Job Overview:
The Dental Patient Coordinator is expected to be the first line of customer service and access to the dental clinic. The Dental Patient Coordinator greets patients and family members in a professional and courteous manner. Obtains, and verifies demographic, financial, and insurance information during the registration process, accepts, and posts point of service payments or provides guidance for payment options, and clears the patient for service delivery.
About Us:
SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.
Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.
Responsibilities:
Schedule Accountabilities
- Responsible for filling and maintaining multi-provider (Dentist, Hygiene, DHAT) schedules.
- Maintains and creates specialty clinic schedules.
- Identifies and schedules patients continuing care appointments.
- Maintains patient scheduling – care of schedule to assure same day slots, scheduling of patients and all related scheduling tasks for appropriate patient population.
- Schedule appointments for patients who present in person or call the clinic.
- Directs phone calls to appropriate care provider. Maintain voicemail messaging system with proper delegation of patient needs/tasks.
- Follows SEARHC Dental guidelines of reminder systems, utilizing patient reminder software.
Financial Accountabilities
- Answer patient billing questions and take necessary action to resolve the account.
- Recommend accounts for placement with bad debt agencies or charity write-off.
- Responsible for coordination of benefits when more than one insurance carrier is used.
- Performs insurance eligibility/benefit verification, utilizing payer web access or Dentistry on Purpose. Documents information within the patient accounting system through insurance eligibility/benefit verification.
- Receives and posts payments to patients’ accounts at check-in before services are rendered.
- Accurately post all cash, credit, checks, and electronically transferred funds to beneficiary and non-beneficiary accounts within 3 business days of cash deposit or escalate non-postable deposits for resolution.
- Creates treatment estimates for patients with single insurance or a beneficiary status.
- Reviews all treatment estimates with patient prior to rendering service.
- Applies first level patient discounts including prompt pay discount.
- Calculates, reviews, and follows up on payment plans for patients.
- Refers patient to Benefit Specialist. Collaborate with financial counselors to identify alternative funding sources for patients
- Generates Service Authorization for Medicaid and Veterans Affairs.
- Balances the clinic financials daily. Balances all transactions posted to source system and daily batch deposits
Administrative Accountabilities
- Knows, understands, incorporates, and demonstrates the Mission, Core Values, and Vision in behaviors, practices, policies, and decisions.
- Provides primary receptionist services including receiving and directing incoming calls and provide assistance /information to callers. Provides helpful assistance in anticipating and responding to the needs of our customers (i.e., escorting, directing, and answering questions). Takes written messages that are clear and concise. Transcribes and relays messages that are clear and concise within Cerner and/or handwritten format. Demonstrates exceptional phone etiquette.
- Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues to contribute to the working group’s achievement of goals effectively, and to help foster a positive work environment.
- Protects confidentiality/privacy and avoids gossip in verbal, written, and electronic forms of communication or information sharing. Maintains confidentiality following SEARHC policy and HIPAA Regulations
- Raises concerns in appropriate manner and according to policy.
- Appropriately distributes registration paperwork to patients including Patient Information Form, Notice of Privacy Practices and Authorization for Treatment and Promise to Pay (Assignment of Benefits) and records into forms in the Electronic Health Record according to departmental procedures. Utilize EHR to communicate with team members.
- Ensures that all demographic and insurance information is communicated and properly enter into the electronic health record to provide prompt and accurate billing.
- Collects and record patient identification into the Electronic Health Record including driver’s license, social security card, or passport.
- Takes responsibility to communicate identified issues and concerns in a constructive manner and participates in generating ideas and solutions for improvements.
- Scan medical records and process Release of Information, if appropriate.
- Follows up with patients where all registration information was not obtained at admission, if appropriate.
- Accepts medical authorization or referral forms, if appropriate. Manages patient referrals to outside agencies.
- Completes assigned worklist related to patient demographic, insurance, medical information.
- Functions as the point of contact in identifying complex systemic issues and either resolving or escalating to management for resolution.
- Travel or support other locations with registration and scheduling activity.
- Assures paper/supplies are stocked for team.
- Assist with chart reviews as requested by the case manager.
- Collaborates with HIM to: request, document, and scan patient health information between teams and patient health forms.
Qualifications:
Education:
High School Diploma or GED
Experience:
Required: 1-2 years of office/business experience or customer service experience
Preferred: 3 years of experience in a healthcare or dental setting or equivalent with 2 years progressively responsible experience in customer service
Knowledge, Skill, and Ability
Knowledge of:
- General office functions and office equipment
- Proficient in computer applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Google Drive
- High aptitude to learn new concepts and adapt to changing regulatory/payor billing and follow up rules.
- Electronic Health Record
Skills in:
- Registration, insurance, and billing requirements
- Working independently. Highly motivated, self-starter. Problem solving and decision skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication
Ability to:
- Prioritize work in a fast-paced office setting with many interruptions
- Self-starter
- Read comprehend, and write simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos
- Demonstrate time-management, organizational, and customer service skills
- Work flexible hours with limited unplanned absence
- Work in a team setting to collaborate on workflow. Ability to collaborate within cross-functional teams.
- Be part of the solution
#SEARHC3
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $25.00 - $28.74 per hour
Expected hours: 40 per week
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Experience:
- Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)
Work Location: In person