Patient Registration Specialist

Mercy Medical Center, a Dignity Health member, has been building a rich history of care in our community for more than 100 years. We have grown from a small one-story wooden structure into a major healthcare provider with a new 186-bed main campus, offering the latest in facility design and technology. Mercy also operates Outpatient Centers, a Cancer Center and several rural clinics.

Wherever you work throughout our system, you will find faces of experience with dedication to high quality, personalized care. Joining our 1,300 employees, 230 physicians and many volunteers, you can help carry out our commitment to providing our community with the excellence they have come to associate with Mercy Medical Center.

One Community. One Mission. One California 

Employing excellent customer service skills the Patient Registration Specialist is responsible for ensuring a positive patient experience throughout the registration insurance verification benefit analysis and financial clearance process. Primary duties include appropriate patient identification financially clearing patients during the pre-registration registration admission process and prior to discharge counseling patients about their financial liability verifying payer sources assessing and referring patients to alternative payment sources including the Payment and Billing Assistance Program as well as government and non-government based payment assistance programs. The Patient Registration Specialist ensures timely accurate and complete capture of all demographic and insurance information to ensure appropriate reimbursement for services rendered. In addition the Patient Registration Specialist determines and collects the patient's financial liability and/or arranges payment plans. The Patient Registration Specialist is an information source for patients and families by explaining organization policies patient financial responsibilities and Patient Rights and Responsibilities.

• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of specific admission, registration, and pre-registration requirements for all areas, including but not limited to: Main Admitting, OP 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.

Minimum:

• Minimum 2 years of experience working in a hospital Patient Registration department, physician office setting, healthcare insurance company, revenue cycle vendor, and/or other revenue cycle-related role. Applicable education and/or training can be used to balance a lack of experience.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in customer service, preferably in a healthcare environment.
• Thorough understanding of insurance policies and procedures.
• Thorough knowledge of charity care programs as well as various government and non-government payment assistance programs preferred Working knowledge of facility pricing structure and cost estimates.
• Basic knowledge of ICD-9 (10) and CPT terminology.
• Working knowledge of medical terminology. Able to perform basic mathematics for payment calculation.
• Experience in requesting and processing financial payments. Intermediate to advanced computer skills.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and customer service skills.

Education

• High School diploma GED or equivalent.

Preferred:

• 3 years of experience preferred working in a hospital Patient Registration department, physician office setting, healthcare insurance company, revenue cycle vendor, and/or other revenue cycle-related role.