Financial Counselor

Financial Counselor Business Services Department 0.
60 FTE, 48 Hours a Pay Period Days, Hours between 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Weekends: No Holidays: No Telecommute Available: No Position Overview: The Financial Counselor is responsible for assisting patient with understanding their insurance benefits, to make patients aware of the opportunities for financial assistance or Medicaid eligibility (if appropriate), give estimations of services to be rendered and to inform patients of their financial responsibility such as co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance, and max out of pocket.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Understand and analyze insurance coverage, hospital presumptive eligibility (HPE) requirements, state and federal health care exchanges, un-insured discount and uncompensated care requirement for patient in the eligibility and benefit pool or who have been referred by provider.
Counsels patients on their insurance coverage and expected balance.
The position will confirm insurance coverage, estimate patient out of pocket expenses for services and proactively collect payment prior to services for hospital, clinic and DME services.
Reviews Inpatient self pay report and outpatient private pay worklist, notifies outsourced Patient Advocate of those patients to provide help to those patients who are seeking and/or apply for Medicaid or private insurance coverage.
May work directly with interpreters, county workers and insurance carriers regarding patient eligibility of benefits to help facilitate the completions of initial Medical Assistance application.
Financial counselors answer questions from walk-in patients in resolving outstanding issues with account balances.
Other responsibilities include processing payment information, working with Patient Account Specialist to resolve disputes/complaints of service, balancing own cash bag and maintaining accurate records within billing system(s).
Review and competes business office worklist for any private pay patient who may need financial counseling.
Processes mail returns as needed and refers patients to the Patient Account Specialist who may need to work with the first party collection agency.
Works with patients, staff and outside agencies to coordinate referrals and ensure they are completed accurately and timely.
Communicates when a referral is required to primary network providers in order to avoid out of network cost for the patient.
Completes other miscellaneous duties assigned by the manager and/or Director as needed.
Essential Skills and Experience: Associates degree in Business or a related field, or equivalent work experience is preferred Attention to detail and ability to multi-task is essential.
Must have good organizational and customer service skills, and the ability to be flexible Familiar with Information Technology Systems Must become certified as a MN-Sure and HPE Certified Counselor within 3 months of being in position At least two years experience performing medical collections in a high volume capacity Demonstrates knowledge of basic accounting skills Experience with MS Office applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook Nonessential Skills and Experience: Medical terminology knowledge and previous experience in a clinical setting is preferred Demonstrated telephone communication, problem solving, and negotiating skills Internal Applicant Policy: It is the policy of Winona Health to work with employees in an equitable fashion regarding promotions, transfers, and position reclassifications.
Any employee wishing to apply for another available position at Winona Health must submit an application for consideration through the internal application portal.
Employees requesting to change positions should have successfully completed at least six (6) months in their current position.
Employees currently in the formal disciplinary process may be required to meet with the Director of Human Resources to determine eligibility to request transfer.
The employee’s past performance, experience, training and qualifications will be considered in transfer/hiring decisions.
Consideration for transfer or promotion is not a guarantee of transfer or promotion.
Employees may be given a chance to interview for a position when they meet the minimum position qualifications.
Disclaimer: Winona Health is an equal opportunity employer.
Winona Health does not refuse to hire, discharge, or discriminate against a person with respect to tenure, compensation, terms, upgrading, conditions, facilities, or privileges of employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local discrimination commission, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other prohibited basis of discrimination under applicable local, state, or federal law.
Winona Health does not tolerate retaliation against any employee, patient/resident, physician, or other individuals pursuing concerns regarding Civil Rights issues.
Winona Health adheres to ALL pertinent governmental policies and legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, as amended, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Education Preferred Associates or better in Business Administration or related field Skills Required Computer Skills