Patient Financial Advocate

JOB SUMMARY:

Working inside the clinical facility, manage patient account problems by working directly with the patient to identify payment solutions, utilizing special qualifications and sliding fees, and initiating the discharge process.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide guidance and education to all patients who have or are expected to have patient responsibility balances for accessing discount programs, applying for Medicaid programs, setting up payment plans, qualifying for MAHEC Charity Care and other MAHEC fully funded programs.
• Maintain established policies and procedures for patient billing and stay abreast of current state and federal guidelines and laws pertaining to collections. 
• Responsible for coordinating the discharge process according to MAHEC’s discharge policy
• Responsible for qualifying applicants for MAHEC Charity Care, governmental assistance programs, MAHEC fully funded programs.
• Utilize estimating tools to determine patient responsibility amounts and communicate with the patient.
• Perform duties related to Collections to include generate and mail collection letters, receive phone calls from patients related to collection balances and other collection activities as assigned.

This role description is a general description of the essential job functions.  It is not intended to describe all the duties the Patient Financial Advocate may perform.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Communication Skills

Effectively and respectably communicate with other individuals, whether it be a colleague, patient, or patient’s family member and appropriately enumerate information in a manner easily understood by all parties. We do this to foster a culture of understanding between all parties, especially in complex and difficult situations, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients and their families.

• Decision Making

Ability to make the most appropriate decision in a given situation and then taking the next steps to ensure appropriate and timely completion. This requires conflict resolution skills, critical thinking skills, confidence in your ability to make the right decision in most situations. This also includes ability to prioritize your workday appropriately to ensure the most important tasks are completed on time.

• HealthCare Knowledge

Having the drive to keep yourself abreast and up to date on the new breakthroughs in your area of expertise and communicating them to the rest of the team, as appropriate.  This also includes keeping up with your licensure and yearly training requirements within your area expertise along with MAHEC’s organizational training. Finally, the ability to apply the depth of knowledge maintained and gained through this process in real life scenarios as appropriate.

• Interpersonal Skills

Showing the ability to meet difficult situations with grace, professionalism, and understanding. Within your area of expertise, showing respect and showing empathy where appropriate with your colleagues, patients, and their family at all times, even when its most difficult to do so. This is done, in part, by effective listening, being your authentic self, showing responsibility and dependability, and being patient with others.

• Organizational Values

Adherence to MAHEC’s founding principles and incorporating them every day. This includes, among others, having integrity and accountability, reverence for other cultures and equitable practices, ability to manage change, and displaying a clear understanding of organizational dynamics. Doing these things creates a culture where people want to do the best for each other and gives personal ownership towards the goal of helping people in their time of need.

• Problem Solving

Having an analytical mind and ability to work autonomously to solve complex problems that may arise. The wherewithal to think logically through a difficult problem and come to an appropriate resolution for a given issue. This helps to drive continuous improvement by thinking through where we can improve in a novel way. Measures success by understanding where we are currently and where we want to go and then applying those new ideas to affect positive change.

SPECIFIED SKILLS

• COMPUTER
  • Excellent skills in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and database applications required.
  • Advanced skills in a Medical Office Management software program, preferably Allscripts.
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE
  • Spanish speaking skills preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Not Applicable.

SUPERVISOR