Patient Access Rep I

Located at the Town and Country and West Specialty Care Center locations. Schedule: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM with rotating Saturdays. This is a benefit-eligible, safety-sensitive position.

About the Organization

BJC HealthCare is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States, delivering services to residents primarily in the greater St. Louis, southern Illinois, and southeast Missouri regions. With net revenues of $6.3 billion and more than 30,000 employees, BJC serves patients and their families in urban, suburban, and rural communities through its 14 hospitals and multiple community health locations. Services include inpatient and outpatient care, primary care, community health and wellness, workplace health, home health, community mental health, rehabilitation, long-term care, and hospice.

BJC is the largest provider of charity care, unreimbursed care, and community benefits in the state of Missouri, providing $785.9 million annually in community benefit, including $410.6 million in charity care and other financial assistance to ensure medical care regardless of patients' ability to pay. Additional community benefits include commitments to research, emergency preparedness, regional health care safety net services, health literacy, community outreach, and regional economic development.

BJC’s patients have access to the latest advances in medical science and technology through a formal affiliation between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital with the renowned Washington University School of Medicine, which consistently ranks among the top medical schools in the country.

About the Role

The Patient Access Representative is often the first point of contact for patients and must represent BJC with the highest standard of customer service, compassion, and professionalism. This role facilitates all components of the patient’s entrance into any BJC facility and requires a high level of emotional intelligence, attention to detail, and the ability to make personal connections. The position significantly impacts reimbursement levels and denial prevention through accurate collection of demographics, insurance information, benefit verification, and point-of-service collections. Selecting the correct patient from the Master Person Index (MPI) is critical to patient safety.

Responsibilities

• Utilize critical thinking skills to problem-solve a variety of situations, anticipate patients' needs, and respond accordingly.
• Communicate in a professional, positive, and patient-focused manner with all patients, families, and co-workers, whether in-person, over the computer, or by phone, to ensure a positive patient experience, maximize reimbursements, and minimize denials and avoidable write-offs.
• Ensure the integrity of patients' clinical, financial, and billing records by correctly selecting the precise Master Patient Index (MPI).
• Perform hospital registration and scheduling within multiple BJC systems, including proper patient identification, insurance verification, document scanning and retrieval.
• Validate that orders are complete, signed by the ordering provider, and that the correct test is ordered.
• Provide patients with preparation instructions for scheduled procedures, education on financial responsibilities, and collect applicable patient payments.
• Understand, articulate, and enforce hospital compliance with Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP), HIPAA Privacy Standards, Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, Advance Directives, Consent to Treat, EMTALA, and JCAHO Requirements.
• Ensure each patient completes HIPAA acknowledgement.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED (required).
• No prior experience required for minimum qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree.
• Supervisor experience.
• Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) certification.

Skills

• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of insurance carriers, Medicare guidelines, and federal, state, and accreditation agency regulations.
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner.
• High level of emotional intelligence and professionalism.
• Friendly demeanor and ability to maintain composure in varied patient experiences.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and legal services available on the first day of the month after hire.
• Disability insurance paid for by BJC.
• Annual 4% BJC Automatic Retirement Contribution.
• 401(k) plan with BJC match.
• Tuition Assistance available from the first day.
• BJC Institute for Learning and Development.
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Paid Time Off benefit combining vacation, sick days, holidays, and personal time.
• Adoption assistance.