AR Specialist

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality customer service to residents, staff, and vendors via telephone, email, and in-person interactions, consistently demonstrating a resident-first approach.
• Respond promptly and professionally to inquiries and complaints, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication of billing information.
• Discuss, answer, and resolve resident questions related to monthly service fees, meal plans, absence credits, additional charges, and other billing items.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date resident census by verifying all admissions, discharges, transfers, and leaves of absence in the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system.
• Identify and resolve census discrepancies to ensure that all billing accurately reflects residency status, service levels, and applicable charges.
• Enter new resident data into the EMR system, including recurring charges, housekeeping and meal credits, and payer sequencing for insurance billing.
• Process resident service changes and updates, including credit requests, service cancellations, address changes, contact information updates, and insurance updates, as requested by residents or department managers.
• Set up new and existing residents on ACH payments and prepare and submit monthly ACH files to the bank for processing.
• Perform collection activities for delinquent private pay accounts, including sending statements, making follow-up calls, and conducting estate research as needed to resolve outstanding balances.
• Process account refunds accurately and in a timely manner, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and documentation standards.
• Monitor and maintain accounts receivable benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPIs), keeping non-current receivables at or below prescribed targets.
• Complete month-end close procedures to ensure timely generation and distribution of resident billing statements, meeting the goal of delivery by the first business day of each month.
• Prepare and distribute both electronic and paper billing statements, including printing and delivering monthly statements to residents when applicable.
• Collaborate with Electronic Medical Records Specialists to identify, troubleshoot, and correct billing or system-related issues.
• Apply payments, process ACH enrollments, refunds, and billing adjustments in accordance with established procedures and internal controls.
• Support reconciliations, account cleanup, and special projects, particularly if the assignment extends beyond the initial coverage period.
• Effectively manage multiple priorities, maintaining organization and flexibility while meeting deadlines and month-end requirements.
• Work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams, including Accounts Receivable and Clinical/EMR specialists.
• Maintain the highest level of confidentiality, professionalism, and accountability while consistently modeling core values of respect, passion, and professionalism.
• Be available to work extended hours as needed to meet business deadlines or operational requirements.

Essential Skills

• 2+ years of accounts receivable experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong customer service ability, with the capacity to respond to resident inquiries professionally, empathetically, and accurately.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including practical use of VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, PivotTables, filtering, sorting, and formulas for reconciliations and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience with accounts receivable processes, including billing, collections, payment application, and reconciliations.
• Ability to learn new systems, processes, and workflows quickly and become productive with minimal ramp-up time.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail when processing resident billing, account updates, and financial data.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines, especially during month-end close.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams, including Accounts Receivable and Clinical/EMR specialists.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and accountability in handling sensitive resident and financial information.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills for interacting with residents, staff, and vendors.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in the healthcare industry is preferred.
• Experience with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software is preferred.
• Familiarity with ACH payment setup and processing is beneficial.
• Experience conducting collections activities, including follow-up calls and account research, is an advantage.
• Demonstrated alignment with core values such as respect, passion, and professionalism.