Patient Financial Specialist

OrthoAlliance Central Ohio is a unique partnership of respected orthopedic practices—each with its own legacy, specialty focus, and commitment to patient care. As part of our team, you’ll work alongside leading providers from OrthoNeuro, JIS Orthopedics, Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center, Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville, and Orthopedic Specialists & Sports Medicine.  You’ll be part of a collaborative network that combines decades of expertise and innovation, giving you the opportunity to grow professionally while contributing to exceptional, personalized patient care.

At SCA Health, we believe health care is about people – the patients we serve, the physicians we support and the teammates who push us forward. Behind every successful facility, procedure or innovation is a team of 15,000+ professionals working together, learning from each other and living out the mission, vision and values that define our organization. 

As part of Optum, SCA Health is redefining specialty care by developing more accessible, patient-centered practice solutions for a network of more than 370 ambulatory surgical centers, over 400 specialty physician practice clinics and numerous labs and surgical hospitals. Our work spans a broad spectrum of services, all designed to support physicians, health systems and employers in delivering efficient, value-based care to patients without compromising quality or autonomy.  

What sets SCA Health apart isn’t just what we do, it’s how we do it. Each decision we make is rooted in seven core values: 

• Clinical quality 
• Integrity 
• Service excellence 
• Teamwork 
• Accountability 
• Continuous improvement 
• Inclusion 

Our values aren’t empty words – they inform our attitudes, actions and culture. At SCA Health, your work directly impacts patients, physicians and communities. Here, you’ll find opportunities to build your career alongside a team that values your expertise, invests in your success, and shares a common mission to care for patients, serve physicians and improve health care in America.    

At SCA Health, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support your health, well-being, and financial future. Our offerings include medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k plan with company match, paid time off, life and disability insurance, and more. Please visit, https://careers.sca.health/why-sca, to learn more about our benefits.

Your ideas should inspire change. If you join our team, they will. 

Getting hurt and being in pain is scary enough--let alone add in the financial burden of needing to go to the doctor, have an MRI and potentially surgery. In this position, you will help patients understand the financial responsibility of the procedure that they will be having done by preparing cost estimates. You will also create affordable payment plans for patients while ensuring patient satisfaction is met. Provide patients with knowledge of insurance coverage including deductibles and out of pocket maximums. Act as the liaison for the patient as they navigate through their treatment plan.

Position Summary:  Provides financial counseling to all patients concerning anticipated patient balances for scheduled procedures at ASC and/or clinic.  Reviews patient financial status and create payment plans.

Job Duties

• On site patient relations
• Provide financial counseling to patients for both clinic and ASC concerning anticipated patient balance due for scheduled procedures i.e.,  Price quotes and estimates on surgery procedures, examinations, radiology or other procedures
• Collection of all HDHP/H.S.A. deductibles before services rendered
• Give patients all payment options (credit card, cash, check, payment plan and credit application)
• Evaluates patient financial status and establishes budget payment plans.  Follows and reports status of delinquent and uncollected accounts
• Prepares estimates for all procedures, notify patients and collects prior to procedure
• Issue appropriate paperwork for patient accounts requiring adjustments, refunds or corrections
• Acts as liaison between billing personnel, physicians and patients.
• Meet with in-office patients to discuss billing questions.  Assist patients will reconciling billing statements
• Collect residual balances from patients and sets up budget plans when necessary
• Secures payments from self pay patients for services, counsels self pay patients on options available if unable to pay such as insurance or other family outreach programs to obtain payment assistance
• Review accounts, verify self pay and balance after insurance payments by printing next day’s appointment schedule and reviewing all patients
• Review self pay aging balance report to identify  those patients who may need counseling in order to pay balances
• Listens to patient billing complaints and takes appropriate action
• Re-bill accounts for patients when requested.  Print detailed statements for patients
• Assist with credit adjustments and charge reversals as requested by physician
• Insurance Website management for the practice including ASC.
• Weekly Unbilled Charge management includes follow up with charge entry staff.
• Monthly Insurance, Clinic and ASC Refunds.
• All collection tasks and incoming patient call tasks

Education/Experience Required:

• High school diploma or equivalent.  Bachelor degree preferred or Associates degree and equivalent experience
• Minimum 2 years of medical office financial counseling and collections experience
• Must be self directed and able to work with minimal direction.
• Must be detail oriented with good organization skills and able to maintain accuracy while meeting daily deadlines.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Good personal credit report.
• Ability to organize time well.
• Effective communication skills, both oral and written.
• Good telephone communication skills.
• Able to work well with numbers (mathematically)
• Effective positive interpersonal and customer relation skills via telephone and face-to-face interaction are required. 

Physical Requirements:

Physical requirements for the position include the ability to frequently hear and communicate orally, see up close and at a distance, read and comprehend, stand, sit, walk, reach, handle, and/or feel objects.  Maximum unassisted lift = 25 lbs.  Average lift less than 10 lbs. 

Job Knowledge/skills/abilities

• Maintains patient confidentiality standards for both medical and financial information.
• Keeps job related skills current through facility and other training programs.
• Participates in any facility compliance program.
• Participates in loss prevention by protecting company assets and maintaining a safe environment.
• Provides all appropriate documentation to third party payors.
• Keeps familiar with and follows billing requirements of local and national PPO’s, HMO’s, government agencies and insurance companies. Knowledge of legal and regulatory government provisions. 
• Responds timely to requests for information from all third party payors.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

• Completes all documentation to ensure the availability of accurate and up to date information in accordance with established standards.
• Adheres to established facility safety requirements and procedures to ensure a safe working environment. Identifies potentially unsafe situations and notifies supervisor.
• Completes appropriate financial management responsibilities.
• Adheres to facility standards of business conduct.
• Communicates patient information to assure confidentiality (includes proper documentation, discussing patient information with other staff in an appropriate environment and documents patient’s or family’s response to teaching interventions)
• Interacts with all patients, families, visitors and fellow employees in a mature, responsible manner to ensure a positive and professional facility environment (maintains confidentiality, fosters positive and professional environment, diffuses/resolves conflicts through communication, accepts constructive criticism and gives suggestions in a professional manner, considers age specific needs in communication.)
• Effective communication (internally and externally) to ensure proper handling of the patient’s account.  Excellent communication skills are required when dealing with the patient or patient’s family
• Ability to review all patient account information in systems and explain to patient in a concise manner

General

• Attend department, clinic or company meetings as required
• Demonstrate sound judgment by taking appropriate actions regarding questionable findings or concerns
• Consistently work in a positive and cooperative manner with fellow staff members.
• Consistently demonstrate ability to respond to changing situations in a flexible manner in order to meet current needs, such as reprioritizing work as necessary.
• Attend required annual in-service programs.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all company policies and procedures. Adheres to established facility safety requirements and procedures to ensure a safe working environment. Identifies potentially unsafe situations and notifies supervisor.