Financial Counselor

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital/ Full-Time

At Houston Methodist, the Financial Counselor position is responsible for screening patients for financial assistance programs to reduce bad debt and improve the likelihood of securing the payment for services rendered. This position assists in notifying patients of their financial responsibility, helping them understand their payment options, and collecting payments. Other duties include performing complex financial counseling functions (e.g., extended payment arrangements, discounts, single case agreements, case rates, etc.).

FLSA STATUS
Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE

• Three years of experience in financial counseling, patient accounting, or patient access in a healthcare setting, preferably in a hospital
• Experience mentoring or leading team members preferred

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, 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
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Demonstrates sound judgment and executes above average patient access functional skills
• Exhibits strong interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills with all levels of the healthcare team and assures delivery of excellent customer service to all patients, visitors, physicians, and co-workers
• Ability to analyze and solve problems
• Well-developed organizational skills with ability to multi-task and utilize time efficiently
• Ability to adapt to changes in the work environment and modify approaches or methods to best fit the patient’s situation
• Knowledge of payer requirements, authorizations, and insurance terminology
• Proficient understanding of medical terminology and diagnosis/procedural codes
• Ability to remain calm 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 and payer websites
• Ability to handle detail work accurately and rapidly
• Working knowledge of CPT, ICD-9 and/or ICD-10 preferred

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic team focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal departmental and organizational results.
• Supports team members with questions regarding eligibility/benefit information for patients receiving services. Seeks management assistance appropriately.
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism and effectively engages with a diverse customer base, including patients/visitors, physician office staff, and representatives from internal departments and external organizations. Gives appropriate status updates.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Contacts and educates patients on matters related to insurance benefits and payment options or collects past balances including bad debt. Answers any questions posed by the patient related to a billing or financial concern.
• Counsels patients regarding potential financial assistance eligibility and the process for application. Collects financial information from patient and other sources (e.g., financial profile from electronic database).
• Contributes to patient, employee, and physician satisfaction as well as effective revenue cycle process.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reviews the completed application for accuracy, making the initial determination for approval and alerting the department manager of potential concerns.
• Enters and updates patient data into the electronic medical record with a high level of thoroughness, accuracy and timeliness. Completes assigned work queues.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reviews in-house self-pay patients and assures they receive financial counseling, as applicable. Collaborates with applicable vendor to identify all sources of potential payment to secure funds for hospital (e.g., COBRA, worker’s compensation, etc.). Provides financial updates on a regular basis, which can include updating reporting and/or participating in regular meetings with case management and finance for in-house patients to ensure timely discharge planning and financial clearance.
• Completes financial assistance calculation worksheets and submits for appropriate level of approval.
• Collects patient payments and performs other complex financial counseling functions (e.g., extended payment arrangements, discounts, single case agreements, case rates, etc.) by following department procedures to ensure all collection activities are accurately followed. May perform cashier functions.
• Fulfills monthly goals for cash collection.
• Organizes time effectively, minimizing incidental overtime, and sets priorities. Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently and helps other team members.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Seeks opportunities to expand learning beyond baseline competencies with a focus on continual development.
• Generates and communicates new ideas and suggestions that will improve finance, quality, or service.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: Yes
• Scrubs: No
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): Yes

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE

• Three years of experience in financial counseling, patient accounting, or patient access in a healthcare setting, preferably in a hospital
• Experience mentoring or leading team members preferred