Job Description
JOB TITLE: Financial Counselor
We believe our people are our strength and we take our employees health seriously. From medical coverage and life insurance to retirement plans, paid time off and much more, Steward Health Care provides you with a variety of benefits to address your unique needs.
Health & Wellness
- Medical and Dental Insurance
- Vision
- Short Term and Long Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Retirement & Savings
- 401K
Educational Assistance
- Tuition Reimbursements
- Loan Repayment
Work & Life Balance
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
Other Perks
- Low Cost parking
- Up to 20% employee discount-Gift shop, onsite Caf and Cafeteria
St. Joseph Medical Center is taking additional, necessary preparations to ensure patients can receive compassionate care in a safe, carefully managed environment with confidence and without fear.
Our Safe and Ready program consists of a rigorous [five-point] standard ensuring patient safety, confidence and
convenience:
- Expanded hours will allow previously cancelled procedures to be scheduled as quickly as possible.
- Any COVID-19 related care takes place in designated areas away from other patients and their families.
- Emergency Departments are reorganized to be a safe place to treat all emergency patients.
-
A stringent cleaning policy has been implemented throughout the hospital.
A strictly controlled visitor and masking policy is required for patient safety.
You can rest assured that we have made the necessary preparations to provide care in a safe, controlled and professional way.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Financial Counselor is responsible for the daily review, contract interpretation, pre-cert/auth
compliance, and upfront collection for all in-house accounts. The Financial Counselor is an active
participant in facility Net Revenue and/or Discharge Planning meetings. The Financial Counselor
facilitates the coordination of account follow up with the assigned Case Manager.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Consistently supports and communicates the Mission, Vision and Values of St. Joseph
Medical Center.
2. Follows the St. Joseph Medical Center Guidelines related to the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPAA), designed to prevent or detect unauthorized disclosure of
Protected Health Information (PHI).
3. Promotes a culture of safety for patients and employees through proper identification, proper reporting, documentation and prevention of medical errors in a non-punitive environment.
4. Reviews daily in-house census to ensure pre-cert/auth completed per payer requirements
5. Reviews accounts in Observation status to ensure physician order compliments current system
status; making necessary account status changes and contacting payers to obtain per-cert/auth
for appropriate status
- Works with case management to determine anticipated length of stay and discharge plans
- Reviews payer contract to ensure accurate calculation of patient portion and point of service
collection or payment arrangement in accordance with upfront collection policy and procedure; prior to discharge
8. Reviews A/R system and collects outstanding balances on previous accounts
9 Reviews account status changes to ensure match between registration system and physician
orders; notifies payer of status change and complies with required pre-cert/auth activities
10. Implements and follows system downtime procedures when necessary
11. Other duties as assigned
12. Supportive of the compliance program set forth by Steward and demonstrated by:
- Upholds the Steward Standards of Conduct and Corporate Compliance.
- Adheres to and helps to enforce all compliance policies relevant to his/her area.
- Assures timely compliance education as requested by the Regional Compliance and Safety Officer and/or through corporate initiatives.
13. Sets an example to all staff in their daily activities.
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
WORK EXPERIENCE:
- 3 to 5 years previous Financial Counseling experience in a healthcare setting.
LICENSE/REGISTRATION/CERTIFICATION:
- N/A
EDUCATION & TRAINING:
- High School Diploma or GED required
- Associates Degree from an accredited school is preferred
SKILLS:
- Technical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills relevant to area in order to effectively communicate with physicians, health team members, patients and families.
- Ability to prioritize work with minimal supervision, in order to independently carry out the
duties of the position.
- Able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
- Additional languages preferred.
- Basic computer knowledge, proficient in excel