Patient Registration Specialist - Phoenix, AZ

Position Description:
Energize your career with one of Healthcare's fastest growing companies.  
 
You dream of a great career with a great company – where you can make an impact and help people.  We dream of giving you the opportunity to do just this.  And with the incredible growth of our business, it's a dream that definitely can come true. Already one of the world's leading Healthcare companies, UnitedHealth Group is restlessly pursuing new ways to operate our Service Centers, improve our Service levels and help people lead healthier lives. We live for the opportunity to make a difference and right now, we are living it up.
 
This opportunity is with one of our most exciting business areas: Optum –a growing part of our family of companies that make UnitedHealth Group a Fortune 14 leader.
 
Optum helps nearly 60 million Americans live their lives to the fullest by educating them about their symptoms, conditions, and treatments; helping them to navigate the system, finance their Healthcare needs, and stay on track with their Health goals. No other business touches so many lives in such a positive way. And we do it all with every action focused on our shared values of Integrity, Compassion, Relationships, Innovation, and Performance.Employing excellent customer service skills, the Patient Registration Specialist is responsible for ensuring a positive patient experience throughout the registration process. Primary duties include appropriate patient identification, collecting accurate and thorough patient demographic and insurance information to ensure appropriate reimbursement, determining and collecting patient financial liability, and ensuring referral to financial counseling as needed. Adheres to organization policies for the resolution of patient financial liability and various payment options.

The Patient Registration Specialist is an information source for patients and families by explaining hospital policies, patient financial responsibilities and Patient Rights and Responsibilities.  We are seeking Patient Registration Specialists for all shifts.  

Primary Responsibilities:

Verification, Authorization and Compliance
Maintains up-to-date knowledge of specific registration requirements for all areas, including but not limited to: Main Admitting, OP Registration, ED Registration, Maternity, and Rehabilitation units. 
Ensures the pre-registration process is complete for all assigned accounts at least 5-days prior to the scheduled date of service whenever possible.
Verifies insurance eligibility and benefits on all assigned accounts using electronic verification systems or by contacting payers directly to determine level of insurance coverage.  When contacting payers directly, utilizes approved scripting.
Obtains referral, authorization and pre-certification information and documents this information in the ADT system.
When appropriate, ensures the payer receives a Notice of Admission on all admissions, scheduled and non-scheduled, with 24-hours or the next business day.
Meets CMS billing requirements for the completion of the MSP, issuance of the Important Message from Medicare, issuance of the Observation Notice, and other requirements applicable and documenting completion within the hospital's information system for regulatory compliance and audit purposes.
Follows up on missing authorizations. If authorization is not obtained within 48-hours prior to service, contacts patient to advise them of their financial responsibility.
Thoroughly and accurately documents insurance verification and authorization information in the ADT system, identifying outstanding deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and policy limitations, and advises patient and collects amount due at or before the time of service.
Identifies any outstanding balance due from previous visits, notifies patient during the financial clearance process and requests patient payment.
Sets up payment plans for patients who cannot pay their entire current copayment and/or past balance in one payment.
Explains the Payment and Billing Assistance Program to all patients regardless of financial concerns or limitations.
Interviews self-pay patients to identify potential eligibility for government aid and/or other payer sources, including Medi-Cal/Medicaid presumptive eligibility.  Follows appropriate policy and/or refers to eligibility vendor.
Understands and follows the Delay/Defer policy and escalates accounts that do not meet financial clearance requirements to Patient Registration leadership immediately. 
For patients who qualify, offers a flat rate discount based on estimated charges, percent of reimbursement, and/or hospital specific policy and procedure.
Thoroughly and accurately documents the conversation with the patient regarding financial liabilities, agreement to pay and/or payment assistance.
Clarifies division of financial responsibility if payment for services is split between a medical group and an insurance company.  Ensures this information is clearly documented in the ADT system.
Verifies medical necessity check has been completed for outpatient services.  If not completed and only when appropriate, uses technology tool to complete medical necessity check and/or notifies patient that an ABN will need to be signed.
Responsible for reviewing assigned accounts to ensure accuracy, and to ensure require documentation is obtained and complete.
Financial Processing and Assistance:


Provides financial clearance services to self-pay patients prior to discharge or within 24 business hours.
Provides on-site customer service assistance for walk-in patients with billing-related questions.
Provides information to hospital personnel who are seeking answers to financial concerns on their patient's behalf.
When needed, works closely with Case Management/Utilization Review in ensuring services are appropriate for level of care provided (inpatient vs. outpatient and vice versa).
Acts as resource to other hospital departments regarding insurance benefits and requirements and collaborates with other departments, as needed, to ensure proper compliance with third party payer requirements.Other Duties:


Understands and follows the Cashier policy and procedures.
When collecting patient payments, follows policy and procedure regarding applying payment to the patient's account and providing a receipt for payment.
Properly handles credit card transactions in accordance with PCI-DSS standards and guidelines.  Will have access to both single card transactions as well as access to data from multiple transactions or reports and files containing bulk transactional information containing un-encrypted or un-redacted credit card information.
If required by facility inventories and stores patient's valuables following proper procedure.
Works with physician offices and clinical areas to collect and share patient information, and to update these stakeholders on changes in patient registration requirements, processes and program.
The above statements reflect the general details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job as identified, and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the position.

Required Qualifications:


High School Diploma/GED
1+ year of experience in a Hospital Patient Registration Department, Physician office setting, healthcare insurance company, revenue cycle vendor and/or other revenue cycle-related role
1+ year of Customer Service experience
Thorough understanding of insurance policies and procedures
Working knowledge of facility pricing structure and cost estimates
Knowledge of ICD-9 (10) and CPT terminology
Knowledge of Medical Terminology
Previous experience in requesting and processing financial payments
Previous experience working with Microsoft Office productsPreferred Qualifications: 

Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish
Health care isn't just changing. It's growing more complex every day. ICD10 replaces ICD9. Affordable Care adds new challenges and financial constraints. Where does it all lead? Hospitals and health care organizations continue to adapt, and we are a vital part of their evolution. And that's what fueled these exciting new opportunities.Optum360 is a dynamic new partnership formed by Dignity Health and Optum to combine our unique expertise. As part of the growing family of UnitedHealth Group, we'll leverage all our resources to bring financial clarity and a full suite of revenue management services to health care providers nationwide.If you're looking for a better place to use your passion and your desire to drive change, this is the place to be. It's an opportunity to do your life's best work.SM
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.