Financial Counselor

Job Description

ECU Health

About ECU Health Medical Center

ECU Health Medical Center, one of four academic medical centers in North Carolina, is the 974-bed flagship hospital for ECU Health and serves as the primary teaching hospital for The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. ECU Health Medical Center has achieved Magnet® designation twice and provides acute and intermediate care, rehabilitation and outpatient health services to a 29-county region that is home to more than 1.4 million people.

Position Summary

Analyze financial, demographic and clinical information available to locate or assist a patient in finding an eligible payment source. Aggressively pursue collection of high dollar patient account balances. Evaluate and audit patient accounts pending Medicaid for approval or denial. Serve as a resource for Social Work and Discharge Planning. Perform all the duties of a Patient Counselor and Assistant Patient Counselors as required. Performs other related responsibilities as required or requested. Demonstrates service excellence.

Responsibilities

• Screen candidates making necessary room visits on self-pay and underinsured patients.
• Determine eligibility and initiate referrals for Medicaid, various state agency programs, federal assistance or other third party payer.
• Contact employers to ascertain health insurance or workers compensation benefits.
• Establish patients overall financial ability to pay verifying real and personal assets. Initiate verification and pre admission notification per payer requirement.
• Communicate with patients to collect on the account starting in-house until third party coverage is found, payment arrangements are made, or account is referred to bad debt or charity write off.
• Follow up with patients, representatives or caseworkers at DSS for pending status, dates of coverage or denial.
• Notify DSS of outstanding balances reducing patient deductibles and insuring retroactive coverage dates.
• Interpret Medicaid policy overturning or appealing Department of Social Service denials.

Minimum Requirements

• High School plus 2 years or more of formal training or education in Health Occupations, Business or related or Associate College Degree is required.
• 3 to 4 years previous collecting experience and working with the public is required. Such as Doctor's office, Business Office or DSS
• One additional years of related experience may be substituted for one year of the required education with a maximum substitution of two years.

General Statement

It is the goal of ECU Health and its entities to employ the most qualified individual who best matches the requirements for the vacant position.

Offers of employment are subject to successful completion of all pre-employment screenings, which may include an occupational health screening, criminal record check, education, reference, and licensure verification.

We value diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Decisions of employment are made based on business needs, job requirements and applicant's qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information and testing, family and medical leave, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other status protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint.