Financial Counselor

Financial Services Building - Pascagoula | Full-Time | 0830am-5:00pm

Position Overview
The Financial Counselor represents the patient and Singing River Health System (SRHS) in all aspects of patient responsibility in a joint effort to resolve all patient amounts due in a feasible and amicable manner. He/She handles questions regarding patient accounts in an efficient and timely manner while displaying empathy and professionalism. The Financial Counselor educates patients and their families as to the SRHS policy and procedures regarding various payment sources for services rendered. This requires fundamental knowledge of Singing River Health System policies and the various payment options available to a patient including financial assistance.

The Financial Counselor identifies/screens patients for possible assistance program eligibility. He/She is responsible for careful financial evaluation of patients while taking appropriate actions that are most beneficial to SRHS and giving the proper level of consideration to the patient. The Financial Counselor must have a neat and professional appearance; be firm and decisive, yet courteous, tactful, considerate and show concern and empathy for the patient/family. This individual must be keen, alert and have the ability to effectively communicate with people from various education backgrounds. He/She must have the knowledge and confidence to make decisions regarding methods of payment in a self-supervised manner. The Financial Counselor must demonstrate the ability to work with frequent interruptions.

Education
High School Graduate, or equivalent, required. College courses in healthcare, business, or finance preferred.

License
N/A

Certification
Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) or Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) preferred.

Experience
A minimum of one (1) year experience in medical terminology, insurance regulations, hospital billing procedures, and collection regulations required. Two (2) years’ hospital financial counselor experience preferred or a minimum of at least three (3) years’ previous experience in healthcare revenue cycle related field with an emphasis on insurance and billing.

Physical Demands
Work is moderately active: involves sitting with frequent requirements to move about the office, move about the facility, and to travel to another facility within the SRHS service area. Work involves exerting a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body and workstations on wheels (aka WOWs). Work involves using repetitive motions: substantial movements of the wrists, hands and/or fingers while operating standard office equipment such as computer keyboard and copier.

Work involves being able to perceive the nature of sound at normal speaking levels with or without correction; the ability to make fine discriminations in sound. Work requires close visual acuity and the ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus, i.e. shift gaze from viewing a computer monitor to forms/printed material that are closer to compare data at a close visual range.

Must be able to be active for extended periods of time without experiencing undue fatigue. Must be able to work flexible hours. As part of the normal work schedule, must be available to work weekends and holidays on a rotating basis.

Mental Demands
Must demonstrate keen mental faculties as well as solid assessment and decision making abilities. Must demonstrate superior communication/speaking/enunciation skills to receive and give information in person and by telephone. Must routinely demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills and relate to others in a positive manner. Must possess emotional stability conducive to dealing with high stress levels.

Must demonstrate ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Attention to detail and the ability to multi-task in complex situations is required. Must demonstrate the ability to solve problems independently and as part of a team. Must have strong analytical and interpersonal skills.

Special Demands
Must possess superior customer service skills and professional etiquette. Must possess a thorough understanding of third-party insurance matters such as benefit structures, contractual allowances, and authorization requirements. Must demonstrate a basic understanding of medical terminology as it relates to patient registration. Must possess proficient knowledge of and ability to use a computer (must be keyboard proficient) and other office technology (i.e., telephone, scanner, etc.). Must have working knowledge of MS Outlook.

Work requires the ability to function independently, adapt to workload demands, set priorities, and contribute to achieving both individual and departmental goals.