Collection Representative

About the role

This position is responsible for managing accounts receivable, contacting patients, insurance companies, and government agencies to expedite payment. The role involves resolving patient complaints, interpreting insurance information, documenting accounts, and handling various billing systems.

Responsibilities

• Continued follow-up on assigned accounts to achieve high cash flow.
• Contact patients, employers, insurance companies, and government agencies via phone or mail to expedite payment.
• Establish effective working relationships with patients, collection agencies, vendors, and internal departments to resolve account issues.
• Handle patient, internal department, third party agency, and vendor requests and inquiries regarding the bad debt collection process.
• Resolve patient complaints about billing and collection functions using good human relations skills and sound credit procedures.
• Interpret insurance verification, billing, follow-up, collection, and legal information for each patient account to accurately resolve questions and issues.
• Document all accounts regarding why the account was opened, the process documentation, and actions taken to resolve outstanding issues.
• Handle accounting of settlement offers, vendor remits, and cash postings related to bad debt accounts.
• Learn, understand, and perform actions in all patient billing systems to ensure proper handling of bad debt accounts.
• Maintain the lowest possible ratio of bad debt expense write-offs by employing good collection methods.
• Maintain and reconcile records of placements to third-party agencies. Reconcile differences between bad debt balances and third-party records.
• Watch for trends in agency or patient billing issues and alert management.

Requirements

• Licenses, registrations, and certifications: None required.
• Education: High school graduate.
• Experience: Typically requires 2 years of experience in insurance processing, collections, or customer service.
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, ability to quickly learn new systems and processes, excellent oral and written communications skills, proven negotiation skills, ability to quickly review information and make decisions, flexibility to work special projects and new job assignments, medical insurance billing, account, and/or legal process knowledge.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Able to sit the majority of the workday.
• Occasionally lifts up to 10 lbs. when moving/manual lifting.
• Exposed to a normal office environment.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Benefits and More

• Paid Time Off programs.
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
• Education Assistance Program.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. The health system provides care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin. Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience, and value-based care. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics, and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments, and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health conducts prompt collection of accounts receivable, communicates with insurance companies, patients, and other departments during the follow-up process, and supports collectors and financial counselors in dealings with third-party agencies.