Access Financial Counselor

Why work for Nebraska Methodist Health System?
At Nebraska Methodist Health System, we focus on providing exceptional care to the communities we serve and people we employ. We call it The Meaning of Care – a culture that has and will continue to set us apart. It’s helping families grow by making each delivery special, conveying a difficult diagnosis with a compassionate touch, going above and beyond for a patient’s needs, or giving a high five when a patient beats a disease or conquers a personal health challenge. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and a great work environment where all employees are valued! Most importantly, our employees are part of a team that makes a real difference in the communities we live and work in.

Job Summary:

Location: Methodist Corporate Office
Address: 825 S 169th St. - Omaha, NE

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm

The Access Financial Counselor is responsible for providing patients with our financial options, collecting payments and acting as a liaison between the hospital and the patient.

Responsibilities:

Essential Job Functions

Contacts patient with Experian estimate and collects payments upfront.

• PFC will work alpha split in Experian to pull estimates over $100.00 on scheduled procedures. PFC will contact patient to review estimate and attempt to collect out of pocket amount listed on estimate. 
• PFC will document account, in detail, the result of the call. If the patient makes a payment, the PFC will update the Estimated Patient Responsibility field. PFC will send all prompt pay discounts to the Lead Access Financial Trainer.
• Will meet monthly/yearly department POS Collection Goal.

Provides financial options and collects money from patients both in person and over the phone. 

• Collects payments and assists patients with financial options including the financial assistance and bank loan programs. 
• Assists patients with applying for COBRA and completes necessary paperwork.
• Provides estimates on upcoming scheduled services. Explains financial requirements to the patient and collects deductibles, copays and coinsurance, as required.
• Is able to review EOBs and audit an account in order to explain to the patient why there is a balance on their account.

Documents in billing systems any action taken in handling accounts.

• Documentation needs to be completed immediately following action taken on accounts.
• Documentation needs to be detailed and precise so that it is understandable to anyone that reads it. 

Uses appropriate action codes and documents daily productivity.

• Reviewed weekly by the lead.
• Achieves department standards of 90% accuracy on productivity.

Reviews accounts referred by supervisor, Patient Matters and system reports to determine appropriate action, which includes contacting patients, insurance companies, attorneys, and other providers, or other hospital staff or departments as indicated.

• Referrals received from business office staff are handled within one week.
• Referrals received from management are handled within 24 hours.
• Referrals received from Social Workers are handled within 24 hours.
• Patient Matters room visits are done the same day and all financial options are discussed and noted.
• PFC should use Revenue Cycle or AppXtender to pull Explanation of Benefits.

Knowledgeable on MHS Elective Procedures.

• Understands the contracts for Bariatric, Cosmetic and Pre Paid OB procedures.
• Explains clearly the guidelines and expectations to patients prior to any elective procedure.
• Collects any out of pocket and has contracts and waivers signed prior to service.
• Provides necessary documentation to doctors office, business office and any outside vendors.

Schedule:

Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm

Job Description:

Job Requirements

Education

• High School Diploma or General Educational Development (G.E.D) required

Experience

• Minimum of 1 year of previous customer service experience in a business office setting; preferably in the healthcare field.
• Requires the ability to understand basic accounting and business principals to enable accurate auditing of patient accounts and reading explanation of benefits.
• Prefers experience in collection processes and procedures.
• Requires basic navigation skills in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word and Excel.

License/Certifications

• Requires the ability to provide transportation to other campus locations within a reasonable timeframe.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Ability to talk to patients and collect payment upfront.
• Able to go to patients rooms and discuss payment options with them.
• Ability to manage difficult or emotional patients by remaining professional and delivering excellent customer service.
• Must have strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Will assist patients both in person and over the phone and collect any self-pay balances, following department guidelines.
• Demonstrates a strong ability to identify, analyze, and solve patient concerns.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple day to day tasks.
• Strong computer skills.

Physical Requirements

Weight Demands

• Sedentary Work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force. Sitting most of the time. Walking and Standing are required only occasionally.

Physical Activity

• Not necessary for the position (0%):
  • Climbing
  • Crawling
  • Kneeling
• Occasionally Performed (1%-33%):
  • Balancing
  • Carrying
  • Crouching
  • Distinguish colors
  • Lifting
  • Pulling/Pushing
  • Reaching
  • Standing
  • Stooping/bending
  • Twisting
  • Walking
• Frequently Performed (34%-66%):
  • Grasping
  • Repetitive Motions
  • Speaking/talking
• Constantly Performed (67%-100%):
  • Fingering/Touching
  • Hearing
  • Keyboarding/typing
  • Seeing/Visual
  • Sitting

Job Hazards

• Not Related:
  • Chemical agents (Toxic, Corrosive, Flammable, Latex)
  • Biological agents (primary air born and blood born viruses) (Jobs with Patient contact) (BBF)
  • Physical hazards (noise, temperature, lighting, wet floors, outdoors, sharps) (more than ordinary office environment)
  • Equipment/Machinery/Tools
  • Explosives (pressurized gas)
  • Electrical Shock/Static
  • Radiation Alpha, Beta and Gamma (particles such as X-ray, Cat Scan, Gamma Knife, etc)
  • Radiation Non-Ionizing (Ultraviolet, visible light, infrared and microwaves that causes injuries to tissue or thermal or photochemical means)
  • Mechanical moving parts/vibrations

About Methodist:

Nebraska Methodist Health System is made up of four hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa, more than 30 clinic locations, a nursing and allied health college, and a medical supply distributorship and central laundry facility. From the day Methodist Hospital was chartered in 1891, service to our communities has been a top priority. Financial assistance, health education, outreach to our diverse communities and populations, and other community benefit activities have always been central to our mission.

Nebraska Methodist Health System is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by Federal, state or local law.