Patient Access Specialist - Full Time - Evening

About the role

The Patient Access Specialist is responsible for all Inpatient and Outpatient Patient Access functions within the Patient Access Services Department in their assigned area/hospital(s) at Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH).

Responsibilities

• Greet patients and visitors in person/phone in a prompt, courteous, respectful and helpful manner.
• Implement the Medical Center's scheduling, pre-registration, pre-certification, referral procurement and insurance verification policies and procedures for the assigned outpatient point of service.
• Adhere to patient identification policy and ensures an accurate patient search is performed in order to maintain patient safety and prevent duplicate medical record numbers.
• Conducts quality interviews with every patient to ensure compliance with patient safety rules and state and federal regulations.
• Gathers appropriate identification for patients and confirms all patient demographics to validate patient identity.
• Conducts intensive screening of all Medicare, Medicaid and managed care patients to identify network status and coordination of benefits.
• Obtains all applicable patient consents/attestations.
• Performs job related functions including, but not limited to, facility based scheduling, bed planning, pre-registration, registration, insurance verification, pre-certification, point of service cash collection and financial clearance under the direction of the Supervisor/Manager/Director for these designated areas.
• Maintains compliance with federal/state requirements and ensures signatures are obtained on all required regulatory/consent forms.
• Maintains compliance with HMH's patient financial responsibility and collection policies.
• Provides patients with appropriate administrative information, as directed.
• Completes assigned work queue (WQ) accounts in a timely and efficient manner.
• Assumes other responsibilities as directed by either the Supervisor, Manager or Director of Patient Access.
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (i.e., age, culture, language, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.).
• Communicates with the patient, parent, and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.) to ensure excellent customer service resulting in a positive patient experience.
• Verifies benefits to ensure the procedure is a covered service under the patients plan prior to receiving services.
• Verifies pre-authorization requirements and follows up with both the referring physician's office and payer to ensure authorizations are on file for the scheduled procedure prior to the date of service.
• Able to access and navigate various payer websites (e.g. Navinet) to confirm patients' insurance coverage and policy benefits.
• Works with patients to financially clear their account per policy at least 3 days prior to procedure.
• Resolves any issues with coverage and escalates any complications to supervisor/manager.
• Clears a checklist in Epic and sets an account status to `Confirmed pre-reg.'
• Contacts patients and/or physicians' offices in regards to Pre-Admission Testing scheduling in a timely and efficient manner.
• Obtains patient records, types and processes scheduling information included but not limited to copying, filing, faxing and answering phone calls in an accurate, efficient and professional manner.

Qualifications

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Ability to work rotating schedules/shifts based on needs.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Customer Service Oriented.
• Basic medical terminology knowledge.
• Proficient computer skills that may include but are not limited to Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite platforms.
• Ability to work every other weekend.
• Ability to work three (3) out of six (6) holidays.