Bilingual Certified Medical Assistant

Pay: $17.50 - $20.00 per hour

Job description:

Overview

Alamo Premier Mental Health Clinic is seeking a dependable, bilingual Certified Medical Assistant to provide consistent front-office coverage while supporting clinical operations in an outpatient mental health setting.

This position is primarily front office based: the CMA will manage patient arrival and departure, incoming calls, scheduling, insurance and benefit verification, copay collection, and patient questions. The CMA will also assist with vital signs, urine drug screening, and provider workflow needs when clinic flow requires it for patients ages 5 and older.

The ideal candidate has hands-on outpatient experience with payer portals, insurance eligibility and benefits, patient balances, and front-end revenue-cycle workflows. They are calm, organized, compassionate, fluent in Spanish, and able to communicate clearly with patients and staff in a fast-paced environment.

Front Office and Patient Access

• Maintain consistent, professional front-desk coverage; promptly greet patients and address walk-ins, check-in, check-out, and follow-up scheduling.
• Answer and route incoming calls, including the Spanish phone line; communicate appointment information, clinic policies, and next steps clearly and respectfully.
• Schedule, confirm, reschedule, and manage appointments accurately in the EHR.
• Collect copays, self-pay amounts, and approved patient balances at time of service; document payments accurately and follow clinic payment policies.
• Review patient demographic and insurance information; obtain or request updated insurance cards and required documentation.
• Support patient communication through approved clinic channels and maintain HIPAA confidentiality at all times.

Insurance Eligibility and Front-End Revenue Cycle

• Independently verify active coverage, effective dates, plan type, network status, primary and secondary coverage, behavioral health benefits, copays, deductible, and out-of-pocket information.
• Use payer portals and payer/customer-service lines to investigate eligibility or benefit discrepancies efficiently; document findings and escalate unresolved issues through the clinic workflow.
• Identify referral or prior-authorization requirements and route requests to the appropriate staff member or provider workflow.
• Understand basic patient-balance, unapplied-payment, claim, and billing terminology; coordinate clearly with the clinic billing team or billing vendor when needed.
• Maintain accurate eligibility documentation so the clinic has a clear record of the amount estimated or collected and the source of the benefit information.

Clinical and Back Office Support

• Obtain and document vital signs accurately for patients of all ages, as assigned.
• Assist with urine specimen collection, urine drug screening, quality-control processes, and documentation in accordance with clinic policy and training.
• Support providers with referrals, prior-authorization workflows, medication-refill routing, clinical documentation, and other delegated administrative needs.
• Provide coverage during high-volume periods or staff absences while helping ensure the front desk remains covered.

Required Qualifications

• Current CMA or CCMA certification required; active Texas MA credentials or equivalent recognized certification preferred.
• Fluent spoken Spanish and English required, including the ability to explain appointments, insurance information, copays, and clinic policies to patients.
• At least two years of outpatient medical-office experience with both front-office and clinical MA responsibilities.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with insurance verification, payer portals, copay collection, referrals, prior authorizations, and patient-balance workflows.
• Proficiency with EHR/EMR systems, Microsoft Office, phones, and standard office technology.
• Strong communication, judgment, attention to detail, time management, and ability to remain professional with patients during difficult conversations.
• Ability to protect confidential information and follow HIPAA, clinic policies, and established workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in behavioral health, psychiatry, primary care, or a multi-payer outpatient setting.
• Prior work as a medical receptionist, patient service representative, insurance verification specialist, or front-office CMA.
• Experience with urine drug screening or specimen collection.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods during the workday.
• Ability to use standard office and medical equipment, including computer, phone, copier, blood-pressure cuff, thermometer, scale, and urine drug-screening supplies.
• Ability to assist patients with movement during vital signs or specimen collection, within CMA scope of practice.

Embark on a rewarding career where your skills directly impact patient well-being! We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values your expertise and encourages professional growth through ongoing training and development opportunities.

Benefits:

• On-the-job training
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• WORK SCHEDULE: Are you able to reliably work onsite Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.?
• CERTIFICATION: Do you currently hold CMA or CCMA certification?
• SPANISH PROFICIENCY: Are you fluent in spoken Spanish and able to explain insurance and copay information to patients?
• INSURANCE EXPERIENCE: How many years of hands-on experience do you have verifying eligibility and benefits through payer portals or payer calls?
• FRONT-END REVENUE CYCLE: Have you independently collected copays, reviewed deductibles/OOP information, and addressed patient balance questions?
• CROSS-TRAINING: Have you worked in both front-office and back-office CMA responsibilities? or Just front-office only, or Just back-office only?

Work Location: In person