PATIENT REGISTRATION SPEC

About the Role

Coordinates the centralized scheduling of all outpatient diagnostic and surgical procedures. Accurately collects and enters required financial and demographic information for all patients registered at our facility. Ensures verification of benefits and pre-certification requirements are met prior to scheduled appointments or admissions. Follows up on urgent or unscheduled registrations to maintain process consistency. Establishes controls to ensure unscheduled patients understand and receive accurate information regarding their patient liability.

Responsibilities

• Collects co-payments/deposits based on verification information obtained, generates receipts to the payer, and delivers all cash transactions to the cashier for proper posting to the patient account.
• Maintains strict confidentiality of patient information.
• Recommends updates to existing policies and procedures to increase efficiency and promote data integrity.
• Notifies the Financial Counselor immediately upon scheduling or registering any potential self-pay, worker’s compensation patient, or any non-covered procedures.
• Makes patient type changes based on information from Medical Records Staff and/or Care Coordinators, ensuring documentation is present in the medical record to support the change.
• Ensures all reservations are properly documented to support departmental statistics.
• Enters faxed reservations into the HBOC scheduling system.
• Schedules operative and diagnostic procedures utilizing the HBOC scheduling system and documents each with detailed information.
• Notifies departments of any special resources required for procedures.
• Verifies insurance benefits and obtains pre-certification from various third-party payers, demonstrating extensive knowledge of insurance plan requirements.
• Provides necessary documentation to DHS and Med Assist staff for patients potentially in need of financial assistance or TennCare enrollment.
• Efficiently gathers all demographic, medical, and financial information for scheduling, registration, and verification of patient accounts using the HBOC computer system.
• Enters verification and pre-certification notes into the SMS financial system as a cross-reference.
• Participates with clinical and care management areas to improve overall collections and cash flow.
• Analyzes claims denial data to identify opportunities for improved collections, enhanced relations with insurance companies and physician practices, and workflow process improvements.
• Reports pertinent procedural changes/updates to appropriate leadership.
• Professionally interacts with patients, physicians, visitors, and other hospital staff members.
• Stays abreast of regulatory and insurance requirements, incorporating changes into daily job functions.
• Ensures the registration process is handled professionally, maintaining a registration accuracy rate of 95 to 100 percent.
• Explains necessary information to patients/family members, such as consent for treatment, advance directives, medical/financial release, deposit requirements, billing and payment policies, and advanced beneficiary notices.
• Recognizes situations requiring supervision and seeks appropriate resources.
• Directs, escorts, and/or provides wheelchair assistance to patients upon completion of registration to the appropriate nursing unit or diagnostic testing area.
• Demonstrates motivation for acceptable productivity and understands departmental goals and objectives aligned with Covenant Health’s mission and values.
• Performs pre-registration via phone and mail, advising patients of any co-pay or deductible amounts due upon admission.
• Maintains an accurate bed board using the computerized bed tracking system to minimize wait times for admitted patients.
• Coordinates with Nursing Services for the flow of inpatient and observation patient admissions.
• Displays competence in using all Information Computer Systems related to patient registration and scheduling (DeRoyal, HBOC, Account Link, and Medifax).
• Updates schedules daily for unexpected procedures, cancellations, or changes, and communicates revisions to affected individuals.
• Shows initiative to cross-train in all duties related to scheduling, registration, verification, and pre-certification.
• Prepares patient account folders by scanning vital registration/scheduling/verification documents into the optical imaging system (e.g., insurance cards, financial agreements, ER charge sheets, verification sheets, pre-certification letters, and physician orders).
• Indexes documents using the optical scanning system, placing them in the correct electronic file folder.
• Demonstrates the ability to handle varying tasks and set priorities.
• Utilizes hospital equipment and supplies appropriately.
• Activates manual systems during computer network downtime and prints schedules in advance when necessary.
• Notifies leadership of unscheduled downtime occurrences.
• Coordinates scheduling of classrooms for meetings and conferences, ensuring confirmation of date and time.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards.
• Completes required education assignments annually.
• Works toward achieving goals and objectives and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum Education: None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill, and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a Bachelor’s degree in a directly-related field from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum Experience: One (1) year of experience in a hospital or financial setting OR minimum three (3) years of total customer-facing/customer service experience required.

Schedule

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Variable Shifts