Financial Counselor

1.    Education:    High school graduate or equivalent. Medical terminology preferred.

   
2.    Training and Experience:    Must be able to accurately type 25-30 words per minute and pass a clerical examination.  After training, must pass internal examinations to demonstrate mastery of Patient Access Services computer applications.  Previous experience in hospital admissions, business office and/or physician’s office preferred.


3.    Job Knowledge:   After training, must pass internal certification examinations to demonstrate understanding of Patient Access Services overall competencies.

4.    Safety Sensitive:   NO
In the interest of protecting the health and safety of all patients, associates, and guests, Unity Health has classified some positions as “safety sensitive.”  A “safety sensitive” position is any job position in which impaired performance could result in harm to the health and/or safety of self or others. Any associate that is actively engaged in the use of medical marijuana, even if in possession of a valid medical marijuana card, will be excluded from employment in a “safety sensitive” position.


DESCRIPTION:
The Financial Counselor II position is the entry-level position of the Patient Access Services (PAS) financial counseling career path.  The Financial Counselor II performs most financial screening functions as outlined below:

A Financial Counselor II assists in the completion and coordination of all front-end activities associated with patient financial processing in Patient Access Services functional areas.  Prioritizes and coordinates patient accounts from patient scheduling through patient discharge to ensure that patient financial obligations are met prior to patient encounters (outpatient) or patient discharge (inpatient).  Accurately completes patient accounts based on departmental protocols, policies and procedures, and compliance with regulatory agencies, including but not limited to pre-admission, admission, pre-registration and registration functions. Ensures all insurance requirements are met prior to patients' arrival and informs patients of their financial liability prior to arrival for services. Arranges payment options with the patients. Maintains excellent working relationships with community providers and their staff.  

The Financial Counselor II performs most financial screening functions, which include:

•    Up-Front Payment Estimation and Collections
•    Emergency Department Registration
•    Outpatient Registration and Pre-registration
•    Outpatient Surgery & Special Procedure Registration and Pre-Registration    •    Inpatient & Observation Processing
•    Insurance Verification
•    Benefits Explanation
•    Hospital Cashiering
•    Insurance in-service assistance

Physical Effort:   Sitting 3-4 hours; standing 3-4 hours; walking 3-4 hours.  Moderate lifting of 20-25 pounds, 1-10 times per day.  Moderate bending, squatting and kneeling.  Frequent fine motor movement with both hands.  Manual dexterity to utilize computer.  Good visual and hearing discrimination.  Moderate lack of control over pace of work and high level of interaction with patients and employees throughout the work day.  

Mental Effort:    To be successful in this position, the individual must demonstrate:

a.    Strong verbal and written communication skills
b.    Strong computation skills
c.    Detail Orientation
d.    Good deductive reasoning
e.    Good with public; empathy for patients
f.    Collaborates with others; team player
g.    Accepts authority and follows instructions well