Knowledge Base System (KBS) to accurately schedule patients at the most appropriate health center based on:
  • Service desired
  • Insurance status
  • Eligibility for funding
  • Patient circumstances
• Fully prepare patients for their appointment by providing all relevant financial information and appointment instructions

General Patient Inquiries:

• Identify medical questions or needs and accurately route patients to appropriate medical staff
• Review normal sexually transmitted infection test results
• Maintain patient privacy by correctly verifying identities of third party callers and complying with all PPNCS protocols and state and federal laws when disclosing or confirming patient information
• Provide comprehensive and accurate information relating to all services and options available to patients including but not limited to:
  • Medical records processes
  • Refills
  • Patient portal
  • Online appointment scheduling

Call Handling – All other Interactions:

• Use Patient Services KBS to correctly triage callers to the most appropriate administrative department or person
• Maintain a basic knowledge of PPNCS’ organizational structure to efficiently identify the best administrative contact for callers
• Comply with PPNCS protocols for verifying or confirming staff identities
• Provide referral information to callers seeking services outside of PPNCS’ scope
• Identify suspicious or threatening individuals and comply with all Patient Services, PPNCS and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) protocols and guidelines for interacting with and reporting such individuals

Additional Tasks:

• Audit and verify insurance for appointments scheduled through online platforms
• Process appointment requests and patient inquiries sent through the Patient Portal
• Make outbound appointment confirmation calls
• Make outbound follow-up calls for missed appointments
• Process returned patient statements
• Process duplicate patient charts
• Process invalid patient e-mail addresses
• Other projects and tasks as assigned based on need

General Responsibilities:

• Identify and escalate priority issues to Patient Services Leadership team
• Maintain competency with all platforms used for daily tasks
• Promptly and accurately report technology issues
• Maintain a flexible work schedule to fill shifts based on coverage needs which will include days, afternoons, evenings, and weekends

About Us:

At PPNCS, we believe all people deserve the right, the freedom, and the opportunity to follow their personal ambitions and choose their own path toward a healthier, more meaningful life. That’s why we protect, promote, and provide comprehensive and progressive sexual and reproductive health care for generations of people and families with empathy, care, and respect. We are looking for passionate, dedicated staff who are eager to make positive contributions to their community and to the Planned Parenthood mission. To learn more: Our Mission.

When you work for Planned Parenthood, you make a difference in the lives of those we serve by affirming the human right to reproductive health and freedom.

Planned Parenthood is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, sex, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, age, veteran status, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, size, disability, socioeconomic status, or status regarding public assistance. Planned Parenthood is committed to encouraging and promoting diversity as well as providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Planned Parenthood is dedicated to an equitable and inclusive work environment and encourages all interested candidates to apply regardless of initial skill set.

*Any job offer will be contingent upon the results of a background investigation.*

This position is included in the SEIU bargaining unit, and depending on state law, requires union dues be deducted from employee paychecks in an amount up to 2.25% of gross pay.