Patient Access Associate

About the role

The Patient Access Associate position at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital is responsible for obtaining and entering accurate demographic and insurance information in the electronic health record (EHR) on patients presenting at the facility. This role also performs cashiering functions, ensuring all hospital accounts are secure through the collection of co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance. Additionally, this position performs a medical necessity check to ensure compliance with Medicare guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Obtains and records accurate demographic and insurance information on patients by interviewing patients, family members, and physicians.
• Explains consent forms, obtains signatures, and responds to questions professionally.
• Ensures that the correct insurance plan codes are utilized for the billing process.
• Contributes to the departmental and hospital patient experience by proactively addressing patient issues and concerns.
• Alerts management in a timely manner to any unusual or difficult situations impacting the level of service.
• Ensures that ordered services meet established medical necessity criteria when applicable.
• Collects payments based on pre-determined information.
• Performs insurance verification to determine patient out-of-pocket expenses for services.
• Offers payment options after the minimum required payment has been received.
• Fulfills monthly goals for cash collection.
• Accurately posts and receipts patient payments.
• Balances cash drawer on a daily basis, following department policy related to cash drawers and cash receipting.
• Organizes time effectively, minimizing incidental overtime and setting priorities.
• Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently and helps other team members.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent education.
• Two years of experience in a strong customer service environment.
• One year of registration experience in a hospital environment preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills and competency assessments and performance evaluations.
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.
• Effective communication skills and ability to multi-task and flexibility to meet the requirements of the patients and the department.
• Knowledge of basic registration/access functions and insurance procedures.
• Problem-solving abilities.
• Calmness in stressful situations with patience and understanding.
• Excellent customer service and professional communication skills.
• Proficient computer skills and ability to learn and navigate multiple software programs.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

Not specified.

Schedule

Not specified.