Summary

The Financial Counselor is responsible for the proactive management of the hospital’s self-pay accounts receivable. This role serves as the primary point of contact for patients regarding their financial obligations, providing education on payment options, processing financial assistance applications, and managing the transition of delinquent accounts to external collections. The goal of this position is to maximize collections while maintaining a high standard of patient advocacy and customer service.

 

Key Responsibilities

1. Revenue Cycle & Account Management

• Monitor and work daily Rev Cycle work queues, including Past Due Self Pay, In Collections Preview, and Discharged/Not Ready to Bill.


• Ensure insurance is marked complete to trigger proper statement drops and minimize billing delays.


• Analyze patient accounts to identify billing errors, verify insurance eligibility at the time of service, and resolve charge discrepancies.

2. Patient Collections & Financial Counseling

• Conduct daily outreach to patients in “No Pay” statuses to secure payments or establish formal payment plans.


• Evaluate patient accounts for financial assistance eligibility; process approvals, write-offs, and monitor expiration dates for coverage.


• Manage high-risk accounts by providing a 10–15 day final notice period before recommending accounts for external collection agencies.


• Handle patient inquiries regarding billing, payments, and payroll deductions with a focus on accuracy and resolution.

3. Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain the Medicare Bad Debt List, ensuring all encounter data, insurance transactions, and Medicaid cross-overs are recorded accurately for compliance.


• Facilitate the monthly "Small Balance" review, coordinating with leadership for administrative adjustments on aged accounts under $10.


• Process end-of-year uncollectible adjustments based on agency reports.

4. Administrative & Technical Support

• Generate and mail daily patient statements, ensuring appropriate "Payment Option" inserts are included for high-balance accounts.


• Utilize Cerner (Discern Analytics 2) to produce itemized statements and fulfill patient record requests.


• Coordinate with external collection agencies to report direct payments and perform bad debt reversals within the system.


• Assist with front-desk registration and other business office duties as needed.

5. Deposit & Cash Management

• Reconcile all daily cash, check, and credit card payments received via mail or in-person.


• Prepare and verify daily bank deposits, ensuring total receipts match the Rev Cycle payment logs.


• Maintain an accurate deposit log and coordinate with the Business Office to ensure all funds are securely transported and deposited in a timely manner.


• Ensure payments made on accounts currently at collections are specifically flagged during the deposit process to avoid double-billing or reporting errors.