Organization Overview, Mission, Vision, and Values

Our mission is to improve the health of people in the communities we serve through compassionate, high-quality care, prevention, and wellness education. Washington Regional Medical System is a community-owned, locally governed, non-profit health care system located in Northwest Arkansas in the heart of Fayetteville, which is consistently ranked among the Best Places to live in the country. Our 425-bed medical center has been named the #1 hospital in Arkansas for four consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. We employ 3,400+ team members and serve the region with over 45 clinic locations, the area’s only Level II trauma center, and five Centers of Excellence - the Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute; Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute; Washington Regional Women and Infants Center; Washington Regional Total Joint Center; and Washington Regional Pat Walker Center for Seniors.

Position Summary

The role of the Financial Counselor reports to the Patient Financial Access Director. This position is responsible for evaluating patient visits to identify and resolve patient financial liability through upfront collections, deposits, payment plans, assistance in applying for Medicaid, financial assistance, or other available resources. This position is a public-facing, service-oriented position and provide services via phone or in person during inpatient room visits to ensure patients receive any applicable resource assistance.

Essential Position Responsibilities

• Develop positive and productive relationships to ensure all customers and team members actively participate in financial counseling and resource education process and remain up to date on changing needs.
• Communicate effectively and accurately maintaining an environment of professionalism and understanding with customers and team members.
• Conduct thorough insurance verifications, using TPL and COB guidelines, to ensure insurance issues are addressed and resolved timely.
• Conduct screening process with patients for financial assistance and facilitate gathering of application information.
• Efficiently and accurately gather and input patient/guarantor demographic and financial information.
• Verify and maintain accurate and complete information and records via in person, telephone, websites and reconcile key insurance related fields.
• Perform financial counseling process for all patients prior to or at the time of service, which includes reviewing patient financial obligations, billing practices and establishing payment arrangements.
• Utilize tools to appropriately and accurately calculate point of service payments.
• Collect payments, deposits, outstanding balances, and other forms of account payments from patients.
• Assist patients with questions regarding ongoing or outstanding bills and billing process.
• Identify potential concerns or issues and work with patient or patient representative to effectively resolve issues; escalate complex issues to leadership as necessary.
• Manage work queue, emails, reports and coordinate and document insurance/COBRA information and work tasks.
• Perform Medicaid screenings during interactive patient visits. Refer accounts to Public Benefits for Medicaid application as appropriate.
• Maintain compliance with No-Surprise Billing through written and verbal notification of price estimates, including ABN and self-pay protocols.
• Meet and maintain established collection goals and initiatives.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED
• Licensure and Certifications: None
• Experience: Minimum 2 years’ experience in hospital business office or admitting.

Work Environment: This position will spend 70% of time standing and/or walking while pushing, pulling, lifting, and/or carrying up to 25 lbs. This position will spend 30% of time sitting while performing work in a standard office environment. This position interacts and engages with public, including patrons, insurance agencies, team members 100% of the time. This position may be exposed to communicable disease and body fluids.

Notice: This job description is designed to provide an overview of the essential and principal duties and responsibilities of the position. The job description is not designed or intended to cover or set forth a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Washington Regional reserves the right in its absolute discretion to change duties, responsibilities or activities or assign new duties, responsibilities, or activities at any time with or without notice. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.